Wet Pet Food

Our industrial pet food processing system (the Jet Process System) can cook, entrain (mixes and hydrates hydrocolloids) and sterilize in a single pass. The Jet Process System for wet pet food also has a very small footprint. Recently, an installation required less than 1,300 square feet and is producing just under 40,000 pounds of premium wet pet food per hour using only one operator.

With our Jet Process System, industrial wet pet food manufacturers are able to reduce the number of processing vessels used saving time and energy while improving product quality and profitability.

Traditional wet pet food processing uses multiple jacketed or pressure vessels, emulsifiers, heat exchangers and/or retorts to achieve high temperature sterilization. This traditional equipment for manufacturing pet food requires a large manufacturing footprint, regular maintenance and annual pressure testing. Additionally, the multiple processing stages that our Jet Process System has been designed to replace use large amounts of energy and water and the process for cleaning and removing burn on is caustic. The Jet Process System for wet pet food minimizes square footage required for equipment, minimizes energy use during production and eliminates the dangers of a caustic cleanup process for burn on contamination.

Part of the DC Norris Jet Process System is Jet Entrainment. We use high speed Jet Entrainment for powders such as gums, gels, vitamins and hydrocolloids common in the manufacturing process for wet pet food. Commonly, Jet Entrainment is able to entrain, heat, mix and hydrate the powders to their required temperature in under 10 minutes. From there, Jet Entrain automatically transfers the hydrated gums and powders to an unjacketed processing vessel where key wet pet food ingredients such as meat, vegetables, water and rice are then added.

DC Norris’s patented Jet Cook™ in-tank units then heat and emulsify the wet pet food to 120°F. Once temperature is reached, high shear mixing heads are used to create the final texture before the product is automatically diverted via Jet In-line units. The pet food is then heated again from 120°F to 302°F in a single pass in less than 6.5’ with zero burn-on or fouling. As product goes through the units, the process flow undergoes a double-phase change and a very rapid transition of pressure and velocity.

Any powders, fats or liquids contained in the flow become thoroughly and safely homogenized, along with even heat distribution from steam condensation, giving a 99.8% usage of the steam energy.

The cooling process is completed using the same line, bringing the pet food back down to 158°F before diverting to the filler holding vessels.

One the product is cooled, the mains water that was used to cool the product after sterilization is recovered back into the first process vessel. This recovery technique, unique to the Jet Process System, saves pet food manufacturers dramatic amounts of energy with its efficiency.