Guidance needed for early stages of freeze dried dog food idea

[JackVT]

Hi,

I think the thread may need to be renamed dog food for dummies' as I have got myself very confused.

I am in the very early stages of thinking about starting up my dog food business, freeze-dried dog food in particular but wondering where to start?

I am already aware of the labelling legalisation & regulations in place, kitchen legalisation, licences required for animal bi-products sold as dog food, but when it comes to wanting to create a prototype this is where I get confused. I know the product I want to freeze dry (chicken, potatoes, carrots etc) and I know I need to find somewhere that will freeze-dry to scale.

-If you know or have started your dog food business, how did you find your own dog food manufacturers? When I try to use google I only can appear to find brands such as Nestle and their own line of products.
-If hypothetically I am able to find a manufacturer of the dog food, do manufacturers usually pack for you as well providing you have given them supplies- or do they make the food only?
-Do ingredients I choose from a supplier get delivered directly to the manufacturer? Or do manufacturers usually have a list of pre-approved suppliers before hand?

Kind regards

 

[Scalloway]

Try googling private label dog food. This is a random one I found.

https://ga-petfoodpartners.co.uk/

 

[BustersDogs]

Have you contacted PFMA, or PEDIAF?

 

[BustersDogs]

FEDIAF sorry.

 

[Mr D]

Hi,

I think the thread may need to be renamed dog food for dummies' as I have got myself very confused.

I am in the very early stages of thinking about starting up my dog food business, freeze-dried dog food in particular but wondering where to start?

I am already aware of the labelling legalisation & regulations in place, kitchen legalisation, licences required for animal bi-products sold as dog food, but when it comes to wanting to create a prototype this is where I get confused. I know the product I want to freeze dry (chicken, potatoes, carrots etc) and I know I need to find somewhere that will freeze-dry to scale.

-If you know or have started your dog food business, how did you find your own dog food manufacturers? When I try to use google I only can appear to find brands such as Nestle and their own line of products.
-If hypothetically I am able to find a manufacturer of the dog food, do manufacturers usually pack for you as well providing you have given them supplies- or do they make the food only?
-Do ingredients I choose from a supplier get delivered directly to the manufacturer? Or do manufacturers usually have a list of pre-approved suppliers before hand?

Kind regards

Existing freeze dry companies may well have capacity to freeze dry food for you. May need to do a large minimum order quantity though that has the benefit of keeping your costs per unit down.

You will not usually have the buying power of a manufacturer. They likely already have a contract - you may pay £3 a sack while they pay £1.

 

[JackVT]

FEDIAF sorry.

I will be sure to get in touch! Thank you for this

 

[Nico Albrecht]

What a really bad idea you have there to be honest. The dog food protein business is as tough as it can come.

Dry freeze requires a lot of energy and puts you right in top with pricing competing with other types in that field ( raw food and freeze dry)

Your smallest problem would be to find a white label producer. That's easy but you go into a market where you need deep pockets for marketing and advertising so 1 million plus is barley scratching what you will need.

Next problem I saw you wrote using chicken as a protein, the bottom protein for dogs and the worst protein to feed them. You using a high end food process and combine it with a low protein that doesn't make any sense.

I, as a dog owner would never consider feeding my dog chicken as a protein or even consider the freeze category.

Dogs are animals feed them once a week a raw piece of meat from the butchers and they are happy and stop reinventing the wheel.

 

[JackVT]

T

What a really bad idea you have there to be honest. The dog food protein business is as tough as it can come.

Dry freeze requires a lot of energy and puts you right in top with pricing competing with other types in that field ( raw food and freeze dry)

Your smallest problem would be to find a white label producer. That's easy but you go into a market where you need deep pockets for marketing and advertising so 1 million plus is barley scratching what you will need.

Next problem I saw you wrote using chicken as a protein, the bottom protein for dogs and the worst protein to feed them. You using a high end food process and combine it with a low protein that doesn't make any sense.

I, as a dog owner would never consider feeding my dog chicken as a protein or even consider the freeze category.

Dogs are animals feed them once a week a raw piece of meat from the butchers and they are happy and stop reinventing the wheel.

Thank you for your input. Many dogs including my own are now on raw food the majority of the week, what works for you may not work for others.

For what it's worth, I had no intention of having a product, which is currently only an idea, in which the main source of protein would be solely chicken. I mentioned it to give an idea to those reading this thread of what I am looking for and if anyone would be able to help direct me with regards to freeze-drying such a product.

Worki

 

[BustersDogs]

No need to pull apart the idea. Meat from the butcher is not a complete diet for dogs, especially if only once a week. There is a reason there is a great deal of regulation around dog food.

Freeze dried isn't how I choose to feed my dogs, having tried many different kinds, but there is a market for it. Especially among raw feeders who do a lot of camping.