Glossary

If you’re new to the private label pet product industry, the terminology might seem overwhelming. Don’t worry, we’ve got you – when you work with PetDine, our goal is to be your partner at every stage of the process no matter where you are in your pet product journey.

To ensure that we’re all speaking the same language, we put together this glossary of common manufacturing and business terms. Understanding these terms will help as you kick-start your launch or grow your brand with PetDine. You can also check out our tips for new pet product startups to see if this is the industry for you.

APHIS

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture responsible for protecting and promoting animal health, animal welfare, and plant health. APHIS aims to protect American animals, plants, and the agricultural industry by offering various services including inspection of imported plant and animal products, resolution and management of trade issues related to animal or plant health, and prevention of inhumane treatment of animals. APHIS administers the Animal Welfare Act, which ensures the proper care and handling of all types of animals including livestock, wild animals, and pets. All pet products that are shipped internationally must go through APHIS.

Clean-Label

The definition of clean-label manufacturing continues to evolve as consumers demand minimally processed products and more transparency. You can think of clean-label as products that have simple, short ingredient statements with easy-to-pronounce ingredient names. PetDine manufactures pet products with the highest quality ingredients and without the addition of fillers and preservatives to help our partner brands bring clean-label pet supplements to market.

Cold Extrusion

Extrusion is the act of forcing material through a die and is used in many industries and for many applications including metals, plastics, and even food products. Unlike the classic extrusion method where high heat is involved, cold extrusion operates at room temperature. Pet supplement manufacturers, like PetDine, use cold extrusion, to produce the highest-quality, all-natural pet products.

Co-Manufacturer / Co-Packer

As a co-manufacturer (or contract manufacturer), PetDine produces our clients’ products or product lines for them. Contract manufacturing is a form of outsourcing. A co-manufacturer is also called a co-packer and manufactures and packages private label products for other brands.

FOB

This means “free on board” or “freight on board” and is a designation that is used across multiple industries to indicate when liability and ownership of goods are transferred from the manufacturer, PetDine, to the buyer, you.

Food Topper

Food toppers, also called kibble toppers, are powder or liquid supplements added to the top layer of dog food. They can include pieces of meat, a blend of meat, vegetables, and fruit, and the highest-quality toppers contain functional health benefits like immune and digestive support or multivitamins. This is a quickly growing sector of the pet supplement market and is a quick go-to-market strategy for any pet brand.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)

A set of guidelines for managing each aspect of production and testing that can impact product quality, GMPs are part of a quality system that covers the manufacture and testing of ingredients and finished products. The PetDine facility follows the Safe Quality Food (SQF) code, which is a strict food safety GMP system.

Gumming Agent

These are food additives used to bind, stabilize, and control the moisture in processed foods and can cause digestive problems in pets. PetDine proprietary manufacturing processes eliminate the need for gumming agents so you can trust you bring a wholesome product to market.

Liquid Supplement

Liquid supplements are a fast-growing pet product market segment, including bone broths, stews, and functional-focused, small dosage liquid food toppers. High-quality liquid pet supplements often resemble a sauce-type base and include four times more nutrient absorption compared to pills, capsules, tablets, and even soft chews. Learn more about PetDine liquid pet supplement manufacturing services.

Master Cases

Describes a handling unit containing multiple smaller inner packs, otherwise known as multi-packs or multi-pack units, of the same item. A master case has a unique and specific SKU and in some systems, it is considered an actual product to improve tracking.

MOQ

Refers to minimum order quantity or the minimum number of pet supplement products ordered – whether soft chews, all-natural dog treats, liquid, or powder – for PetDine to schedule a production run.

Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)

Also known as a confidentiality agreement, confidential disclosure agreement, proprietary information agreement, or secrecy agreement, an NDA is a legal contract between two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. PetDine executes a mutually beneficial NDA with every prospect before engaging our team of pet product manufacturing experts. We regard information exchange as highly confidential.

Novel Ingredients

Pet food novel ingredients are new protein sources that are added to pet products, such as dried bison or functional ingredients like turmeric or glucosamine

Pet Food Formula

A formula is a list of ingredients for or components of something. In the case of PetDine pet supplement manufacturing, a pet food formula pertains to a soft chew, liquid food topper, or powder-based food supplement. Our clients have exclusive access to novel functional ingredients as well as more than 300 ingredients that make your custom formula unique to your customer’s needs and your brand.

Postbiotics

Postbiotics are the beneficial byproduct that is created in the gut biome when probiotic bacteria is able to feed on prebiotic fiber. PetDine can formulate a balanced pet product with prebiotic and probiotic functional supplements to help promote healthy digestion in pets.

