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AFB INTERNATIONAL
IS THE LEADER IN PET FOOD
PALATABILITY.
Ensuring product
performance for pet food
manufacturers — and their
customers — is our
business.

WHETHER IN A CAN, KIBBLE,

POUCH OR CUP, OUR PALATANTS MAKE
PET FOOD MORE APPEALING TO PETS
AND PET PARENTS.
We bring value to pet food companies
through research expertise, technical
support and unparalleled
customer service.
In an increasingly competitive
global marketplace, palatability
is a critical factor. The AFB
portfolio of liquid and dry
palatants are proven solutions
to help customers develop new
pet food products and
AFB partners with improve existing
pet food manufacturers to make food, ones.
treats and supplements for dogs and
cats taste great, ensuring pets receive
the vital nutrition they
need.

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PALATANT Solutions CLEAN Label
Today’s pet parents often look for pet food attributes that are similar to
what they want in their own diets. To many, this means eating clean foods
with recognizable ingredients, a short and simple ingredient list and no
artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Palatability is not only a critical

component of pet nutrition, it
is also a key driver of brand loyalty.
Ensuring repeat purchases for pet food
manufacturers is our goal. We specialize in
creating palatants that meet the specific needs
of each customer in achieving performance targets,
meeting attribute requirements and delivering technical
objectives.
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 FUNCTIONAL Ingredients
Functional ingredients can provide additional health benefits to cats
and dogs. AFB palatants applied to the outside of the kibble or mixed
into the kibble or wet food can be designed to successfully deliver
these ingredients.
PROBIOTICS · DENTAL HEALTH
PRESERVED WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS

PROTEIN Sources
Palatants may be meat- or non-meat-based, depending on
desired performance targets, cost requirements and label claims.
Palatants can also be developed for diets using novel proteins not
commonly found in pet food.

AFB incorporates rigorous

research and development, enabling us
to formulate food that pets prefer.

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 SPECIALIZED Diets
Pet food is designed to provide a complete and balanced diet and may
be formulated to address a specific dietary need. These specialized diets
may not be able to use fat or other palatability drivers because of their
specific formulations.

AFB PALATANTS CAN INCREASE THE PERFORMANCE

OF THESE TYPICALLY LESS PALATABLE DIETS.
• Limited-ingredient • Sensitive digestion
• Mono-protein • Renal care
• Hypoallergenic • Urinary care
• Low-fat • Weight management
• Senior
• Recovery support

WET FOOD for Cats

AFB understands the inherent complexity of wet cat
food palatability. Our knowledge of the ingredients and
processes that drive breakthrough palatability help to
deliver the performance pet parents expect.

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 PRODUCT Forms
Pet parents have a wide array of food choices today. While all pet food is
designed to meet a cat or dog’s nutritional needs, there is often a preference
by the pet and pet parent for a particular type of diet. The product form can
affect taste and texture.

AFB HAS EXPERIENCE CREATING PALATABLE

SOLUTIONS FOR A VARIETY OF PET FOOD FORMS.

DRY · WET · SEMI-MOIST · DEHYDRATED · RAW

SUSTAINABLE Ingredients YEAST
FREEZE DRIED · FROZEN · TABLETS · GRAVY · BROTH
There is a growing demand for sustainable products in BY-PRODUCTS
the pet food industry. AFB is committed to doing our FROM THE BREWING
part by using ingredients that have less impact INDUSTRY
on the environment.

PROTEIN FISH-BASED
BY-PRODUCTS PALATANTS
FROM THE HUMAN RESPONSIBLY
FOOD INDUSTRY
SOURCED

PLANT-
DERIVED
PROTEIN
SOURCES

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 PROCESSING Conditions PACKAGING Options
Producing palatable pet food is a complex process. AFB palatants are packaged to meet varying customer needs and
Variations in processing conditions, including time, provide economical transport.
temperature, moisture level and ingredients can
have different effects on flavor and texture. This
affects the palatability of the pet food.
Collaborating with our customers to
understand their manufacturing process
allows AFB to develop palatants that
deliver superior performance.

INJECTION MOLDED · EXTRUDED · BAKED STANDARD

DRY BAG
MOIST · SEMI-MOIST · HIGH MEAT · LIQUID
DRY · RETORT · INTERNAL APPLICATION
EXTERNAL APPLICATION · INCLUSIONS · COLD PRESSED
FREEZE DRIED · DEHYDRATED · SINGLE EXTRUDER
DOUBLE EXTRUDER · VACUUM COATING · DRUM COATING

INTERMEDIATE
BULK BULK LIQUID
DRY BAG CONTAINER
(IBC)

BULK
LIQUID

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 OUR Services
ANALYTICAL TESTING
With the use of our electronic
QUALITY COMPLIANCE sensors, we are able to approximate
RESEARCH + and quantify the overall "smell"
DEVELOPMENT At AFB, we have the same goal as our
customers — to provide safe, nutritious food
and "taste" of a food, much like the
animal experience while eating. This
Our global R&D team uses that pets enjoy. Taking a proactive approach allows us to shorten the product
scientific approaches and to food safety and quality has always been development cycle and screen
advanced technologies to help a top priority for AFB. We have received formulations before palatability
certifications that demonstrate our trials with cats and
customers maximize pet
commitment to providing palatant dogs.
food performance. consistency and product safety
throughout all our global
AFB manufacturing
facilities.

BEHAVIOR
TECHNICAL PALATABILITY In addition to how much pets eat, REGULATORY AFFAIRS
we also measure how they eat. Pet food is subject to regulations
Cats and dogs can’t verbally tell AFB’s Applied Behavior Support that vary by state, country and
us which food they prefer. AFB team has developed methods to region. AFB’s global Regulatory
conducts palatability trials to augment technical consumption team can help pet food
measure a pet's acceptance or data by quantifying pets’ responses manufacturers navigate the
preference for a food. to food which we call requirements for pet food and
Performance Beyond pet food palatants.
ConsumptionSM.

PILOT PLANT
Our process research laboratory, a
unique customer resource located in
St. Charles, Missouri, USA, features a
pilot-sized, scalable manufacturing
platform capable of producing
palatants, as well as dog and cat
food prototypes.

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 WORKING with AFB THE PAST AND the Present
Clearly understanding our customers’ complex needs provides a AFB International was founded in 1986 in St. Louis,
firm foundation for success. To determine the best approach, we need Missouri, USA, with a vision to create the best
to understand the interaction of the palatant with other factors our palatants and make pet food taste great.
customers manage or execute. These factors, like product formulation, Over 35 years later we remain committed
ingredient quality and process capabilities are crucial to performance. to being the leader in pet food
palatability.
The more pieces of the puzzle we know, the better we can select a AFB is a subsidiary of Ensign-
palatant designed not only to deliver excellent performance, but also Bickford Industries, a privately-
to work within a customer’s attribute requirements and economic held company for over 185 years
objectives. focused on space & defense, pet
food science and biotechnology. As
part of an organization dedicated
to innovation, we are able to
continually offer new products and
services and expand our global
presence.

Today we are an international company with resource centers and production

facilities designed to service pet food manufacturers across the world. To learn
more, contact our global headquarters or one of our local offices.

GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS
Customer Service: 800 218 5607
[email protected]
ASIA / PACIFIC LATIN AMERICA
[email protected] [email protected]
AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND ARGENTINA
[email protected] [email protected]
CHINA BRAZIL
[email protected] [email protected]
THAILAND MEXICO
[email protected] [email protected]

EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST

AND AFRICAN CONTINENT
THE NETHERLANDS
[email protected]

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