Trends in pet food and fish feed extrusion

Both fish feed and pet food is of great importance worldwide, and production is growing steadily with ever increasing developments in processing methods. The latest equipment and techniques improve the feeding value of both fish feed and pet food. According to Alain Brisset, manager of the Process Team and Research and Development Centres of Clextral, two obvious trends have appeared in the most recent years.Firstly, we see extruders with much higher capacities.

These are mainly used to satisfy mass production requirements for mature core markets. Secondly, we see steady an increase in small and medium size compact and very flexible production lines that are dedicated to processing very high value added products.

Different shapes and colours
Changes in demand for pet food, as a result of the increasing humanisation of pets and an increasing interest in the nutritional and health requirements of animals, are creating significant opportunities for manufacturers to develop higher-value products. The days when owners fed all dogs the same dog food and all cats the same cat food are long gone. Manufactures are becoming more aware of the specific needs during the different life stages of pets, which is reflected in tailor-made products and a greater choice of premium brands. We therefore see an increasing amount of pet food with different shapes, colours and use of raw materials and ingredients entering the market. One can speak of treats, moist and semi-moist, bi-coloured, co-extruded, premium and super premium, nutritional, functional and so on when referring to pet food. These products can be extruded in compact lines ranging from 300-1,000 kg/h, while lines with a higher capacity are now standardised for “standard” pet food (10 to more than 16 t/h output).

Twin screw extrusion of aquafeed

Since trout farming began towards the end of the nineteenth century, the feeds used for fish farming have evolved radically, first of all with the introduction of pelleted dry feeds during the 1960s. During the 1980s, the introduction of the cooking-extrusion technique constituted another decisive step forward. This technology assures a better physical presentation and a much- improved absorption of the feed ingredients. Above all, this process allows more precise preparation of specific feeds. Clextral works in close collaboration with specialised institutes to develop solutions for fish feed production from small to very large capacities. In addition, the company produces pellets that range from 0.5 mm (micro pellets) to very large sizes that exceed 30 mm in diameter by using the twin screw extruder.

According to Brisset, twin screw extrusion is the perfect tool to satisfy the new requirements of mass production and niche production in the fish feed industry. This extrusion technique is able to produce high capacities together with high flexibility. Furthermore, consistent product quality

is better guaranteed through better nutritional value, increased digestibility, and the use of a large variety of raw materials, among others. Twin screw extrusion also offers the advantage of being economical and ecological as it uses less water and energy.

For further information, contact Alain Brisset

Email: abrisset@clextral.com Tel: +33 4 77 40 31 31