PET Food Processing - October 2021 - 60

ACADEMIC PARTNERS
University of Illinois at
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Companion animal nutrition program
was the first of its kind in the country.
T
The university has
the capability to
perform detailed
chemical analysis of
ingredients, treats
and pet food products,
manufacture
research diets, and
assist companies
with food processing
at a pilot-scale.
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
The companion animal biology and nutrition program
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was
founded in 1974 and conducts research in multiple disciplines.
These include evaluating novel, alternate, and
sustainable ingredients as well as studying the impact of
processing technology on the quality and safety of pet
food products. It also investigates the use of therapeutic
nutrition to support the health and wellbeing of pets.
" This program has been considered the hub of companion
animal nutrition and a prized destination for
many young scientists interested in companion animal biology
and nutrition, " said Maria Regina Cattai de Godoy,
associate professor in the department of animal sciences.
" Many professionals currently working in the pet food
industry, government, and leading academic programs in
North America and around the globe have been trained
and received advanced degrees from our program. "
The university has the capability to perform detailed
chemical analysis of ingredients, treats and pet food
products, manufacture research diets, and assist companies
with food processing at a pilot-scale. It also uses
technology to conduct non-invasive in vivo studies that
allow researchers to determine the nutritional adequacy
of novel ingredients and pet food products as well as
evaluate parameters related to animal health and disease.
The university has several facilities including a Feed
Technology Center that can dry and store grains and ingredients,
and conducts milling, mixing, and pelleting
with an inline NIR system. This facility has an enclosed
extrusion annex with storage and live bins for dry mix
delivery, a differential diameter preconditioner, a singlescrew
extruder, two-pass oven dryers and coolers, and a
batch coating system. The extrusion system is also fully
automated, has pneumatic conveyance and the capability
of adding fresh meat, fat and liquid ingredients.
The university's food science and human nutrition
pilot processing plant focuses on human and pet food
technologies with baking and retort equipment. It has a
10,000-square-foot processing plant, product development
kitchen and walk-in cold storage. It also has an
Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory with six
laboratories equipped to perform proximate analysis as
well as detailed chemical characterization of the macronutrient
profile of ingredients, diets and samples.
The university has an online companion animal nutrition
certificate program, and courses include training on
canine and feline metabolism, nutrient functions and requirements,
pet nutrition and disease, pet food ingredients,
principles of diet formulation, pet food processing
technologies, good manufacturing practices, pet food
regulations and market trends. It hopes to develop a series
of workshops and hands-on trainings in the future.
Expanding undergraduate and graduate curriculum in
ingredient handling and processing, pet food formulation
and food safety is also in the works. Additionally,
the university offers a non-thesis master's program that
can be completed online.
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PET Food Processing - October 2021

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