Pet Food Freeze Dryer

Equipment Introduction

Pet food freeze dryers (vacuum freeze dryers) are available in three structural types: chamber freeze dryer (tray type), tunnel freeze dryer, and continuous contact freeze dryer, meeting the processing needs of different scales.

This series of pet food freeze dryers uses advanced vacuum freeze-drying technology. Fresh meat sources, organs, and formulated ingredients are rapidly frozen at low temperatures, and then under a vacuum environment, the ice is directly sublimated into water vapor. It perfectly preserves the natural nutrition (protein retention >95%), flavor, and palatability of pet food. Rehydrated texture is close to fresh meat, allowing long-term room temperature storage without preservatives. The equipment is suitable for deep processing of chicken, duck, beef, fish, liver, salmon, egg yolk, fruits and vegetables, and various pet nutritional supplements. It is an ideal device for manufacturing high-end freeze-dried raw meat, freeze-dried treats, freeze-dried complete meals, and functional pet foods, significantly increasing product added value and extending shelf life.

Equipment Composition

Equipment Features

1. The freeze-drying chamber and shelves are made of high-quality SUS304 food-grade stainless steel, with finely polished interiors and no死角, complying with GMP/FDA food hygiene standards, resistant to grease corrosion, and easy to clean and disinfect without residue, ensuring pet food safety.

2. The core refrigeration and vacuum systems use internationally renowned brands (such as Bitzer compressors, Leybold vacuum pumps), ensuring stable capture of water vapor at extremely low temperatures. Optimized water capture efficiency for high-protein, high-fat materials. The equipment can operate continuously and stably 24 hours a day.

3. The chamber and cold trap are filled with high-quality polyurethane high-pressure foam, with thick insulation and very low thermal conductivity, effectively preventing cold loss, significantly reducing operating energy consumption, with energy consumption per ton reduced by 25%.

4. The fully automatic PLC control system features a high-definition touch screen. Freeze-drying curves dedicated to pet food (pre-freezing, primary drying, secondary drying) can be programmed and preset. Parameters are automatically adjusted according to meat piece size and fat content, with real-time monitoring of material temperature, vacuum level, and cold trap temperature, truly achieving unattended intelligent operation.

5. For the characteristic of high-fat materials being prone to oxidation, a vacuum nitrogen backfill system is available. Immediately after freeze-drying, nitrogen protection is applied to prevent fat rancidity, maintaining product freshness and palatability, and extending shelf life to over 5 years.

Technical Parameters

Working Principle

Principle of vacuum freeze-drying: Pet food raw materials are pre-treated (dicing, grinding, mixing, forming) and then frozen to below their eutectic point (usually -30°C to -40°C), completely solidifying the water in the material. Then, under a high vacuum environment (10-30Pa), the heating shelves provide latent heat of sublimation, causing the solid ice in the material to directly sublimate into gaseous water vapor. The water vapor condenses into frost on the surface of the low-temperature cold trap (-50°C to -60°C), thereby completing dehydration and drying. The entire process takes place under low temperature and anaerobic conditions, so meat proteins are not denatured, fats are not oxidized, and natural flavor and nutritional components are almost completely preserved. The product is crisp and porous with excellent rehydration.

Production Results

Freeze-Drying Effect