Pet Food Processing - March 2023 - 74

DISTRIBUTION
manufacturing facility
in Green Bay. We
believe that owning
and managing
our
own facilities allows us
Freshpet offers a full
range of fresh pet food
items that all must be
kept refrigerated before
and after purchase.
Freshpet
to control all aspects of not only the cold supply chain
but also the entirety of the manufacturing processes. "
Incremental improvements
Pet food processors are also taking steps to further
improve the efficiency and safety of their cold chains.
Whether it be through technology upgrades or small
process changes, these improvements help ensure that
pet owners receive the freshest, most nutritious products
available.
" We continuously monitor cold chain technology in
The increase in the number
of fresh and frozen
pet food brands adds to
the cold chain distribution
challenges pet food
processors face.
©kokliang1981 - stock.adobe.com
an effort to identify opportunities and invest in technologies
that enhance our ability to ensure food safety and
effectively provide value for our clients, " Lakari said. " In
recent years, we made a significant investment in ERP
[enterprise resource planning] and warehouse management
systems, along with hi-tech RFID [radio frequency
identification] systems, which enhances our ability to
safely and appropriately manage temperature-sensitive
food products. We have recently invested in innovative
packaging solutions that have provided greater temperature
control.
" Going forward, we will be implementing robotic
technology as part of our brand-new manufacturing facility,
due to be completed in Q4 of 2023. This technology
will provide more efficient transfer and storage of
cold food products, " he added.
Freshpet has also taken proactive steps to improve operational
efficiency. These efforts include implementing
new solutions to benchmark its freight and upgrading
its transportation management systems. The resulting
changes impact both the company's internal processes
and its customer service.
" We have recently implemented a few new solutions
to assist in benchmarking our freight and partnering
with our 3PLs [third-party logistics] for a dynamic pricing
solution to control freight costs in line with market
changes, " Martin said. " We are also building out transportation
management solutions to improve our load
control, tracking and communication of shipment statuses
to our customers. "
We continuously monitor
cold chain technology in an
effort to identify opportunities
and invest in technologies that
enhance our ability to ensure
food safety and effectively
provide value for our clients. "
Brian Lakari, Carnivore Meat Company
Fresh partnerships
Partnering with the right third-party logistics providers
can make all the difference for pet food processors that
need to maintain the integrity of their cold chain. By leveraging
their expertise, companies like Vital Essentials
and Freshpet are able to ensure that their products are
delivered safely and on time.
" We are partnering with the largest cold chain warehouser
and a couple of the top logistics 3PLs for the
74 PET FOOD PROCESSING | March 2023 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
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Pet Food Processing - March 2023

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