MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Kansas State University’s (KSU) IGP Institute is offering training for professionals in the pet food industry to learn about pet food formulation for commercial production. The course offers in-classroom lecture and hands-on training to apply during formulation. The course is planned for Jan. 13-17, 2020.

“If the participants understand the context, processes, regulations, and nutrition when they get into pet food formulation they will better know why and how we need to assemble those ingredients to create nutritionally complete products,” said Greg Aldrich, research associate professor in the Department of Grain Sciences and Industry.

Participants can expect to cover numerous topics, including understanding ingredients, processes, and software necessary to create new products; revising existing formulas; performing business and production analysis; gaining an understanding of the raw ingredients used to produce pet foods; fundamental principles of companion animal nutrition and dietary needs and learning the processes involved with producing pet foods.

“The biggest thing for participants to walk away with is confidence in their ability to properly formulate a diet that can be produced under the equipment and format that they want to use,” Aldrich said. 

Christine Warzecha, a past participant and specialty species technical specialist for Diamond V Mills, in Denver, Colorado, U.S., believes that the course gave her a better understanding of what formulators and nutritionists are looking for in a product. 

“It was a really relaxed environment, which allowed me to have a collaborate effort when talking to people and asking questions,” Warzecha said. “I was able to gather more from that because of the hands-on labs, the PowerPoint reviews and also having Dr. Aldrich there to help us walk though that process.”

For more information about the course or to register, click here.