We wish to draw attention to one recent trend in society: the value of pets in families. By observing those around us, we can understand how much importance people place on their animals. The same plants that generate pet food have evolved in an effort to meet these expanding needs in both quantity and quality.
by Industrial Meeting | Food and Beverage Technology
In the last 20 years, Cama has successfully supplied multiple lines to major pet-foods companies around the globe. (video: Cama)
We spoke with the international expert Wim Kruikemeijer (Global Key Account Manager Cama Group, Coordinator Pet Competence Network) to improve our comprehension of what is happening in the food production industry for our animal friends.
What’s going on in the pet food industry? Humanization hot topics to start
Wim Kruikemeijer, Global Key Account Manager Cama Group, Coordinator Pet Competence Network. (photo: Cama)
Pets are considered members of the family. Humans buy food not only for their families, but also for their pets, which can be compared to their children. “We are in the process of humanizing pets. This social trend can be seen not only in the increasing consumption of domestic animal food, but also in all goods sold for the pet life. America and Asia are leading the way in this regard, with Europe moving behind. When it happens to come to pet food trends, the market is interested in new ingredients such as organic pet nutrition and insect-based food, which are now available in Europe too. Time will tell if this is only a fashion trend or a genuine market. As a result, Cama pays close attention to all trends,” Wim Kruikemeijer begins. Once the ingredients have been obtained, they must be processed to produce a nutritious product that is also safe. It comes in a variety of sizes and formats, primarily cans and pouches for wet pet food and mainly bags for dry pet food. The packaging protects the food from moisture, oxygen, and other outside factors that can affect its quality and shelf life, making it ready for consumption by our beloved pets.
Which packaging do you prefer? Cans or pouches?
The type of packaging is important: less packing but better, with smaller quantities to use only what we need. (photo: Cama)
“Consumers have defined the type of packaging used. The pouch is very popular and is expanding in general. When we look at specific markets, such as the United States, cans for wet pet food as single serve have seen a revival because recycling them is easier than recycling plastic. This is an important reason, and we must think that in general the animal lovers are also of course environmentally conscious people” explains Wim Kruikemeijer.
Food waste is gaining more and more attention. People generally desire to use less plastic, which they view as the devil. “I disagree with this; packaging serves important functions such as sustainability while providing the best possible protection for the products we pack. Food waste is a problem that is prevented by the quality of the packaging. One shopping bag is thrown for every three bags of purchases! The type of packaging is an important cause, less packing but better, with smaller quantities so we can only utilize what we actually need. This is important since food processing has a significant negative influence on the environment, particularly when it comes to items made from meat”.
Transition to a more sustainable production system
While the technical know-how of the people who work on the lines is decreasing, packaging demand is increasing in combination with the high technology used in food production lines: in the photo the Nestlè Purina line. (photo: Cama)
The PetFood Competence Network works to make the packaging sustainable and to improve the shelf life of the packed products. “In fact we’ve already taken some positive steps in this direction. Monomaterials with closures are important in pet food. The manufacturing process is becoming more flexible, which means more complex, and the risk of food waste in food plants is increasing. It is the responsibility of machine manufacturers, material suppliers, and producers to reduce waste as much as possible – continues Wim Kruikemeijer -. The ingredients used in the process production chain play an important role; for example, meat has a large environmental footprint, which is no secret. Cama makes processes as simple as possible to reduce food waste, such as quick switching and enabling vertical start-ups after a format change between different formats and flexible production lines. We established guidelines stating that the know-how of a packing line must remain within the company and not be transferred outside. For this and to support the customers we created the industry 4.0 applications for our customers to be sure that know-how of the packaging lines remains inside the company“.
Secondary packaging to support the marketing trends
In the market of United States, the cans for wet pet food as single serve have seen a revival because recycling them is easier than recycling plastic. (photo: Cama)
Production and marketing needs are growing in terms of performance and flexibility, particularly for secondary packaging. “Because of their high production and flexibility, secondary packaging lines are getting more complicated. On the contrary, our clients’ overall levels of internal knowledge are declining. Within this tension side, we are always at action. The difficulty is to think like the person who will operate our lines daily, paying attention to the goods they will pack and the packaging materials they will be utilizing. As a result, we shouldn’t only behave as a supplier of machinery. This demands for an entirely different strategy and needs a company like Cama to handle all the operations related to the machine itself (packaging dept, predictive maintenance, Industry 4.0)”.
The production of pet food is simple with the best technologies
The packaging protects the food from moisture, oxygen, and other outside factors. (photo: Cama)
“There is a contradiction: while the technical know-how of the people who work on the lines is decreasing, packaging demand is increasing in combination with the high technology used in food production lines. Technology as well as information management are critical: we know what happens throughout the entire processing line, starting with the ingredients, their recipe, processing, primary and secondary packaging, end of line, and palletizing. As a result, we implement the most advanced technology throughout the chain. Starting with Cama, we established the PetFood Competence Network to assist customers in this area. In this way, we can use the most advanced technology to test all phases to ensure the safety, nutritional value, and consistency of the final product” Kruikemeijer explains.
The Pet Food Competence Network, the benefits for the market
Production and marketing needs are growing in terms of performance and flexibility, particularly for secondary packaging. (photo: Cama)
“We established the PetFood Competence Network to assist pet food manufacturers with formulation, processing, and packaging issues. We had the idea because we saw the need to understand each other’s processes to better understand each other’s needs. This is because we observed that the same mistakes were repeatedly made in pet food projects. Mistakes that could easily be avoided if we cared about each other’s needs. This was the primary driving force for collaboration,” Wim Kruikemeijer continues.
“Because the processes are so interconnected, we at PCN employ an integrated strategy. Furthermore, the increase in knowledge has grown exponentially as we have a much greater comprehension of each other’s problems. The PCN members’ goal is to be a source of knowledge and thus a source of advantage to their partners, who are our customers. Every production process is unique, depending on whether you are in Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, or the United States. The chicken in the United States varies significantly from that in Thailand, just like the ingredients used in food processing. This is also true for primary and secondary packaging. To assist our customers in determining the best solution, we provide a pet food pilot plant where we can test with raw materials and produce the best wet or dry pet foods that require very different processes”.
The PetFood Competence Network is an eleven-company conglomerate specializing in raw materials, formulation, processing, filling, handling, sterilizing, loading, packaging, and palletizing. Andritz, Cama, Clevertech, JRS, JBT FTNON, KARL SCHNELL, MIAVIT, OPEM, REICH, TPG: the Packaging Group (FAWEMA, HDG, Wolf), Waldner are the companies involved.
A new plant or a retrofitting?
“If you have a new greenfield project to develop, you can get it from the very beginning. Sometimes a company already has a production plant that needs to take the next step with automation; in this case, it may be difficult because when a poor decision was made in the past. We can create a completely new line or upgrade a current one. Cama and its PetFood Competence Network partners have global experience and knowledge for mostly all requests”. Wim Kruikemeijer concludes: “For example, if a customer wants a multiflavor plant from a full system designed for a single flavor, this could be a critical challenge; there are problems with pouch or can handling and logistics that might be completely changed. When a customer wants to change or increase production to a greener, there are various problems to solve, and it is important to remember that each case is unique, and the Pet Food Competence Network can assist in settling this question”.