Post-Consumer Resin (PCR)

Post-Consumer Resin or PCR (also commonly referred to as Post-Consumer Recycled Resin) is a material made from recycled plastic that is generated by the end-users of products and has already fulfilled its intended purpose. PCR offers a more sustainable source for making plastic packaging that would otherwise be developed with virgin plastic resin by using recycled materials such as containers or bottles instead. As a part of our sustainability initiaitive, PetDine utilizes bottles, SURPS, and scoops that contain PCR content to further reduce our carbon “pawprint” and eliminate overall waste in landfills.

Powder Supplement

A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of many very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. When combined, this creates a powder supplement that can be used as a dry food topper or enhancer that provides an additional one or more dietary or physical supplements like salmon oil for skin and coat health. Learn more about our pet supplement powder manufacturing services.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are a type of fiber added to pet products that serve as food for probiotic bacteria once it reaches the large intestine. Prebiotics help produce postbiotics in the gut microbiome to support pet gut health.

Preservative

A preservative is a compound that helps slow or prevent bacterial growth in a wide range of products, including foods and supplements. These compounds can be natural or synthetic. PetDine proprietary manufacturing processes eliminate the need for preservatives in pet supplement products.

Private Label

A private-label brand is one whose product or service is produced exclusively for them by another company. When you partner with PetDine we will produce your custom private label pet supplement products for your brand and your brand only. No other brand will be able to purchase and label the formulations we create for you.

Probiotics

Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms including bacteria and yeast that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. They are often used in pet products for gut health support.

Project Brief

This is the first step in developing a new private-label product with PetDine. Our team will work with you to build a comprehensive project brief that documents your product specifications including indication (i.e., hip and joint), desired ingredients, estimated suggested retail price (SRP), and all other relevant details.

Quality Assurance (QA)

This is a prescribed series of steps and processes a manufacturer puts in place to ensure that the final product is safe to eat. The PetDine team adheres to a rigorous QA process following Safe Quality Food (SQF) code. Every product goes through our pet industry-leading safety, quality, and nutritional checkpoints, so your customers can trust your products are safe to feed their pets.

SKU

A Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU) is almost always a scannable barcode, most often seen printed on product labels, jars, bottles, or packaging. The label allows vendors to automatically track the movement, sales, and inventory of your pet supplement product.

Soft Chews

Soft chews are defined as solid or semi-solid chewable formulations that often include one or more supplemental ingredients. Since it is a chewable formulation it has to be chewed in between the teeth before swallowing. Learn more about our pet supplement soft chews manufacturing services.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

A set of step-by-step instructions compiled to help workers carry out complex routine operations, SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output, and performance uniformity while reducing miscommunication and noncompliance with industry regulations. PetDine production is driven by specific SOPs created by our director of quality control within SQF guidelines and is driven by a companywide initiative to put quality control in the hands of all employees.

SQF

Safe Quality Food (SQF) code is achieved when a company demonstrates exceptional quality control and food safety practices. A qualified inspector conducts a third-party audit to evaluate the company’s food safety program, including personnel practices, plant maintenance and cleanliness, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans, and food safety programs. SQF code provides validation to many national and international retailers and foodservice providers that a company has established food safety programs and that those programs are followed. SQF code is a globally recognized food safety management system and is administered by the SQF Institute. PetDine follows SQF code to offer the highest quality in all of our pet product manufacturing services.

Supplement

A supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one’s diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. Often referred to as a dietary supplement, these products complete or enhance other products when added to them. An example of a supplement given to a dog or cat is glucosamine, used in hip and joint products to remedy deficiencies. Supplements can also be used to add nutrition to a dog’s diet and enhance their physical attributes.

Terms and Conditions Agreement

Once an NDA is in place and the initial discovery call between PetDine and the prospect is completed, the terms and conditions agreement is executed before we begin the project brief. This document outlines the details and responsibilities of the relationship between the two parties.

Treat

A subset of pet food, treats aren’t usually intended to be a complete nutrition source. They’re mostly used for rewarding pets and some treats are also formulated to supplement nutrition requirements. PetDine all-natural dog treats are a single-source animal chews with supplemental nutritional value made from 100% American beef, bison, and lamb.

Vitamins

These are any of a group of organic compounds which are essential for normal growth and nutrition that the body requires in small quantities in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the body. Vitamins can be added to pet product formulations to supplement a pet’s nutritional needs.

Warehouse Management System (WMS)

Our WMS software program allows us to control and administer warehouse operations (e.g., inventory management, picking processes, auditing) from the time goods or materials enter the warehouse until they leave.

Water Activity (Aw)

Water activity (Aw) is the measurement of the free water in food that is available for microbial growth. This can be problematic for pet supplements, especially soft chews. At PetDine, every product goes through our intensive quality assurance testing gauntlet before it can leave the facility.

White Label

A white-label brand refers to a generic product that is created by a manufacturer and distributed to multiple clients for rebranding, so many brands can market the exact same product with their own label on it. PetDine is a private-label pet product manufacturer. We do not white label. What we formulate for your brand will only ever have your brand’s label on it.

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