How the dry pet food is made? Virtual tour of Akvatera - dry pet food factory

Summary

In this episode of Kika Pet Academy, host Roberta visits the Aquaterra dry pet food factory to explore the production process of premium pet food. She meets with factory owner Torres, who shares insights into the factory's history, commitment to quality, and use of advanced machinery. The tour covers the factory's raw material intake, lab testing, and the importance of maintaining product consistency. They discuss the factory's eco-friendly practices, including the use of solar energy and Tesla vehicles. The video offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how Aquaterra creates high-quality pet food while prioritizing sustainability.

Takeaways

• 🏭 Aquaterra is a dry pet food factory that produces economy, premium, and super premium pet food products.
• 📈 The factory was established in 2004 and has been updated with the latest machinery to maintain its status as one of the most modern in Northern Europe.
• 🏅 Aquaterra has received numerous awards for their products, including gold and silver medals for product of the year.
• 🔬 Quality control is paramount, with rigorous checks on raw materials for color consistency, protein, fiber, ash, moisture, oil, sugar, and more.
• 🌾 The factory uses a variety of high-quality raw materials, including Australian lamb meal, white fish, shrimp meal from the North Seas, and ingredients from Lithuania.
• 🐶🐱 There are differences in nutritional needs and product formulations for cats and dogs, as well as variations in kibble size and shape for different pet sizes and preferences.
• 🌍 Aquaterra exports to 52 countries, with a significant portion going to Asia where strict regulations are in place.
• 🛠️ The factory operates with high levels of automation, reducing the need for manual labor and increasing efficiency.
• 🌿 Aquaterra is committed to sustainability, using green energy and producing a significant portion of its own energy needs through solar panels.
• 🔍 The company focuses on meeting the true nutritional needs of pets rather than following market trends, with an R&D team dedicated to innovation.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the Kika Pet Academy channel?

The main focus of the Kika Pet Academy channel is to reveal the biggest secrets in the pet food industry and discuss topics such as dry pet food, nutritional values, and protein sources.

When was the Aquaterra dry pet food factory built?

The Aquaterra dry pet food factory was built in 2004.

What types of pet food does Aquaterra produce?

Aquaterra produces a range of pet food including economy, premium, and super premium products.

Why did Aquaterra rebuild their factory two years ago?

Aquaterra rebuilt their factory two years ago to accommodate their capacity and to incorporate the latest and most modern machinery in the industry.

What is the significance of the awards displayed at the Aquaterra factory?

The awards displayed at the Aquaterra factory represent the recognition they have received for their products of the year, with most of them being gold and silver medals.

How does Aquaterra ensure the quality of their raw materials?

Aquaterra ensures the quality of their raw materials by checking the color, hemicon analysis, and using machines to analyze parameters such as protein, fiber, ash level, moisture, oil, and sugar.

What is the role of the extruder in the pet food production process at Aquaterra?

The extruder is the main equipment in the pet food production process at Aquaterra, where the dry mix is preheated, steam is added to cook the product, and then it is cut and shaped into kibble.

Why does Aquaterra have different kibble shapes for their pet food?

Aquaterra has different kibble shapes to cater to pets of different ages, sizes, and specific needs, such as cats with flat noses who require a triangle shape for easier eating.

How does Aquaterra manage to produce pet food with high-quality raw materials like Australian lamb meal and North Sea shrimp meal?

Aquaterra sources high-quality raw materials from specific regions known for their quality, such as Australian lamb meal and North Sea shrimp meal, to create super premium pet food with added benefits.

What is the importance of the coating machine in the production process at Aquaterra?

The coating machine at Aquaterra is important as it allows for the addition of a high level of fat into the product, which provides energy. It creates a vacuum to absorb the fat into the kibble, ensuring the energy content is locked inside.

How does Aquaterra's packaging process ensure the freshness of their products for export?

Aquaterra's packaging process ensures freshness by minimizing the storage time and only keeping products in the warehouse until a full order is ready for shipment, especially important for export to countries with strict regulations like Asia.

What is Aquaterra's stance on environmental sustainability?

Aquaterra is committed to environmental sustainability, as evidenced by the owner's preference for Tesla vehicles, the use of green energy for the factory, and the production of a significant portion of their energy needs through their own solar park.

Outlines

00:00

🐾 Introduction to Aquaterra Dry Pet Food Factory

The video begins with the host expressing excitement about visiting Aquaterra, a dry pet food factory. The host meets with Torres, the factory owner, and discusses the factory's history, which started in 2004, and its evolution to produce economy, premium, and super-premium pet food products. Torres highlights the factory's modern machinery and the numerous awards it has won for its products. The host and Torres then proceed to explore the factory, starting with the intake of raw materials and the importance of the lab in ensuring quality and consistency.

