Pet treat applications
Semi-moist pet treats & supplements manufacturing technology
Coperion offers fully integrated semi-moist treats & supplements production systems designed to deliver precise dosing, fast changeovers, and hygienic processing. Our advanced technology ensures consistent quality and efficiency for semi-moist treats & supplements production used in pet food, health, and pharmaceutical industries.
How to maintain texture and moisture consistency in semi-moist pet treats & supplements production
Achieving the right balance between mixing, extrusion, drying, and cooling is essential in semi-moist treats & supplements manufacturing. These stages determine the soft texture, moisture level (typically 15 – 50%), and overall consistency expected in the final product, while ensuring stable quality throughout production.
Unlike dry pet treats, semi-moist treats & supplements rely on controlled moisture retention to achieve its soft, palatable texture. This also makes production more sensitive, as processing conditions must be carefully managed to maintain texture stability, shelf life, and product safety.
Semi-moist treats & supplements are produced by combining key ingredients with humectants such as glycerin or propylene glycol, which help retain moisture and inhibit bacterial growth. The ingredients are then cooked under controlled conditions, shaped through extrusion, and rapidly cooled to create a consistent structure. Preservatives may also be used to support shelf life without refrigeration.
As pet food manufacturers develop more premium and functional recipes, every stage of the process plays a critical role in ensuring reliable texture, moisture control, and consistent product quality batch after batch.
Integrated semi-moist pet treats & supplements manufacturing systems
Coperion delivers integrated process solutions for semi-moist treats & supplements manufacturing, covering every stage from ingredient intake and conveying through to extrusion, cutting, drying, coating, and cooling. Designed to operate as one connected production system, the line helps reduce manual handling, while improving overall process efficiency and hygiene.
This integrated approach supports controlled product flow and consistent process conditions throughout production. With better control over ingredient handling, moisture levels, thermal processing, and product transfer, manufacturers can achieve uniform texture, consistent product quality, and efficient production across a wide range of semi-moist treats & supplements applications.
The technology brands behind our semi-moist treats & supplements production solutions
How semi-moist treats & supplements production works
Upstream raw material intake
The semi-moist treats & supplements production process starts with a safe and hygienic raw material intake system designed to support efficient ingredient handling, production flexibility, and accurate batching throughout the process.
The Coperion Hygienic bag dump station provides a clean, dust-free way for operators to manually add dry ingredients, due to it’s ergonomic design. The Coperion Bag dump station helps simplify manual handling and improve operator safety.
For larger ingredient volumes, Coperion bulk unloading and enclosed conveying systems transfer materials efficiently throughout the facility while helping maintain a clean and controlled production environment. Coperion Bulk bag discharge systems also support flexible handling of FIBCs and other bulk materials.
To ensure recipe consistency, our Volumetric and gravimetric feeder ranges accurately meter major ingredients, minor ingredients, and palatants before they move to the next production stage.
Liquid ingredients, such as glucose, are temporarily stored in our Shick Esteve Tank systems, or Tote systems, and then delivered through pumps.
Batching, milling & dilute phase conveying
The next stage focuses on accurate batching, grinding, mixing, and gentle ingredient handling to maintain product consistency.
Coperion MCF PowerSaver air filtration systems help maintain a clean production environment through efficient dust collection.
To transport light or fragile materials, Coperion EDIP conveying system operates below 0.7 barg and uses a proprietary real-time algorithm to manage air velocity, ensuring gentle, efficient transfer, while minimizing ingredient breakage.
The process then moves to milling, where ingredient particle size is refined to improve blend consistency, texture control, and overall product quality. Using Kemutec KEK milling technologies, manufacturers can select the right solution based on ingredient type and required particle size. These systems support consistent grinding and de-lumping across a wide range of dry ingredients used in semi-moist treats & supplements formulations.
Milling options include:
- Kemutec PPS Air Classifier Mill – for ultra-fine grinding of delicate or heat-sensitive powders, including dairy powders and gluten
- Kemutec KEK Kibbler – for heavy-duty lump breaking and reclaiming candies or baked goods
- Kemutec KEK Cone Mill – for grinding, de-lumping, and sieving powders like sugar, spices, or flavours
- Kemutec KEK Universal Mill – for high-speed, one-pass grinding to produce consistent sugar or ingredient particle sizes
Weighing & feeding
The weighing and feeding stage ensure accurate dosing of all ingredients before processing, helping maintain consistent recipe quality and stable production in semi-moist treats & supplements manufacturing.
K-Tron feeding systems provide precise delivery of dry ingredients such as grains, proteins, minerals, and flavorings.
Feeding options include:
- K-Tron Single screw feeder – for free-flowing powders and granulates in continuous or batch feeding applications
- K-Tron Twin screw feeder – for accurate dosing of challenging materials such as sticky, fragile, or moisture-sensitive powders
- K-Tron Smart Weigh Belt feeder – for gentle gravimetric feeding of delicate, irregular, or shear-sensitive materials
To enhance performance and control, K-Tron SmartConnex™ system supports loss-in-weight, volumetric, weigh belt, and batch feeding systems for improved management and control.
For stable downstream processing, Coperion Coriolis flow meter and valve systems help ensure controlled flow into the next stage, while maintaining process efficiency and hygiene.
Mixing & blending
The mixing and blending stage combine proteins, grains, powders, liquids, vitamins, minerals, and other functional ingredients into a consistent formulation for semi-moist treats and supplements.
Proper mixing ensures even distribution, delivering consistent texture, moisture, nutrition, and overall product quality in every batch.
Coperion mixing solutions support a wide range of formulations and production capacities. Coperion Horizontal batch mixers deliver consistent blending of powders and granules, handling dry, sticky, and liquid-added formulations with short mixing times and consistent batch-to-batch results. With 3 agitator design options (ribbon, paddle, and plough), manufacturers can select the most suitable configuration based on their processing needs and end products.
Extrusion
After mixing and blending, the process moves to extrusion, where ingredients are cooked and conditioned before entering the forming stage. Precise control of the extrusion process helps achieve the desired texture, moisture content, and consistency for semi-moist treats and supplement products. Through Coperion and its technology partners, extrusion solutions are designed to support efficient processing and consistent product quality across a wide range of formulations.
Coperion ZSK Mv PLUS twin screw extruder supports efficient, high-throughput processing across a wide range of formulations, while maintaining gentle product handling and consistent product quality. For pellet-based applications, it can also be paired with Coperion Centric ZGF pelletizers for precise and consistent pellet formation from pilot-scale to full-scale production.
For better control of texture, moisture, and product consistency across different formulations, Baker Perkins twin screw extruders are available in two models. The SBX Master™ Twin screw extruder is designed for continuous, high-output production, while the MPF24 small batch twin screw extruder is suited for product development, ingredient trials, and pilot-scale testing.
After extrusion, Coperion SAE Negative Airlift systems hygienically transfer product to the next forming stage in a sealed environment, while Coperion HMS Horizontal Material Separators efficiently separate product from the conveying air stream before further processing.
Drying, coating & cooling (DCC)
At this stage, the main focus is to carefully reduce and control moisture, while protecting the soft texture of the product.
To keep product handling gentle The Coperion E-finity dense phase conveying system transports fragile materials at low velocity using continuous dense phase technology, helping reduce breakage and maintain product integrity throughout the process.
Before coating, the Kemutec KEK Centrifugal sifter helps remove any oversized particles or foreign materials, so only consistent product continues to the next stage.
From here, the product goes through controlled drying, followed by liquid or powder coating, and then final cooling, helping ensure stable moisture, good texture, and consistent quality in the finished semi-moist treats & supplements.
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