MUENSTER, TEXAS — After entering the category with just two custom-built freeze dryers in 2018, Muenster Milling Company has significantly expanded its capacity for freeze-dried pet food production. On March 14, the company announced that it has completed a new vertically integrated, nearly 120,000-square-foot facility and warehouse in Denton, Texas, where it will operate more than 20 freeze dryers to begin with.
In addition to these state-of-the-art freeze-dryers, the new plant is also equipped with turnkey retail packaging and raw meat processing capabilities. Muenster will be able to develop and manufacture a range of protein blends and nutritional profiles, the company said, including 100% freeze-dried meals, functional freeze-dried treats and toppers, and single-ingredient treat products for pets .
Other product opportunities offered by Muenster Milling include kibble plus and freeze-dried plus — adding freeze-dried proteins and vegetable inclusions to a kibble diet — formulations, which combine more recent expertise of the freeze-drying company with its legacy in kibble processing. Automated mixing and blending equipment was installed at the new Denton facility specifically to produce these types of diets.
“Freeze dried is a versatile product format that can be a food, functional treat, inclusion, or topper, and it remains one of the fastest growing categories within pet food, experiencing double digit volume growth and $1 billion in sales by 2023,” said Jim Holdrieth, chief executive officer of Muenster Milling. “Many brands are increasingly looking to enter or grow within the category, and they need sophisticated manufacturing partners to help them do so. This new facility has all the capabilities under one roof that brands and retailers need to bring their innovation pipelines to life.”
Recent investments in the company’s in-house R&D and quality departments will support the new facility and Muenster Milling’s own branded product line, as well as its contract manufacturing and private label customers. For example, the company offers a number of execution options to help brand partners meet their product specifications with confidence.
With this new facility, Muenster Milling is poised to formulate and manufacture a variety of products in various shapes and sizes, with automated packaging equipment capable of running sample sizes as small as 1 oz and up to 5 lbs. The plant also provides room for future growth, offering the company the ability to add more freeze-driers as it grows.
Read more about the company’s venture into the freeze-dried category, as well as its legacy operations, in our exclusive processor profile here.
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