sector
Dry Pet Food (Kibble) Product Development Services
We can help you develop safe, nutritionally balanced, regulatory compliant dry diets – from ingredient identification, through kibble extrusion, palatability testing and everything in between.
Pet Food Formulation & R&D Services
Dry Diet Product Development at Food Research Lab
At Food Research Lab, we are developing, testing and optimizing dry diets (extruded kibble) for companion animals. We adopt an integrated approach based on nutrition science, advanced food manufacturing technology and a rigorous quality testing program to create safe, palatable, and nutritionally balanced dry diet formulations.
Dry diets are typically made by a process called extrusion, which is a high temperature, short time process to shape raw material into shelf-stable kibbles. This allows for precise control of nutrient retention, digestibility, and structure while allowing for the addition of functional ingredients. Pet food with a moisture content of 14 % or less. [1] [2]
Scientific and R&D Approach
At Food Research Lab, we have an R&D strategy in place to develop dry diets that are safe, efficacious, and palatable utilizing nutrition science and food technology combined with scientific lab conditions.
- Research-Based Formula Design: Nutrients balanced to life-stages, Puppies, adults, seniors, and special dietary needs.
- Ingredient Assessment: Digestibility/Functionality of protein, carbohydrates, fat, fibres, vitamins, minerals and bioactives.
- Pilot-Scale Extrusion: Assessing dough to provide optimum shape, texture, and nutrient integrity, while providing safe parameters of microbial stability.
- Functional Ingredients: The ability to include probiotics, omega 3’s, antioxidants, and joint health ingredients.
- Palatability & Sensory Assessments: Feeding studies for any taste, smell, and texture.
- Efficacy & Compliance Evaluations: digestibility, stability, potential nutrient scope, compliance, and regulatory/safety issues.
Using this approach, we can innovate complete diets that meet all pet’s regular, therapeutic, or functional needs.
| Category | Key Services |
| Ingredient Research | Evaluation of protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources; exploration of alternative proteins (insect, plant, yeast, lab-grown meat). |
| Formulation Development | Life-stage nutrition (puppy/kitten, adult, senior), therapeutic diets (renal, hypoallergenic, digestive, weight management). |
| Pilot Manufacturing | Laboratory-scale extrusion, drying, coating, cooling, packaging; optimization of process parameters. |
| Testing & Validation | Palatability studies, nutrient analysis, digestibility trials, microbiological testing, shelf-life studies. |
| Regulatory Compliance | Alignment with FEDIAF, AAFCO, Codex, and country-specific standards for safety, labeling, and claims. |
- Classic Dry Kibble Diets: these are products providing complete nutrition for health and wellness.
- Nutritional Breed Concepts: diets developed for specific unique needs of breeds.
- Functional Kibble – With Bioactive Ingredients: Kibble with added benefits, such as probiotics, omega-3, or antioxidants to enhance wellbeing.
- Therapeutic Dry Diets: Diets for renal, digestive, hypo-allergenic, or weight-control therapeutic needs.
- Life-stage Kibble: Kibble designed to meet the needs of puppies/kittens, adult, or senior pets, so that optimal nutrition is provided during the different this of life.
Dietary Types We Investigated
Nutrition For Different Life Stages
Nutrition needs of pets change as they progress through the life stages. Our lab formulates diets specifically designed for each stage of life:
- Puppies & Kittens: Diets that contain high-quality proteins, DHA, and essential fatty acids for growth, cognitive, and vision development.
- Adult Dogs & Cats: Formulations that are designed to maintain the status quo of energy balance, weight control, and health support.
- Senior Dogs & Cats: Diets that are fortified with antioxidants, joint-supporting nutrients, and a moderate level of protein to mimic normal aging, mobility, and organ function.
All formulations guarantee meeting definitions for complete nutrition for the life stage intended; macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals balanced for health.
Nutrition For Different Life Stages
Our R&D is also involved in creating specialized dry diets for certain health situations. Such as:
- Renal Support Diets: Like commercial dry pet food but with controlled levels of protein and minerals as necessary to assist in normal kidney function.
- Hypoallergenic Diets: Minimal ingredient simple diets for pets with food sensitivities.
- Weight Control Diets: High fibre, moderate-calorie diets for ideal weight control.
- Functional & Gut Health Diets: High in prebiotics, probiotics and fibers that can help support optimal digestive function.
Through research-based feeding trials, our team determines the ideal nutrient composition, palatability, and digestibility involved in creating the special diets.
Manufacturing Process Overview – Dry Kibble Production
Regulatory Compliance
We have used internationally recognized documentation for manufacturing protocols.
- FEDIAF (Europe): Nutrition, cleanliness and regulatory labelling protocols.
- AAFCO (USA): Nutritional adequacy and validity of ingredients and protocol for manufacturing.
- Codex Alimentarius (International): Safety, labelling and composition standards
- Country specific regulations: Includes local composites for sourcing ingredients, and registration and labelling.
By engaging in the above frameworks, you can be confident that every batch is produced within robust safety, nutrition, and quality ancillary to research, clinical, and/or commercial.
Process flow
Requirement Analysis
Describe the client’s requirement & develop the dietary requirement & objectives (nutritional, functional and regulatory) of the dry diet.
Ingredient Sourcing & Research
Select high quality proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and sustainable proteins that have digestibility, functional, health benefit, and all other quality attributes.
Prototype Development
Produce prototype extruded kibble at pilot scale while concomitantly crafting texture, shape, and nutrient distribution relative to palatability and uniformity of the dry diet.
Efficacy & Quality Testing.
On undertaking the nutritional profiling, palatability, digestibility, microbiological testing throughout the shelf life demonstrating safety, efficacy and consumer acceptance.
Product Development & Compliance
A finished product in secure hygienic packaging, labelling and full domestic and international regulatory compliance, complete and ready for commercial purposes or research purposes.
Pet Food
Why Choose FRL
- Companion Animal Nutrition Competency – Broad expertise in nutrition science and extrusion technology.
- Pilot Scale Production – Able to control extrusion, drying and coating, as well as temperature, airflow and moisture changes.
- Global Compliance with Regulatory Requirements – Fully default compliant to FEDIAF, AAFCO, Codex and whatever local regulations.
- Full Scope R&D Workflow – Built to go from R&D through concept to proof-of-concept and ready to commercial prototypes in iterative steps.
- Palatability & Sensory Research – Diets must not only be nutritionally appropriate but also positively liked by the pet!
Let’s create something Innovative and Delicious together
Food Research Lab strives for excellence in new Food, Beverage and Nutraceutical Product Research and Development by offering cutting edge scientific analysis and expertise.
