PET Food Processing - March 2019 - 22

PLANT PROFILE

Left: Evanger's Roasted
Whole Chicken
Drummets dinners
are processed
so bones soften and
are edible.
Right: Evanger's uses
two-piece, BPA-free, steel
cans from a US supplier
so only the top requires a
lid and sealing.

packer where they are lined up and ejected into a 12-pack
or 24-pack case and onto a Texwrap shrink wrap system.
Evanger's can run three canning lines simultaneously with
an average canning speed of 350 cans per minute.

Up for a challenge

Food manufacturing for humans or pets is challenging
and requires compliance with multiple regulatory bodies. The regulatory environment can be even more challenging for pet food than it is for human food due to the
many agencies involved. "Pet food processing from an independent, family-owned perspective is like a chain with
50 links," Joel says. "We're responsible for every link and
every link has to be solid all the time. The special part of
having multiple generations here is that I didn't ask my
kids to work for us - they each wanted to be a part of the
business when the time was right for them, and they are
each a significant part of keeping the links intact."
On the production side, Callie has a degree in mechanical engineering and a background as a quality engineer, so she is responsible for quality control,
product testing and production planning with a goal
to get NutriPack ISO 9001 certified. Brett has a business degree and manages operations, customer service
and food safety regulations. He attended Better Process
Control School (BPCS) for canning and completed a
course on Food Safety Preventative Controls Alliance
for Animal Food. Evanger's certifications and inspections include: US Department of Agriculture (USDA)Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
USDA National Organic Program, Illinois Department
of Agriculture, European Union (EU) approved, FDA
inspected and its products are endorsed as Kosher for
Passover by the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc).
The company currently exports to multiple countries
which also requires meeting additional regulatory or
certification standards.
Two years ago, Evanger's experienced its first recall in

PET FOOD PROCESSING | March 2019 | www.petfoodprocessing.net

the company's 83-year history. According to the company,
a supplier substituted one ingredient for another.
Following that, the company expanded product testing
protocols to validate incoming ingredients specific to a
broader range of potential food safety issues. It also follows strict vetting and monitoring procedures for new
and existing vendors as well as multiple in-house quality
and auditing programs.
The Sher family makes a point to emphasize their dedication to the quality and the reliability of the products
they produce. They are also committed to growing the
company through other family-owned and independent
companies. Not only do they adore the dogs and cats they
serve, which is evident in many of their creative marketing materials, but they are also dedicated to the independent businesses who distribute and carry their products.
With Chelsea's business and marketing background,
she has helped the company expand both their domestic
and international sales. "We work with more than 20 US
and 20 international distributors," Chelsea says. "We're
committed to working with independently-owned companies, both retailers and distributors, so we make sure
to offer exclusive programs redeemable only in brickand-mortar stores."
Joel and Holly were the first owners of Evanger's to
put more of a spotlight on the company's own brand and
have grown the company, and specifically the Evanger's
brand, for the next generation to take over. "We're really excited to have our children involved," Holly says.
"Historically, the second generation is usually the one to
take a brand and run with it. It's cool to have them involved and watch them learn the ropes."
Chelsea says she admires what her parents have accomplished. "Although the company is over 80 years
old, our parents are the backbone of its growth and innovation," Chelsea says. "They inspire us to become the
next generation to revolutionize the pet food industry as
they have."
PFP

http://www.petfoodprocessing.net

PET Food Processing - March 2019

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