Dry Dog Food

Most dog owners feed their dogs commercial dog food brands.  Choosing which brand to buy can at times be most confusing for they all claim to be the best.  There is no best dog food out there.  The best food that your dog can have is one you prepare yourself.  For those who are curious about making their own dog food you should first have some insight into how commercial dog food brands make their products before you start developing your own dog food recipes.

There are many different types of commercial dog food brands and most offer a variety of choices.  There are dry foods or kibble, canned or wet food or semi-moist food.  There is a different manufacturing process for each one with different procedures for each individual product.

Dry Dog food is by far the biggest selling product on the market.  Dog owners prefer it because it is more economical, easier to serve and, if necessary, can be stored for long periods of time.  Dry dog food can be made in several different ways.  The most common of these is the extrusion method.

It all starts with the raw materials of grain, meat and fat which are processed in bulk and are the main dog food ingredients that appear on the label.  However, there is a long list of other ingredients like food coloring and dyes, toxins, pesticides, chemicals, harmful preservatives (BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin) and antibiotics not appearing  on any dog food label that are added to the raw materials.

All of these ingredients are ground to a consistency like that of coarse flour for easier processing.  All the ingredients are then mixed together.  This part of the process is very important because if the mixture is not blended properly many of the essential nutrients will be lost.

Next comes the process of extrusion.  This is where the mixture is kneaded, shaped and sliced.  Similar to the bread making process it goes through several rising cycles.  Before the mix is extruded it goes through a preconditioning procedure where water, meat and fat are blended into the mix.  The blended mix is then forced through a die to be uniformly cut into the desired shape.

The dry dog food product is now taken from the extruder and placed in a dryer for the removal of excess moisture.  If this process is done too quickly it will break more easily during shipping and handling.  The results of this can be seen by examining the bottom of the cheaper dog food brands. The product is then cooled to prevent condensation.

The final step in the manufacturing process is called enrobing.  This is where fat and flavor enhancers area added in liquid or powdered form to the outer surface.  This improves the taste and makes the end product more palatable.

Fortunately, we can make a more nutritious, better tasting dry dog food with ingredients right from our own kitchens. Knowing how commercial dog food brands make their products can provide us with some insight in what not to include in our dog food recipes