Global Pet Food Market Grows At 11.3% Annually, Driving Surging Demand For High-Performance Dog Food Extrusion Equipment

In recent years, the global pet economy has continued to heat up, ushering in unprecedented opportunities for the pet food industry. Industry statistics show that from 2019 to 2023, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of global pet food retail sales reached approximately 11.3%, demonstrating strong growth resilience in the pet consumption market. Against this backdrop, the ongoing expansion of the pet food market is effectively driving the upstream equipment manufacturing sector into a new phase of rapid growth, with demand for high-performance dog food extrusion equipment steadily rising.

From a global market perspective, the pet food extrusion equipment sector is also experiencing robust growth. According to market research data, the global pet food extrusion equipment market reached US$2.15 billion in 2024 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5.8%, reaching approximately US$3.63 billion by 2033. The overall pet food machinery market is expected to grow from US$4.5 billion in 2025 to US$6.2 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 5.47%, with extrusion equipment accounting for 29.5% of the market share-making it the largest equipment category in the pet food machinery sector. The primary driver of market growth is the deepening global trend of "pet humanization." Pet owners are increasingly prioritizing high quality, high nutrition, and functional attributes in pet food. In particular, the rapid rise of premium categories such as high-fresh-meat diets, functional foods, and prescription diets places greater demands on production equipment in terms of process precision, formulation adaptability, and operational stability. As the core link in pet food production, extrusion equipment directly determines the degree of starch gelatinization, nutrient retention, and pellet quality, and has become a critical enabler for pet food manufacturers seeking to upgrade their product offerings.

In the field of pet food extrusion equipment, twin‑screw extrusion technology is rapidly replacing traditional single‑screw processes and establishing itself as the industry‑standard technical route. Compared with single‑screw machines, twin‑screw extruders offer significant advantages in material adaptability, mixing homogeneity, and process stability-they can reliably handle complex formulations high in fat or fresh meat, are insensitive to moisture fluctuations, and effectively avoid the common "slipping" or "plugging" problems encountered with single‑screw equipment. The self‑wiping intermeshing action of the twin screws ensures thorough mixing and homogenization within the barrel, so that even with high‑oil, high‑moisture, or high‑fiber recipes, uniform expansion is achieved, ensuring consistent texture and balanced nutrition in every batch. Currently, high‑fresh‑meat inclusion has become one of the most critical technological trends in the pet food industry. Through direct fresh‑meat injection technology, raw meat can be fed directly into the extruder, preserving maximum natural nutrients while enabling the commercial production of high‑fresh‑meat pet food. Thanks to their superior material handling capability and precise process control, twin‑screw extruders have become the standard equipment for high‑fresh‑meat dog food production. At the same time, China's domestic pet food equipment industry has made substantial progress in core technology development. Leading manufacturers have successively overcome key technical challenges such as segmented screw configuration and pressure stabilization rectification, raising the localisation rate of equipment to over 90%. Domestic pet food equipment now accounts for 75% of the domestic market, fundamentally changing the long‑standing reliance on imported machinery for premium pet food production.

As a comprehensive enterprise specializing in the R&D, manufacturing, and service of extrusion machinery and complete production lines, Jinan Forward Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. is headquartered in Jinan, Shandong Province. Since its establishment in 2012, the company has adhered to the business philosophy of "quality first, practical work, and integrity in dealing with people." It has gathered a team of seasoned experts and technical professionals with decades of experience in the extrusion machinery field, building a skilled R&D team with dozens of employees, including multiple mechanical design and development engineers who continuously drive product innovation and process upgrades. The company currently holds a number of independent technology patents and has formed a complete technical system covering core process development to full‑set equipment manufacturing. In the pet food equipment sector, the company offers complete automated production lines covering raw material grinding, batching and mixing, conditioning, twin‑screw extrusion, cutting and shaping, drying and dehydration, and oil coating and flavouring. The flagship DSE series twin‑screw extruder features a variable‑frequency drive system, offering powerful performance, smooth operation, and energy efficiency. The screws are made of alloy materials through a special process, and the segmented modular design significantly extends service life. The equipment can be flexibly configured according to production capacity requirements, covering a broad range from 100 kg/h to 5,000 kg/h, suitable for everything from small‑scale processing plants to large‑scale industrial production. By changing dies, the machine can produce pellets in various shapes, including round, plum‑blossom, and triangular. For fresh‑meat inclusion, the equipment supports direct extrusion of fresh beef, pork, chicken frames, and other bone‑and‑meat pastes, with animal protein addition rates of 20% to 40%, fully meeting the process requirements of current high‑fresh‑meat pet food production. The operational stability and precise control offered by the twin‑screw design give the equipment clear advantages over traditional single‑screw machines in ease of operation, product quality, and production efficiency.

The company not only supplies individual machines but also provides complete plant layout and turnkey production line solutions. From mixers, screw conveyors, twin‑screw extruders, multi‑layer continuous ovens, drum seasoning lines, coolers, vibrating screens, to packaging machines, the company offers full‑line equipment and services, enabling customers to achieve "one‑stop" procurement and significantly reducing equipment selection and coordination costs. In addition, the company can provide customised design and manufacturing services to meet specific process requirements. In terms of quality management, the company has fully implemented the ISO 9001 quality management system, establishing a complete quality control mechanism covering raw material procurement, production processing, in‑process inspection, finished product testing, and after‑sales service. It officially obtained ISO 9001 certification in March 2024, providing a solid guarantee for the high‑standard delivery of its products. On this basis, the company has also obtained EU CE certification, indicating that its products have reached internationally advanced levels in safety performance and technical specifications. The company's equipment is now sold across more than 20 provinces and municipalities in China and exported to many countries and regions in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. With stable performance, reliable quality, and attentive service, the company has earned broad recognition and trust from domestic and international customers. Looking ahead, the company will continue to be market‑oriented and innovation‑driven, constantly improving product quality and service capabilities. As the global pet food market continues to expand and move upmarket, the company will keep deepening its focus on pet food extrusion equipment, striving to provide more efficient, stable, and intelligent production equipment and solutions to pet food manufacturers worldwide, helping customers seize opportunities and achieve sustainable development in the global pet economy, and building a more internationally competitive extrusion equipment brand.