05:02

🔬 Raw Material Quality and Production Process

The video continues with a focus on the raw materials used in dry pet food, which include various grains and meat meals. The host learns about the importance of checking the color and quality of raw materials to maintain a consistent final product. The factory uses advanced machinery to analyze the nutritional content of the raw materials, ensuring high-quality standards. The production process is described, starting from grinding raw materials to mixing and conditioning, leading up to the extrusion process where the pet food is cooked and shaped into kibble.

10:02

🌍 Sourcing High-Quality Ingredients and Product Variety

The host explores the variety of high-quality ingredients used in Aquaterra's pet food, including lamb meal from Australia, white fish, shrimp meal, cranberries, and green tea. These ingredients are sourced from specific regions to ensure their quality and suitability for different pet food products. The video also discusses the differences in ingredients and nutritional values between dog and cat food, as well as the various kibble shapes designed for pets of different ages and sizes.

15:07

📦 Advanced Packaging and Export Logistics

The video moves on to the packaging process, emphasizing the importance of efficient and careful packaging, especially for export to countries with different climate conditions. The factory uses advanced machinery that requires minimal human intervention, streamlining the process from filling to vacuum sealing. The host learns about the factory's reach, supplying to 52 countries, and the strict criteria for product freshness, particularly for exports to Asia. The video also touches on the factory's eco-friendly practices, including the use of solar energy and plans for a new, more efficient warehouse.

20:07

🌱 Commitment to Sustainability and Nutritional Needs

In the final part of the video, the host discusses Aquaterra's commitment to sustainability and the environment, noting the factory's use of green energy and Tesla vehicles. Torres, the factory owner, emphasizes the importance of meeting the true nutritional needs of pets over following market trends. The host concludes the video by expressing gratitude for the insights into the pet food manufacturing process and encourages viewers to ask questions and subscribe for more content.

Keywords

💡Dry Pet Food

Dry pet food refers to a type of pet food that is made by dehydrating or extruding ingredients, resulting in a dry kibble or pellet form. In the video, the host visits an aquaterra dry pet food factory to explore how this type of food is manufactured. The process includes grinding raw materials, mixing, extrusion, and drying to create the final product. The video emphasizes the importance of quality ingredients and the nutritional value of dry pet food for cats and dogs.

💡Aquaterra

Aquaterra is the name of the dry pet food factory featured in the video. It is described as one of the most modern dry pet food factories in Northern Europe, indicating its use of advanced machinery and commitment to quality. The script mentions that Aquaterra produces economy, premium, and super premium pet food products, showcasing the range of quality levels they offer.

💡Extruder

An extruder is a key piece of equipment in the pet food manufacturing process, as highlighted in the video. It is used to cook the pet food mix under high pressure and temperature, which then extrudes the mix through a die to form the kibble shape. The extruder is referred to as the 'heart' of the factory, emphasizing its central role in the production of dry pet food.

💡Raw Materials

Raw materials are the initial ingredients used to make dry pet food. The video script mentions various raw materials such as grains, meat meals, and dried meat meals. The quality and consistency of these raw materials are crucial for maintaining the color and nutritional value of the final product. The factory also uses specific high-quality ingredients like Australian lamb meal and white fish for their hypoallergenic products.

💡Nutritional Values

Nutritional values are the dietary components and their quantities in pet food that provide essential nutrients for pets. The video discusses the importance of protein, fiber, ash level, moisture, oil, and sugar in the pet food composition. These values are checked through a hemicon analysis to ensure the pet food meets the required nutritional standards.

💡Quality Control

Quality control refers to the procedures and checks in place to ensure the pet food produced meets quality standards. In the video, the host visits the lab where raw materials are tested for color consistency and other parameters. The factory uses computerized systems to track and guarantee the quality of the raw materials and the final product.

💡Kibble

Kibble is the term used to describe the small, dry, and hard pieces of pet food produced by the extrusion process. The video explains how the extruder cuts the cooked and expanded material into kibble shapes. The shape and size of the kibble can vary depending on the age and size of the pet, with different shapes designed for ease of consumption by cats and dogs with different needs.

💡Economy, Premium, and Super Premium

These terms categorize the different quality levels of pet food produced by Aquaterra. Economy refers to the basic level, premium indicates a higher quality, and super premium signifies the highest quality tier. The video script discusses how the factory produces all three categories, indicating a wide range of products to meet various market demands.

