Wholesale Pet Food Freeze-Drying Equipment Manufacturers

What are the selection criteria for Pet Food Freeze-Drying Equipment?

When selecting suitable pet food freeze-drying equipment, it is necessary to comprehensively consider multiple technical parameters, economic factors and production needs to ensure that the equipment can meet the requirements of production efficiency, food quality and nutritional protection.

(1) Equipment capacity and production scale

Production demand matching: When selecting equipment, the production scale must be determined first. This is not only related to the equipment's capacity (i.e. the amount processed per batch), but also to the length of the production cycle. Large-scale production companies may require high-capacity equipment to ensure that they can meet market demand, while small producers require smaller and more flexible equipment. When selecting equipment, it is necessary to ensure that the equipment's processing capacity can meet daily production needs to avoid waste.

Equipment scalability: Considering the long-term development of the company, it is very important to choose equipment with scalability. As production demand increases, equipment that can increase production capacity by upgrading or expanding components (such as increasing the number of freeze-drying chambers or expanding the capacity of vacuum pumps) will bring more flexibility to the company.

(2) Temperature and pressure control accuracy

Temperature control technology: Temperature control is crucial for freeze drying of pet food. The equipment needs to have a precise temperature control system to ensure that the food can be quickly cooled to the appropriate low temperature zone during the freezing stage and to avoid excessive temperature during the sublimation stage, which will lead to the loss of nutrients. For example, the fat and protein in pet food are easily oxidized and degraded at high temperatures. Therefore, it is necessary to select equipment with precise temperature control and good temperature stability.

Pressure control: During the sublimation process of freeze drying, the vacuum state is crucial. The equipment must be able to maintain an appropriate vacuum pressure to ensure that water can be directly sublimated from solid to gas to avoid the appearance of liquid water. Too high or too low pressure will affect the efficiency of water removal and may cause the loss of nutrients. The pressure control system of the equipment should have high precision and reliability.

(3) Equipment durability and material selection

Corrosion resistance: Pet food has a high oil and water content, which means that the material of the freeze drying equipment needs to have excellent corrosion resistance. Food may release acidic or oily substances during the production process, which places high demands on the equipment material. High-quality stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant alloy materials are often used for the internal components of the equipment to prevent reactions with food ingredients.
Cleanliness and hygiene requirements: Pet food production has strict hygiene requirements, and the equipment must be designed to be easy to clean and avoid cross-contamination. Choosing equipment designs that are easy to clean and avoid dead corners or difficult-to-clean areas will help ensure that the equipment remains in good working condition for a long time and meets food safety requirements.

(4) Ease of operation and degree of automation

Automated control: Modern pet food freeze-drying equipment is increasingly moving towards high automation, which not only improves production efficiency but also reduces human operating errors. The equipment should be equipped with an advanced automated control system. Through a touch screen or PLC control panel, the operator can intuitively monitor the production process and make adjustments. This automated system can automatically adjust temperature, pressure, and time at different production stages, helping to improve production stability and consistency.
Real-time monitoring and data recording: High-end freeze-drying equipment is usually equipped with a real-time monitoring system that can provide real-time feedback on key parameters such as temperature, humidity, and vacuum during the production process, and record data. This data can help production personnel quickly identify problems and make adjustments, and also provide a basis for subsequent quality control and problem tracing.

(5) Energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness

Energy efficiency ratio: Freeze drying is a high energy consumption process, so the energy efficiency of the equipment is crucial. Selecting equipment with a high energy efficiency ratio can significantly reduce operating costs. The equipment should be equipped with advanced energy-saving technologies, such as variable frequency drive systems and efficient vacuum pumps to reduce energy consumption. In addition, a reasonable heat recovery system can also effectively reduce production costs.

Long-term operation and maintenance costs: In addition to the initial investment, the long-term maintenance and operation costs of the equipment are also important factors that must be considered when selecting the equipment. The maintenance frequency, repair costs and availability of spare parts of the equipment need to be evaluated to ensure the long-term stable operation of the equipment.

How can the freeze-drying process ensure that the nutrients of pet food are not lost?

At Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., our technical team has 10 years of experience in the research and development and production of freeze-drying equipment, and can provide customized freeze-drying solutions for various industrial applications. We are well aware of the importance of ensuring that the nutritional integrity of pet food is maintained during the freeze-drying process. Therefore, based on years of technical accumulation and the selection of high-quality equipment, we have optimized the following aspects to ensure that nutrients are not lost during the freeze-drying process.

(1) Precise temperature and pressure control

Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. uses world-class core components, such as vacuum pumps and compressors from Italian, American and Japanese brands, to provide stable and precise temperature and pressure control during the freeze-drying process. This is crucial to ensure that sensitive ingredients such as fat, protein, and vitamins in pet food are not damaged.

Temperature control technology: Through a precise temperature control system, we can accurately adjust the temperature of the freezing and sublimation stages. Excessive temperature will cause the degradation of nutrients such as fatty acids and amino acids, so our equipment maintains an appropriate temperature range during the freeze-drying process to ensure the stability of food ingredients.

Pressure control: The high-efficiency vacuum pump built into the equipment ensures precise pressure control during the sublimation stage. The appropriate vacuum degree allows water to sublime directly from solid to gas, avoiding the formation of liquid water, thereby reducing the loss or conversion of nutrients.

(2) Optimization of multi-layer structure and condensation system

Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.'s freeze-drying system adopts a multi-layer architecture design, which is crucial for the efficient processing of large batches of pet food. The multi-layer system can maximize the freeze-drying efficiency while reducing the temperature fluctuations and mechanical damage to the food during the freeze-drying process.

