PET Food Processing - September 2019 - 18

PLANT PROFILE

Left: At the end
of the sublimation
process, vapor
collects in the form
of ice on the
cooling plates.
Middle: Up to
10 carts with
approximately 2,500
lbs. of product can
run in one cycle.
The entire process
typically takes 18 to
24 hours.
Right: Individual
carts provide batch
flexibility. Up to three
formulas can be
processed in
one cycle of the
freeze-dry system.

some contact with the metal surface. Too much overlap
will result in product with mushy spots indicating it didn't
reach a uniform low temperature. Also, if the temperature change during freeze-drying is not gradual enough,
an outer layer will form that can prevent moisture from
leaving the middle of the product resulting in a gummy
mess. Including the three hours it takes the system to fully
defrost, the entire process typically takes 18 to 24 hours,
or as long as 48 hours, depending on the formula.
Muenster ensures the safety of the freeze-dried
products in one of three ways: either the incoming
meat is high pressure pasteurized before arriving at the
freeze-dry facility; product reaches a high enough temperature during freeze-drying to be an effective "kill
step;" or finished product is sent out for cold pasteurization after processing. Once product exits the freeze
dryer, it's tested for both moisture and water activity
and then held for a minimum of 48 hours for thirdparty quality testing before it is ready to package. Once
packaged, freeze-dried products have a shelf life of 18
to 24 months.
Muenster currently produces round and square patties, meatballs and diced whole-muscle products. The
company strives to source all natural ingredients with
the exception of vitamins and minerals. The beef meatballs are a blend of beef and beef parts and the chicken
meatballs are ground chicken breast. Blended diets include the necessary ingredients to meet complete-andbalanced requirements.

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

Muenster plans to offer more product types such as
beef tripe and duck hearts. Currently, the company has
one freeze-dry system and expects to add two more by the
end of the year. The new facility has room for up to eight.

Tied to Texas

The company primarily distributes its branded Muenster
Pet Food in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
It's not that there is anything wrong with the other states,
but Mitch and Chad are committed to helping support
the region they serve from sourcing locally to limiting
their distribution regionally.
Muenster buys as much local grain as possible. To ensure a local supply of ancient grains, the company leases
land from area farmers for those ingredients. "Most
of the ancient grains are grown in North Dakota and
Colorado," Chad says. "We worked with farmers here
to provide them with better market opportunities than
their normal cash crop." This gives Muenster a bit more
control over the availability of certain ingredients and
confidence in the ingredients they purchase. "We have
been buying from these farms for 87 years," Mitch says.
"Chad and I went to kindergarten with the farmers that
we are buying from now."
The company's commitment to being regionally focused prompted a major change in how its products
are distributed. "Over the past five or six years we have
pulled out from all the distributors that we were working with which is very much against the channel," Mitch

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PET Food Processing - September 2019

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