A plus for pet food production
Freeze-dried pet food is opening new opportunities for producers. Whether you are expanding your portfolio, bringing production in-house or increasing existing capacity, your production setup needs to deliver more than output per batch.
The RAY® Plus freeze dryer is designed to help you increase output and make better use of your production setup. Reduced downtime, easier cleaning and less maintenance can all contribute to efficient, reliable production over time.
More output. More value from your investment. Batch after batch. Year after year.
Combined with GEA process expertise, RAY® Plus helps you build a production matching your products, processes and ambitions. Take a closer look at the complete process behind freeze-dried pet food production:
Reshaping the future of pet food freeze drying
Freeze drying is reshaping the future of premium pet food by offering the ability to deliver safe, nutritious, high-value products without the need for preservatives or heat treatment. To enable you to appeal to both pet owners and retailers, GEA brings together proven, high-quality solutions, deep industry knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of customer needs - empowering you to meet the rising demand for minimally processed nutrition at the lowest possible total cost of ownership. Whether you’re creating a new line or scaling up production, we’ll work with you to design a solution that delivers consistency, safety and quality with every batch.
What producers make on a GEA line
Raw meat
High-protein, nutrient-rich freeze-dried raw meats - such as beef, chicken and turkey - retain their natural integrity and appeal, supporting the raw food movement with added convenience and safety.
Kibbles
Balanced, freeze-dried kibble combines meat and vegetables for an all-in-one meal solution that’s easy to store, transport and portion.
Treats
From biscuits to protein bites, freeze-dried treats maintain their taste and texture while offering extended shelf life and easy portability.
Flexibility that delivers in pet food manufacturing
Freeze drying is ideal for a wide range of pet foods and treats, from high-meat raw products like chicken, beef and turkey - whether natural, minced or formed - to kibble blends containing 80-95% meat alongside vegetables and essential nutrients. It’s equally effective for snacks like biscuits and mixers, as well as high-protein treats such as bars. This flexibility allows manufacturers to deliver nutritious, shelf-stable and convenient products that meet the expectations of today’s pet owners.
Why freeze drying?
Freeze-dried pet food delivers wide-ranging benefits:
- Enables clean-label formulations with no preservatives
- Long shelf life without refrigeration
- Lightweight and easy to store, ship and display
- Consistent product quality with minimal nutrient loss
- Supports premium product positioning and higher margins
- Easier to handle and package compared to frozen raw food
Want to know more? Get in touch with our experts today
How freeze drying of pet food works
Want to see the science behind freeze drying in action? Watch our video to explore how moisture is removed under vacuum, allowing raw pet food to retain nutrients, flavor and shelf life without cooking or additives.
Freeze drying solutions tailored for pet food
From pilot projects to full-scale production, GEA offers a portfolio of freeze drying systems tailored to meet your product and capacity requirements. With process expertise, advanced automation and hygienic design, we help you go to market with confidence.
Common questions from pet food manufacturers
In GEA’s pet food example at 38% dry matter, a RAY® 175 Plus dries a 2,400 kg batch in 11.5 hours, against 1,800 kg in the same time on a standard RAY® 125. That is 33% more product per batch.
Before you invest in full-scale production, you can develop and validate your product on the RAY® Pilot Plant, test your product at the GEA drying test center in Copenhagen, which houses more than 35 GEA plants for freeze drying, fluid bed drying, spray drying, and powder handling, or rent pilot equipment for development on your own site, with GEA engineers providing startup support and staff training.
Beyond freeze drying, GEA also offers vibration sifting, conveying and handling solutions for freeze-dried pet food. GEA equipment enables gentle transport, screening and classification of fragile freeze-dried pieces, helping to maintain product quality while supporting efficient downstream processing and packaging.
The freeze-dried pet food market is expected to grow from USD 16.77 billion in 2026 to USD 26.77 billion by 2031, representing a CAGR of 9.8% over the forecast period.
Source: MarketsandMarkets, “Freeze-Dried Pet Food Market Size, Growth & Forecast 2031”, available at MarketsandMarkets.
Downloads
Products & Technologies
Showing 3 of 3
Dosing & Feeding
GEA supplies a market-leading range of powder and liquid handling, feeding and dosing solutions. Our volumetric and gravimetric systems ensure precise control and consistent performance in critical applications, including minor and major ingredient preparation, liquid mixing, pre-mixing, recipe management, blending, and packaging.
Freeze Dryers
Whether it is for food and beverage or functional ingredients GEA’s expertise in freeze drying plants is unrivalled. Building on decades of experience, we supply freeze drying plants that meet the individual industries’ specific regulations, standards and requirements.
GEA Scan-Vibro Sifters
GEA manufactures a wide range of vibrating sifters that have been designed for use in the food, dairy, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, animal feed and pet food industries. The GEA Scan-Vibro sifters can be used as industrial sifters, food processing sifters and as security screening equipment, as well as for fine grading and dust removal, or ...
Other applications
GEA Insights
The breakthrough that changed spray drying
In 1976, NIRO engineers responded to a competitive challenge by rethinking what spray drying could do. Their idea became the multi-stage dryer MSD. Fifty years later, the same fundamental principle helps turn liquids into the powders used in essential nutrition products and important medicines around the world. Refined through decades of engineering expertise, customer insight and continuous development, MSD is a story of innovation with lasting impact.
Beyond the machine: unlocking better plant performance
An efficient machine does not automatically make an efficient factory. Real improvement often starts by looking beyond individual equipment and understanding how processes, energy systems and operating decisions affect one another. It’s a holistic approach designed to uncover opportunities that might otherwise be missed.
How a valve reshapes the way food and drinks are made
In food and beverage plants, valves are commonly operated using compressed air. GEA Hydract® Actuation Technology moves valves with water instead, in a closed, digitally controlled circuit. The result is a valve that can be held exactly in place and steered in fine-tuned steps. This results in lower energy use and greater control.
