petfood pro 3/2022

PROCESSING
The Role of Heat Exchangers in
Pet Food Production
By Matt Hale, International Sales & Marketing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers
Europe boasts some of the highest feed safety and animal welfare standards in the world, and consumers are
increasingly knowledgeable about products and quality. However, producing high quality pet food which
appeals to pets and their owners and which meets the necessary standards presents manufacturers with
some specific challenges.
Matt Hale, International
Sales & Marketing Director,
HRS Heat Exchangers
Thermal processing is a key part of pet
food manufacturing, with processes
including heating (pre-conditioning),
cooking, drying, pasteurizing and cooling.
However, the thick, viscous nature
of many of the meat-based products
presents challenges for handling, heating
and cooling.
Heat exchangers, often based on designs
for food and drink manufacture, provide
a safe and energy-efficient method of
performing these thermal processes to
meet the stringent regulations on safety
and quality which are often comparable
to other foodstuffs.
Scraped surface heat exchangers (SSHEs)
are particularly well suited for pet food
processing, including heating ingredients
such as meat slurry, jelly and gravy before
further processing, as well as heating or
cooling soft meat or fish ingredients.
However, while many food ingredients
such as meat products and slurries are
comprised of very thick and viscous
materials, they often need gentle
handling to preserve produce integrity
and texture. Therefore, the exact choice
of SSHE design will depend on the
material being processed and the level
of mixing required.
The HRS R Series uses a rotary scraper
bar which can reach speeds up to 300
rpm, providing high levels of shear and
mixing at the heat transfer surface:
increasing heat transfer. In contrast,
the patented HRS Unicus Series uses a
reciprocating design to provide high
efficiency heat transfer in a range of
Where ingredient integrity is not required by the end product, the
HRS R Series of rotating scraped surface heat exchangers is ideal
The patented HRS Unicus Series uses a reciprocating design to
maintain product integrity
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Technology & Marketing