💡Packaging

Packaging is the process of enclosing the finished pet food in bags or containers for distribution. The video highlights the importance of packaging for maintaining product quality, especially for export to countries with different climates. The factory uses advanced machinery that requires minimal human intervention, showcasing the efficiency and automation in the packaging process.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability in the context of the video refers to the factory's commitment to environmental practices, such as using green energy and reducing waste. The owner of Aquaterra mentions the use of solar energy and the goal to cover all energy needs with solar panels, demonstrating a focus on eco-friendly operations.

Highlights

Introduction to the KiKa Pet Academy and the exploration of the Aquaterra dry pet food factory.

Meeting with Torres, the owner of Aquaterra, to discuss the factory's operations and pet food production.

The factory's history, starting from economy products to developing premium and super premium pet food lines.

Aquaterra's status as one of the most modern dry pet food factories in Northern Europe.

The factory's awards for product quality and innovation.

The importance of raw material quality and the lab's role in checking ingredients.

The use of computerized systems to track raw materials and ensure product quality.

The factory's production process, starting from raw materials to the final kibble.

The extruder's role as the main equipment in the production of dry pet food.

The factory's use of high-quality raw materials like Australian lamb meal and North Sea shrimp meal.

The differences in nutritional needs and product formulation for cats and dogs.

The variety of kibble shapes produced to cater to different pet sizes and preferences.

The advanced machinery used to add high levels of fat for energy into the kibble.

The importance of packaging for export markets and the factory's automation in this process.

The factory's reach to 52 countries and its focus on fresh production for export.

The factory's eco-friendly practices, including the use of Teslas and solar energy for production.

Torres' personal commitment to meeting the true nutritional needs of pets and creating new trends in pet food.

The appreciation for the factory's transparency and the educational value of the video for viewers.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

chipset

oh my god how cool is this place they

even have scooters

awesome hey guys

welcome back to the kika pet academy you

might notice i'm super excited today

you remember on the first episode of

kikkaped academy

i promise you that on our channel

we're gonna reveal the most the biggest

secrets

in the pet food industry and today we

have a huge opportunity to see

how the dry pet food is made from the

inside the factory

let's go guys

so today i'm going to meet torres the

owner of

aquatera dry pet food factory hi torres

hi roberta how are you

i'm good how are you good did you enjoy

the electrical i did does everybody

ride the electric bikes here okay taurus

thank you so much again for

inviting us to your factory i'm super

excited

because on our kika pet academy in our

videos we always talk about

dry pet food about nutritional values

protein sources and etc and

that's why i'm so excited today that we

can see from the

inside the factory how the dry pet food

is made

so can you tell me a little bit more

about aquaterra tripod food factory

yes our factory was built in 2004 and

the reason why we built the factory

it was our customers which were pushing

us

to deliver a good products into the

market so we started for

from economy products from their product

to supermarkets

and later we developed premium and super

premium products as well

okay so here in this factory you produce

economy premium and super premium range

all of them

is correct okay that's pretty cool okay

so i'm not gonna lie before coming in

here

to the factory i read a little bit more

about

aquaterra and i noticed you say it's one

of the most modern

dry pet food factories in northern

europe is that true

yeah it's true it's true as we built our

factory in 2004

and we were close to our capacity so

than two years ago we started to rebuild

our factory

and we have now the latest and most

modern

machinery in this industry what we can

buy for money

okay taurus i can see so many awards

here

what are they for the awards of the

products of the year where we are

participating

each year and you see the most of the

gold and silver medals we got for our

product

okay that's so cool okay i'm so excited

should we go in

should we start seeing the factory let's

do it let's go guys

[Music]

okay i can see we're all set very

fashionable closes i could say

so taurus so from where everything

starts

everything starts from intake of raw

materials and from the lab

because the lab is very important place

where we're checking all raw materials

which are mostly of them they're human

great

let's go inside to look okay so then

the main ingredient for the dry pet food

is a different

kind of grains but also meat

meal dried meat meal so what's important

for us

to check did the color of raw materials

various or not because it's for us

it's very important to keep the constant

color of the final product

okay so using these raw materials

you can maintain the same color for each

cable

yes yeah okay yes uh we're checking the

color but also we're checking the

hemicon analysis you see here

for example the salmon

meal krill which is very important for

human as well

[Music]

so tell us how can you make sure that

you know the raw materials are the the

highest quality

how you do that so then we have machine

we're putting

the samples in and then we're getting

the all results of

of all materials stored we checking the

protein

the fiber the ash level the moisture oil

starts sugar and so on so and that's

most important parameters which is

making the

composition on our food and we should

guarantee the level

in the final product okay so everything

is computerized and you can see

all the information in the computer yes

and it's a very important thing then we

can track

back the raw materials and the quality

of the product if

if somehow appears the questions okay

perfect

that's so interesting so let's go inside

the factory to look

how the production looks like okay let's

do that

[Music]

