High-pressure pasteurization is becoming a necessity for minimally processed pet foods and treats to ensure the safety of both pets and humans from dangerous cross-contamination.
The company looks to the second half of fiscal 2019 for food/drug/mass product expansion to drive growth in its pet segment, which fell short year-over-year in the second quarter.
Pet food sales have grown every year since 2014, including a record high of $94.5 million in 2016, despite constrained economic growth, lagging wheat production and other factors.