Following Kinderhook Industries’ acquisition of Primal Pet Foods from Founder Matt Koss in 2021, the pet food brand embarked upon an operational expansion. The Abilene, Texas, facility was renovated to add a frozen dock, frozen warehouse, tempering room, two production kitchens, an individual-quick-freezing freezer, a work-in-progress freezer and a packaging room. The plant came back online in 2023, ready to meet increasing demand for frozen raw and freeze-dried pet nutrition. 

The production process begins with frozen blocks of meat, which are taken from the frozen warehouse. Proteins used include lamb hearts, beef livers, chicken livers, beef hearts, whole rabbit, turkey wing meat and white fish. The 40-lb to 50-lb blocks are broken down before being ground and mixed with other ingredients.

The broken-down, frozen meat is then mixed with frozen produce that provide vitamins and minerals in a 2,000-lb mixer. Additional dry supplements and liquids are added, ensuring pet foods are complete and balanced. The brand only uses food-based ingredients, no synthetic vitamins or minerals, to maintain its dedication to quality. 

Once the formula is thoroughly mixed according to the recipe, the dough is formed into nuggets or scoopable pieces, depending upon the specific product being manufactured. The formed product then undergoes quick freezing. 

For Primal’s Kibble in the Raw formulas specifically, the product is cold processed in small batches, then formed into bite-sized pieces before undergoing freeze drying. 

Following quick freezing, the product is placed on trays, with 5 to 15 lbs of product filling each tray, and stored in a massive blast freezer. Multiple freezing steps help maintain the raw nutrients. 

Once ready, product is then transported to one of several freeze-dryers on-site at the facility. The dryers run 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 12-hour shifts.

The Abilene facility includes six Parker Freeze Dryers and…

Four GEA Freeze Dryers each running on 12- to 15-hour cycles depending on the product variety in each load. Primal leverages both freeze dryer brands for the their different advantages.

Once the product is fully processed and freeze-dried according to the specific formula, it is depanned onto trays and stored to await final packaging. 

Packaging occurs on four different bagging and packaging lines, with equipment able to handle 1.5-lb sizes or smaller and 4- to 9-lb bag sizes. Primal recently underwent a packaging design update, converting all freeze-dried product packaging to recycle-ready materials. The brand also plans to roll out new packaging to comply with Pet Food Labeling Modernization (PFLM) standards. 

Following production and packaging, product is stored in a warehouse as Primal’s expert-led Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) team awaits testing results. The brand’s rigorous test-and-hold procedures include partnering with a third-party to confirm formulas are negative for Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria pathogens. After receiving test results, product is released by the FSQA team for shipment.

Product innovation remains a cornerstone of Primal, carried through its 20-plus-year history. The Abilene facility supports this commitment, producing about 75% of the brand’s total freeze-dried products, including its Freeze-Dried Pronto, Freeze-Dried Nuggets, and most-recent innovation: Kibble in the Raw.