this part of the factory is where

everything begins so that we have

the silo for the green meat meals and we

have

the liquid additives we have vitamins

minerals where we will be lifted

up to the second floor okay

and here the process begins

and here we see our history so then we

built that factory

in eight months and three weeks which

was

super super fast oh my gosh that is fast

it's very loud in here yeah it is

because we're grinding raw materials and

we will start production soon

so we have the raw materials we have

process

and the last silo is the final product

so factory is really

very small and we have three

layers and uh we're using kinetic energy

to hold it down okay so it's like a

dragon yeah we will see the chart

okay inside awesome let's go

so this machine is our main equipment

it's an extruder

okay which extruder product

from upstairs we're getting the dry mix

which is preheated

and it has a little humidity and then

inside the extruder we have the screw

which is pushing the furnace forward

we're adding steam we're cooking product

and then going out and expanding

out of the extruder okay so then we're

cutting with the knives and then we're

making the nice kibble but

but not the sausage okay so this is the

main

equipment the most important one in the

factory yeah

the most important algorithm let's go

inside to look

how the flowchart looks like okay

okay so i understand this is the the

main equipment how does

everything work sure then if we can see

that extruder is

the hurt of our factory so when i hear

the brain because

all existing machines they are connected

into the system oh that's

nicely nicely put a brain and a heart

okay

so then you was asking me about the

dragon so then

we can we can see the way that the

product moves it moves like this

we have the part of raw materials we

have the grinding system

after product is grinded then we're

mixing

we have a lot of ingredients which

should be put it after the grinding

because we can destroy vitamins and

minerals if we

will go through the hammer mill okay

knowing that we are putting them

after the grinding we're mixing here

for it and then the blending bringing

the dry mix

into the conditioner where we're putting

the moisture

the water and the steam to have the the

whole mass

like uh prepared like a 90 degrees

and enough humidity to go to the cable

or to extruder to extrude and what's

happening in the extruder

in the extruder we have the screws which

are the pushing

the four product the forward

we have the high pressure and high

temperature there soren

in just a few minutes being inside the

extruder

the whole night they're cooking and then

when it's going out through the dye

it's expanding and then we are cutting

with the knives and we're getting

then the nice cable if we will if we

would not use the

the knife it would be not the kibble

but such at the meter the sausage

okay so you mentioned all of these

tables you mentioned there you have so

many raw materials ingredients that you

use can you show me some of them

yeah so then we're using the raw

materials which are used usually in the

dry pet food factories

but some of them they are used only for

very specific foods

and they are very high quality grade for

example

we have the lamp meal from australia

it's from australia because of the bsc3

yes correct okay

nice also the other very important raw

materials like a

white fish because of our hypoallergenic

product

which is very important in our portfolio

shrimp meal

from north seas and

cranberries green tea marigold which is

uh delivered from lithuania so then this

it's a big set

of very specific raw materials which

allows us to

create super premium food with a lot of

benefits

i can see you have so many ingredients

as all the factories have so many

ingredients

uh actually not because it's very

depending on

what kind of product and what level of

the product you're producing

and also how deep you are digging

finding

the benefits of each raw material and

what is your target

you are working on the list on the

packaging or your

problem solver okay which one are you

wear problem solvers that's a good one

okay i have one more question so i see

you have many ingredients

uh like dehydrated meat poultry meat

fish meat and etc uh is there a

difference whenever you

you're producing the food is there a

difference in the ingredients for cats

and dogs

in general the group of ingredients they

are the same but the cat has a bit

different

nutritional needs so then the

decomposition the formulation they are

different okay and second the cats do

you like

more dry food if the dogs enjoyed it

like our targets around nine percent of

humidity

the cats should go like five and a half

up to six okay so basically we can say

we you use the same ingredients but with

different

nutritional values for dogs and cats

correct okay

awesome okay i noticed that you have so

many

different kibble shapes why is that why

you need so many

sure then we have um our customers

dogs and cats soren they are in

different ages and different sizes

the puppy will use the smaller cables

when

he is growing and while he's

the big large dog he needs a large

cables

also there are some specific cables for

the cats for example the cats which are

with a flat nose

they need to have a triangle shape to

more easy to pick their cables

okay nice okay so this everything

looks very impressive i could say so i

can see you seek for a very high quality

from the starting from the raw materials

to the equipment and the process

this is very very impressive

this machine is also very very important

for us because it allows

us to add a high level of the fat

into the product which gives a lot of

energy

okay so that it's vacuum inside

and it's only one inlet and outlet and

it's turning around

so it's very very advanced machine