Condensation system: Our condensation system can quickly capture and remove moisture through an efficient cold trap design, maintaining a low temperature and low humidity environment, thereby ensuring that the nutrients in the food are not lost. The high efficiency of the cold trap effectively prevents the degradation of nutrients caused by heat during the evaporation process.

Multi-layer architecture: Through the multi-layer architecture design, Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. can process multiple different food batches at the same time, maintaining stable temperature and pressure, thereby ensuring that each layer of food is dried under optimal conditions and avoiding the loss of nutrients due to uneven drying process.

(3) Optimized energy efficiency and energy-saving solutions

In the freeze-drying process of pet food, precise control of temperature and time is very important. Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. uses energy-saving optimization solutions for freeze-drying equipment to ensure that energy consumption is minimized while ensuring food quality. This not only helps to reduce operating costs, but also to a certain extent reduces the loss of nutrients caused by excessive drying time.

Use of high-efficiency compressors and vacuum pumps: We choose high-efficiency international brand compressors and vacuum pumps (such as Italian and Japanese brands). These equipment not only ensures efficient energy transfer during the freeze-drying process, but also ensures that the food maintains the appropriate temperature and pressure throughout the drying process, avoiding nutrient loss caused by insufficient equipment performance.

(4) Automatic control system and precise monitoring

Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. integrates advanced automatic control systems into freeze-drying equipment, using precise temperature and pressure sensors to monitor the entire freeze-drying process in real time. The control system can automatically adjust the freeze-drying parameters based on real-time data to ensure that each batch of pet food can be processed under optimal conditions. Precise control and data recording: The automated system uses precision sensors to monitor key parameters such as temperature, humidity, and vacuum in real time to ensure the stability of the entire freeze-drying process. Each temperature curve and vacuum curve is accurately recorded for later analysis and quality traceability, thereby avoiding the loss of nutrients due to improper parameters.

Adaptability to various food types: According to different types of pet food (such as high fat, high protein, or high moisture), the control system can automatically adjust the key parameters of the freeze-drying process to ensure that the nutrients of each food are best preserved.

(5) Comprehensive equipment testing and quality assurance

Each freeze-drying equipment provided by Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. undergoes rigorous testing before leaving the factory, including tests on temperature, vacuum, drying effect, etc., to ensure that the equipment can operate stably and long-term in actual applications. Through efficient production and quality inspection processes, we ensure that each equipment can meet the high standards required in pet food production. Process testing and sample testing: Before the equipment is delivered, the technical team of Sieno Freeze-drying Technology Research Institute (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. will conduct sample testing based on the customer's production needs to ensure that the freeze-drying process will not damage the nutritional components of the pet food. Through rigorous testing procedures, we are able to provide customers with customized freeze-drying solutions.

How ​​does the freeze-drying equipment handle different types of pet food?

Different types of pet food have different compositions and physical properties, so the freeze-drying equipment needs to be adjusted and optimized accordingly when handling these foods. The following are several key aspects of how the equipment handles different types of pet food:

(1) Meat pet food

High fat and high moisture content: Meat pet food usually contains high moisture and fat, and special attention needs to be paid to temperature and pressure control during the freeze-drying process. Fat and oil are easily damaged during the freeze-drying process, so the equipment needs to have a precise temperature control system to ensure that the fat does not oxidize or lose. In addition, the protein structure in meat food is relatively complex, and the rapid freezing and low-temperature sublimation process can effectively retain its nutritional components.

Avoid cell structure damage: The cell structure in meat products is usually loose, and ice crystals should be avoided during freeze drying. Lower freezing temperatures and appropriate sublimation temperatures can help maintain the structure and taste of meat products.

(2) Plant-based pet food

High fiber content: Plant-based pet foods (such as plant-based cat and dog food, vegetable snacks, etc.) are usually rich in fiber and other plant nutrients. Since fiber is not easily destroyed by the freeze drying process, these foods are more adaptable to freeze drying. The equipment should adjust the temperature and pressure according to the characteristics of the plant ingredients to ensure that moisture is removed and the integrity of other nutrients is maintained without affecting the fiber structure.

Stability of plant oils: Plant oils (such as vegetable oils, seed oils, etc.) are easily oxidized at high temperatures, so special attention should be paid to controlling the temperature to avoid oxidation reactions of the oils.

(3) Pet snacks

High sugar and salt content: Some pet snacks (such as biscuits, dried meat, etc.) usually contain high sugar and salt content, which are more easily affected during the freeze drying process. For these high-sugar and high-salt foods, the freeze-drying time and temperature need to be controlled to avoid sugar caramelization or salt crystallization, which will affect the taste and appearance of the product.
Shape and appearance preservation: Pet snacks usually have special shapes (such as biscuits, bars, blocks, etc.), and it is necessary to ensure that the freeze-drying process does not cause changes in appearance. The equipment should provide a flexible temperature control system to ensure that the shape and taste of these products are not damaged.

(4) Different treatments for wet food and dry food

Wet food: Wet food (such as canned food) has a high moisture content. During freeze drying, more precise control of temperature and sublimation process is required to ensure that the moisture can be removed smoothly without affecting the texture and taste of the food. The drying time of wet food is usually longer, so the equipment needs to provide a more efficient vacuum system to ensure that enough moisture is removed in a shorter time.
Dry food: Dry food usually has a lower moisture content, and the requirements for moisture removal during the processing are higher. During the freeze drying process, the equipment can use rapid freezing and sublimation to ensure that the dry food is crispy and the nutrients are not lost.