Pet Food Processing - March 2023 - 73

DISTRIBUTION
chain through documented handling processes of our
products, and we do temperature checks and utilize
temperature recorders throughout the process to log
statuses. "
Vital Essentials, a premium pet food brand distributed
by Green Bay, Wis.-based parent company Carnivore
Meat Company that specializes in frozen and freezedried
raw pet food, snacks and treats, also takes temperature
control seriously. Key to its commitment to
freshness is the use of refrigerated trailers and storage
facilities specifically designed for cold food storage, as
well as continuous temperature monitoring systems.
" Vital Essentials is very intentional when it comes to
controlling the cold chain and maintaining quality, " said
Brian Lakari, vice president of operations, Carnivore
Meat. " Our cold chain distribution process includes four
main points of control: vendor processing, transportation,
storage and our internal manufacturing. Cold food
products are harvested and processed in USDA facilities
having temperature controls capable of maintaining the
required product temperature throughout the facility.
The care we take shows in the finished products we provide
to pet parents all over the world. "
Cold chain challenges
When it comes to managing the cold chain, pet food
companies must contend with a number of challenges.
Some of the most common issues include limited carrier
capacity, lack of cold warehouse space, and the logistical
challenges posed by rapid growth. However, with the
right strategies in place, these obstacles can be overcome.
" Like most companies over the
last couple of years, we have dealt
with the challenges of tight carrier
capacity and limited cold warehouse
space. We built long-term
relationships with our supplier
partners in both areas to ensure
stable returns for them and safeguard
sufficient supply chain capacity
to fulfill our customer expectations, "
Martin said.
Lakari added, " Vital Essentials
continues to grow at a record
pace, and this can introduce new
challenges, such as the availability of frozen cold storage
warehousing. We have been successful in addressing this
challenge for years, by building our own freezer wareFocus
is on the timely
transfer to our customer
distribution channels to
maximize the freshness and
shelf life of our products. "
Dirk Martin, Freshpet
housing. We currently own three sizable frozen warehouses.
Two are attached to our manufacturing facilities
and another is stand-alone. We are currently constructing
a fourth frozen warehouse, which will be located inside
our brand new 235,000-square-foot state-of-the-art
Freshpet's fresh pet
food (above) must be
kept cold from the
time it leaves the processing
plant (below)
to when it is placed in
the retailer's refrigerated
cases, which
leads to transportation
and distribution
challenges for the
processor.
Freshpet
www.petfoodprocessing.net | March 2023 | PET FOOD PROCESSING 73
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Pet Food Processing - March 2023

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