What Are The Categories Of Cat And Dog Snacks, And How Should Pet Owners Choose?

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Classification According To Processing Method, Preservation Method And Moisture Content Is One Of The Most Widely Used Classification Methods In Commercial Pet Food. According To This Method, Food Can Be Divided Into Dry Food, Canned Food And Semi-Moist Food.

Dry Pet Treats

The Most Common Type Of Pet Treats Purchased By Pet Owners Is Dry Food. These Foods Contain 6% To 12% Moisture And >88% Dry Matter.

Kibbles, Biscuits, Powders And Extruded Foods Are All Dry Pet Foods, The Most Popular Of Which Are Extruded (Extruded) Foods. The Most Common Ingredients In Dry Foods Are Plant And Animal Protein Powders, Such As Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Chicken And Meat Meal And Their By-Products, As Well As Fresh Animal Protein Feed. Among Them, The Carbohydrate Source Is Unprocessed Corn, Wheat And Rice And Other Grains Or Grain By-Products; The Fat Source Is Animal Fat Or Vegetable Oil.

In Order To Ensure That The Food Can Be More Homogeneous And Complete During The Mixing Process, Vitamins And Minerals Can Be Added During Stirring. Most Of Today’s Pet Dry Food Is Processed By Extrusion. Extrusion Is An Instantaneous High-Temperature Process That Cooks, Shapes And Puffs The Grain While Gelatinizing The Protein. After High Temperature, High Pressure And Forming, The Effect Of Swelling And Starch Gelatinization Is The Best. In Addition, High Temperature Treatment Can Also Be Used As a Sterilization Technique To Eliminate Pathogenic Microorganisms. The Extruded Rations Are Then Dried, Cooled And Baled. Also, There Is The Option To Use Fat And Its Extruded Dry Or Liquid Degradation Products To Enhance The Palatability Of Foods.

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The Process Of Processing And Producing Dog Biscuits And Cat And Dog Kibble Requires a Baking Process. The Process Involves Mixing All The Ingredients Together To Form a Homogeneous Dough, Which Is Then Baked. When Making Biscuits, The Dough Is Shaped Or Cut Into Desired Shapes, And The Biscuits Are Baked More Like Cookies Or Crackers. In The Production Of Coarse-Grain Cat And Dog Food, Workers Spread The Raw Dough On a Large Pan, Bake It, Cool It, Break It Into Small Pieces, And Finally Pack It.

Dry Pet Food Varies Greatly In Nutritional Composition, Raw Material Composition, Processing Methods And Appearance. What They Have In Common Is That The Water Content Is Relatively Low, But The Protein Content Ranges From 12% To 30%; While The Fat Content Is 6% To 25%. Parameters Such As Raw Material Composition, Nutrient Content And Energy Concentration Must Be Considered When Evaluating Different Dry Foods.

Semi-Moist Pet Treats

These Foods Have a Water Content Of 15% To 30%, And Their Main Raw Materials Are Fresh Or Frozen Animal Tissues, Grains, Fats And Simple Sugars. It Has a Softer Texture Than Dry Foods, Which Makes It More Acceptable To Animals And Improves Palatability. Like Dry Foods, Most Semi-Moist Foods Are Squeezed During Their Processing.

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Depending On The Composition Of The Raw Materials, The Food Can Be Steamed Prior To Extrusion. There Are Also Some Special Requirements For The Production Of Semi-Moist Food. Due To The High Water Content Of Semi-Moist Food, Other Ingredients Must Be Added To Prevent Product Deterioration.

To Fix The Moisture In The Product So That It Cannot Be Used By Bacteria To Grow, Sugar, Corn Syrup And Salt Are Added To Semi-Moist Foods. Many Semi-Moist Pet Foods Contain High Amounts Of Simple Sugars, Which Contribute To Their Palatability And Digestibility. Preservatives Such As Potassium Sorbate Prevent The Growth Of Yeast And Mold, Thus Providing Further Protection To The Product. Small Amounts Of Organic Acids Can Lower The Ph Of The Product And Can Also Be Used To Prevent Bacterial Growth. Because The Smell Of Semi-Moist Food Is Generally Smaller Than That Of Canned Food, And Independent Packaging Is More Convenient, It Is Favored By Some Pet Owners.

Semi-Moist Pet Food Does Not Require Refrigeration Before Opening And Has a Relatively Long Shelf Life. When Comparing On a Dry Matter Weight Basis, Semi-Moist Foods Are Usually Priced Between Dry And Canned Foods.

Canned Pet Treats

The Canning Process Is a High-Temperature Cooking Process. The Various Ingredients Are Mixed, Cooked And Packed Into Hot Metal Cans With Lids, And Cooked At 110-132°C For 15-25 Minutes Depending On The Type Of Can And Container. Canned Food Retains 84% Of Its Water Content. The High Water Content Makes The Canned Product Palatable, Which Is Attractive To Consumers With Fussy Pets, But Is More Expensive Due To Higher Processing Costs.

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There Are Currently Two Types Of Canned Food: One Can Provide a Complete And Balanced Nutrition; The Other Is Only Used As a Dietary Supplement Or Only For Medical Purposes In The Form Of Canned Meat Or Meat By-Products. Full-Priced, Balanced Canned Foods May Contain a Variety Of Raw Materials Such As Lean Meat, Poultry Or Fish By-Products, Grains, Extruded Vegetable Protein, And Vitamins And Minerals; Some May Contain Only 1 Or 2 Lean Meats Or Animal By-Products , And Add a Sufficient Amount Of Vitamin And Mineral Additives To Ensure a Comprehensive Diet. Type 2 Canned Foods Often Refer To Those Canned Meat Products That Consist Of The Above-Listed Meats But Do Not Contain Vitamin Or Mineral Additives. This Food Is Not Formulated To Provide Complete Nutrition And Is Intended Only As a Supplement To a Complete, Balanced Diet Or For Medical Use.

Popular Pet Treats

Popular Brands Include Those Sold Only In National Or Regional Grocery Stores Or Certain High-Volume Pet Chains. Manufacturers Invest a Lot Of Effort And Money In Advertising To Increase The Popularity Of Their Products. The Main Marketing Strategy For Marketing These Products Is To Improve The Palatability Of Diets And Their Appeal To Pet Owners.

In General, Popular Brands Of Pet Food Are Slightly Less Digestible Than Premium Foods, But Contain Higher Quality Ingredients And Are More Digestible Than Regular Pet Food. Composition, Palatability And Digestibility Can Vary Widely Between Different Brands Or Between Different Products Produced By The Same Manufacturer.

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Post time: Jul-31-2023