[Case Study] Application of Pet Food Vacuum Freeze Dryer in a Pet Food Group

[Case Study] Application of a Pet Food Vacuum Freeze Dryer in a Pet Food Group

[Chinese Version]

Client Background

A large domestic pet food group focused on the R&D and production of premium freeze-dried pet snacks. The client’s main product lines include freeze-dried chicken breast, freeze-dried beef liver, freeze-dried salmon, and other premium pure-meat pet snacks. Its target markets cover domestic premium pet stores and exports to Europe and the United States, with extremely high requirements for product rehydration performance, nutrient retention rate, and hygiene standards. Before introducing vacuum freeze-drying technology, the group used a traditional hot-air drying process to process pet snacks. 800 kg of fresh meat per day required 15 people working in shifts, the drying cycle lasted more than 48 hours, and high-temperature processing caused protein denaturation and darkened color; the product rehydration ratio was only 1.5:1, far below the export standard requirement of above 3:1.

Equipment Configuration and Technical Parameters

The client ultimately selected Vacuum-Fresh CVD-2000 vacuum freeze dryer, and the core configuration is as follows:

Item	Parameter
Model	CVD-2000 (Vacuum Freeze Dryer)
Freeze-drying Area	20 m²
Materials Processed	Chicken breast / beef liver / salmon
Loading Density	9 kg/m²
Freeze-drying Cycle	20 h/batch (meat average 20–23 h)
Cold Trap Temperature	-58 ℃
Evaporation Temperature	-42 ℃
Ultimate Vacuum	13 Pa
Annual Capacity	~18 tons fresh meat processing volume
Pump Set	Roots pump + rotary vane pump (Leybold)
Compressor	Bitzer two-stage reciprocating compressor
Contact Material	Food-grade 316L stainless steel
Control System	Siemens PLC + Weinview touch screen
Key Equipment Selection Points:

1. Meat materials have a relatively low eutectic point (-15~-25℃), requiring the final pre-freezing temperature to reach below -30℃
2. During the sublimation stage, temperature must be raised slowly (0.2℃/min) to prevent meat quality denaturation
3. Export to the United States must comply with FDA and EU pet food standards, and 316L stainless steel contact surfaces must be used
4. The water vapor trap must be configured as dual traps operating alternately to ensure continuous production

Actual Operating Data and Results

After the equipment had been in operation for 3 months, the client provided the following comparative data:

Metric	Before Upgrade (Hot-air Drying)	After Upgrade (Vacuum Freeze-drying)	Improvement
Drying Cycle	48 h	20 h	↓58%
Rehydration Ratio	1.5:1	≥4:1	↑167%
Protein Retention Rate	78%	95%	↑22%
Color Retention	Darkened, browning	Close to fresh original color	Significantly improved
Daily Output (Single Shift)	50 kg	120 kg	↑140%
Number of Operators	15 people	3 people	↓80%
Key Findings:

• The freeze-dried pet snacks maintain a sponge-like microporous structure, with a rehydration ratio exceeding 4:1, far exceeding client expectations
• Under no-added-preservative conditions, the shelf life in airtight packaging reaches 18 months
• The client reported extremely high acceptance among end consumers, and full production was achieved 6 months after commissioning

Operational Feedback and Evaluation

“After switching from hot-air drying to vacuum freeze-drying, our product quality has reached an entirely new level. Previously, exports to the United States were continuously rejected because the rehydration ratio did not meet standards; now the freeze-dried products exceed FDA standards, and export orders have increased by 300%. Judging solely from the selling price increase, the equipment investment was recovered within 8 months.” — Client Production Director Project Experience Summary:

1. The key to meat freeze-drying lies in controlling the pre-freezing rate; if too fast, ice crystals become too fine and sublimation resistance is high; if too slow, ice crystals become too large and damage the tissue structure
2. A dual water vapor trap configuration is a necessary condition for continuous meat production; a single water vapor trap can hardly support a continuous freeze-drying cycle of more than 20 h
3. Export markets have extremely high requirements for food-contact materials, and 316L stainless steel is the minimum configuration

Follow the Vacuum-Fresh WeChat official account for more practical food cold-chain technology insights

[English Version]

Case Study: Vacuum Freeze Dryer in Premium Pet Food Production

Client Background

A major Chinese pet food group specializing in premium freeze-dried pet treats — chicken breast, beef liver, and salmon — targeting both domestic high-end pet stores and export markets (USA and EU). Prior to adopting vacuum freeze drying, the client used hot-air drying: 800 kg raw meat daily, 15 operators in shift, 48+ hours drying time. Heat-induced protein denaturation and discoloration resulted in a rehydration ratio of only 1.5:1, well below the 3:1 export threshold. Equipment Configuration The client selected the Yuanxian Machinery CVD-2000 vacuum freeze dryer:

Parameter	Value
Model	CVD-2000
Drying area	20 m²
Load density	9 kg/m²
Cycle time	20 h/batch (meat avg. 20–23 h)
Cold trap temp	-58 ℃
Ultimate vacuum	13 Pa
Annual capacity	~18 tons fresh meat
Compression	Bitzer
Contact material	316L stainless steel
Operational Results
Metric	Before (Hot-air)
——–	:-:
Drying time	48 h
Rehydration ratio	1.5:1
Protein retention	78%
Daily output (single shift)	50 kg
Operators	15
Key Findings

• Sponge-like microstructure yields ≥4:1 rehydration, exceeding expectations

• 18-month shelf life without preservatives

• Export orders grew 300% after FDA compliance was met Follow Yuanxian Machinery official WeChat account for more food cold chain technical insights.

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