Recently, I spent time in Taiwan attending a Smart Aquaculture Extrusion Course as part of Taiwan Smart Agriweek 2026. It was both a pleasure and an honour. The interesting part was the evenings spent with Roger Gilbert and Tuti Tan discussing the avenues we can develop within International Petfood. We have primarily focused on extruded petfood and related topics, as it is still the number one method of production as well as the top-selling style across all markets.
Pet treats were one of the discussed topics. Getting down to it, the Global pet treat market is valued at nearly US$33 billion in 2026 and predicted to approach US$46 billion by 2031. This is approximately 20 percent of total petfood sales. When you look at the amount of shelf space and variety of pet treats, this is overwhelming. There are hard kibble treats, extruded and baked; soft, meat-based treats; real bones and rawhide treats; healthy treats; dental, reward treats; freeze-dried treats and jerky treats, just to get started. Pet treats are available everywhere.
Interestingly, the history of pet treats started in London, where James Spratt noticed stray dockside dogs eating discarded hardtack biscuits. He formulated a biscuit and commercialised it for wealthy English country gentlemen and sportsmen who had valuable hunting dogs in 1860. The rest is history with Milk Bones in 1915 and further developments which are still occurring.
Having been an owner of a number of sporting bird dogs, something was needed to reinforce excellent behavior. Honestly, a bag of ‘Bill-Jac,’ soft, simple chunk treats was what I used. A fantastic product; dogs loved them and soon learned how to get one and the packaging allowed to carry it in the field. No doubt designed by Bill-Jac Foods of Medina, Ohio.
Dried ears, such as pig and cow ears, have no individual inventor and were naturally sold by butchers. Typically dehydrated or air-dried, they provide dogs with cartilage, protein and collagen, while also offering a dental-cleaning benefit. The origins of their commercial sale are unclear.
Had to ask and research: what are the best-selling dog treats? According to Google, Milk Bone Biscuits, Greenies Dental Dog treats, Pup-Peroni beef recipe, Good and fun triple flavor kabobs, Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats would be the top 5 in the USA. The European answer was more generic and was by category: freeze-dried, functional soft chews, dental air-dried treats, single-ingredient and high-protein meat snacks.
Country ranking by production of pet treats: USA, Germany, Brazil, Thailand, China and the United Kingdom. The USA has the largest number of pet treat producers, 335 to 450 companies producing over 10.5 million metric tonnes. Germany is the world’s largest exporter, with exports worth US$2.8 billion. Brazil exports 4 million metric tonnes, dominating South America’s market. Thailand exports US$2.4 billion in exports, supported by its seafood and poultry industries, while China exports 1.9 million metric tonnes, primarily in the raw hide and jerky segments. United Kingdom ranks third in sheer number of dedicated dog treat manufacturing operations.
Cat treats differ from dog treats primarily in formulation, as cats have distinct nutritional needs. Cats require higher protein and meat-based ingredients, while dogs can digest a wider range of plant-based ingredients. Cat treats are generally smaller and may include smooth or liquid products. Cats also require taurine and arachidonic acid for heart, eye and liver health, while dogs can synthesise taurine.
Horse treats should be mentioned: oats and molasses, carrots, apples and product variations, with grain-type cookies being the most popular. Extruded horse treats are a cooked, airy snack designed to break down easily when bitten, promoting easier chewing and nutrient absorption with desired flavors.
Studies show that, as with petfood, pet treats are dominated by extrusion cooking. The technology can process a wide range of ingredients into stable, high-quality products. Single- or twin-screw extruders, as well as multiple extruder combinations, can produce a wide variety of shapes, colours and textures at commercial volumes. Products can be dry or semi-moist, with different colours combined in single, half-and-half or swirled formats to create treats designed to appeal to both pets and their owners.
Extrusion dies, where many of these combinations are formed, have become increasingly complex but remain highly controllable. They can manage these functions because the extrudate has a plastic-like consistency before exiting the die. Variable-speed screw controls allow processors to adjust the flow of individual components to achieve the desired product appearance.
The most flexible process uses multiple extruders, which achieves the different formulations that require various production parameters for the desired cook and texture development. Allows for precise mixing percentages and color variance for the final desired appearance. Some of these production practices are used in daily diets as well due to the flexibility and final product appearances.
The exciting part is we are just touching on these topics, and we look forward to continuing to discuss all of the ever-advancing methods of petfood product production.