which is produced by french company so

this is basically

how this equipment this machine helps

to absorb the fat into the kibble yes

we're after we're filling the product

inside the coating

we're making the vacuum inside and then

we're spraying the pad

the bed goes inside the cable yeah we're

releasing the vacuum

and then we're applying the digest so

then we have a high content of that of

energy

but it's locked inside the cable

let's go downstairs

what is this place behind that wall

we're producing the cable

and here we're packaging okay so the

packaging is

not less important than the production

itself

especially if you're working with the

export countries with a human with a hot

areas

like eastern asia and so on here we have

machine which

needs only one person to be served okay

so the operator

is putting the empty bags here and the

machine keeps the bag

filling shaping

then making the vacuum after ceiling

yeah then we have the checklist and then

we have

publicizing okay so each step is very

important

i can see there is no people yeah where

are all the workers

now is at the break and they are having

the lunch okay i'm joking

this machine is only one person to put

the empty bag

uh to be prepared with the empty

pallets and cardboard and all other

process will be done by machines so how

many countries do you support today

we have 52 countries foreign

and this machine can contact into the

bank from 7 kilograms up to

20 kilograms okay so and then i

mentioned before that

we need only one person uh to keep this

machine running this is actually like

i'm really shocked about this bag

because it looks like such a huge

machine and you need only one person to

control

[Music]

everything

[Music]

so here you can see we're putting the

top layer

to keep the product safe during the long

journey

because it can be some drops from the

roof of container on

in the truck so then we hear about our

product and deliver it to the last point

of this nation so torres this is the

place

where all the products from the factory

comes to you

yeah to this place they can products

only which we will be delivering to the

export

okay okay so uh for how long

you keep them in here well all products

deliver it from here to export they are

quite fresh

so then the products will kept here only

till we will collect the full

order uh the full list of the items

which

was ordered okay so basically you try

not to keep the stock of the products

you you produce them and then you just

ship them

well around 60

of our export items goes to asia where

their regulations are very strict

including and best before date so we

cannot

send them the product which is staying

here for three or four months

because then we will not match that

criteria okay

so all the products that are in here

they're very freshly made yes it is

okay i see there's so many different

brands so many products how you keep

track of them

well we're tracking with our system but

also you can see the

the letters and numbers here it means

i eel it means israel but it's only the

four visual check

because each place they are uh linked

to the system okay and the people they

are picking

with the scanners the pallets and items

there

they know where to go next and where

they need to

deliver and if you will look you will

see the consolidated item sort of

each block it goes to one container for

delivery okay and

as you saw in our warehouse we have

plenty of pallets standing in the isos

so it means that our efficiency cannot

be as high as we want to

and the reason why we made the projects

for new warehouse

and it will be built and we will

starting to build in a few months from

now

okay and it will be three times bigger

than we have at the moment

so while i was driving with the electric

scooter

to the aquaterra factory i noticed

there's so many teslas in here

yeah uh does that mean your factory

and you as the owner have like a

eco-friendly mindset

yes it's true i am a fan of tesla from

the very beginning

me and my family were with driving

teslas and we will add more

cars within next few years when the

european factories will be in in

progress and

also about the the uh solar energy

and energy in general what we're using

for our factory

so the the whole energy we're using is

green the part of energy

we produce by ourselves by our solar

park

in the sunny days starting from the end

of may we can produce up to eighty

percent of actually we need

to produce production of 80 percent yeah

oh my god

that's our plan to have so many solar

panels

to cover all our energy within the year

okay

i'm always so excited and so happy to

hear whenever you know factories really

do care about environment and

try their best you know to be more

sustainable

and more eco-friendly so

uh torres i want to ask you a question

uh

for you personally as a human being

as a owner of aquaterra factory

what is the biggest value for you well

the most important for me to me the true

nutritional needs for the dogs and the

for cats

and our r d teams working not to follow

the trends of the market

but to create the new trends to find the

answers and to find their solutions

okay so i could say that from this

experience

thank you for the visit by the way i can

see that aquaterra really do care about

cats and dogs as mentioned i'm very

impressed about you know the quality the

raw materials that you use

in the in the dry pet food i didn't

expect that

you know when you buy a product you can

see only a kibble but you don't really

understand you know

how how the process is going so thank

you for explaining thank you for showing

and guys thank you so much for watching

i hope this video helped you to

understand

how the dry pet food is made so if you

have any questions

about the factory about the dry pet food

don't forget to comment

and subscribe