PET Food Processing - December 2019 - 55

OPERATIONS

Starting Fresh
Three key considerations for producing raw and minimally
processed pet foods and treats.
By Jennifer Semple | jsemple@sosland.com

Food products, for both pets and humans, not heated
during processing to the point at which potentially
deadly pathogens are eradicated require an especially
keen focus on the production environment and procedures to manufacture those products efficiently and,
most importantly, safely. From wall construction to tray
washing to cold pasteurization, here are three - sometimes overlooked - factors to delivering safe raw and
minimally processed pet foods and treats to consumers.

#1: Cold room
According to Ben Rucker, director of process technology
at CRB, Kansas City, Missouri, a temperature-controlled
area within a processing facility requires a proper plan
and understanding of the processes within the space.
The area must be determined and mapped prior to developing a design, taking into consideration many factors. These factors include how much temperature control recovery time is required; how often is equipment
washed down and at what temperature; what is the
temperature and humidity control during processing
and during cleaning; and how does the effluent stream
change due to room temperature.
These spaces require specific construction that can be
separate from how the rest of a facility is built. "For refrigerated room environments, walls need to be insulated

and designed to meet the thermal envelope requirements
to maintain temperature and cleanability," explains Tyler
Cundiff, vice president of business development, food and
beverage at Gray, Lexington, Kentucky. "This is typically
achieved with the use of insulated metal panels (IMP) or
insulated concrete precast panels with appropriate coatings to withstand chemical cleaning agents."
HVAC system requirements are unique as well. "Air
exchange balance and temperature recovery are extremely important in the area, especially during washdown, cleaning and in any open areas," Rucker says.
Also, the thermal envelope of the cooled space needs
to be maintained by including adequate floor and ceiling design details to ensure the thermal transfer is minimized in the floor and ceiling transition areas. "By use
of a 'walkable' and cleanable drop ceiling in the space,
processors can solve both thermal and cleanability issues
at the same time in most cases," Cundiff says.
Managing access to a temperature-controlled area
without driving up costs to keep the room cool can be
challenging in busy processing plants that often operate 24/7. "Designing an interstitial space with proper
doors and an HVAC recovery plan in the space can be
big cost savers for high forklift traffic routes into the
temperature-controlled area," Rucker says.
At ingress and egress points of the refrigerated spaces,

By processing pet
foods at extremely
high water pressure, high-pressure
processing machines
neutralize Listeria,
Salmonella, E. coli
and other bacteria.
JBTAvure

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PET Food Processing - December 2019

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