Freeze-Dried Chicken Treats OEM Guide

# Freeze-Dried Chicken Treats OEM

Freeze-dried chicken breast is the most popular pet treat SKU. Quality varies widely.

Why it's popular

1. Single-ingredient label

2. High protein, low fat

3. Highly palatable

4. Long shelf life

The process

1. **Sourcing**: fresh or frozen chicken, inspection certificates

2. **Cutting**: 1cm cubes, strips, or whole tenderloins

3. **Freeze-drying**: pre-freeze to -40°C, vacuum sublimation for 24-48h, moisture drops to under 5%

4. **Post-processing**: metal detection, sifting

5. **Packaging**: foil pouch, vacuum or nitrogen flush, desiccant

Cost and MOQ

| Spec | MOQ | Cost/kg |

|------|-----|---------|

| 5mm cubes | 300kg | $17-$25 |

| Strips | 300kg | $18-$28 |

| Whole tenderloins | 500kg | $21-$31 |

• Sampling: $140-$420
• Lead time: 15-25 days
• Packaging MOQ: 5000-10000 units

Choosing a co-packer

1. Freeze dryer size matters — small batch needs small machines

2. Are they using fresh or frozen meat?

3. Water activity and microbial testing

4. Can they do other proteins?

Common pitfalls

1. Choosing by price only — cheap = frozen trimmings

2. No water activity testing

3. No nitrogen flush — goes rancid in a week

4. Inconsistent piece size

How to differentiate

1. Alternative proteins — duck, turkey, beef

2. Specialty shapes

3. Sandwich-style — duck wrapped in egg yolk

4. Small 10g trial packs

If you want to launch freeze-dried chicken but don't want to compete on price, differentiate on protein source, shape, or packaging. Mixiaoqi pet food OEM/ODM has freeze-drying lines starting at 300kg.

FAQ

How long is the shelf life?

12-18 months with nitrogen flush.

What's the MOQ?

300kg per SKU.

Can they do other proteins?

Yes — duck, beef, salmon.