How Is Cold Pressed Dog Food Made? A Step‑by‑Step Look Inside the Process

Cold pressed dog food has quickly become one of the most talked‑about segments in the premium pet‑food space. It’s marketed as less processed than conventional kibble, more convenient than raw and more nutrient‑friendly than high‑heat alternatives. But behind the marketing, the real story is in the machinery, the temperatures and the sequence of steps on the production floor.

If you’re new to the category, you’ll get the most out of this deep dive by pairing it with the big‑picture overview in Cold pressed dog food: the complete guide for dog owners. Once you understand the “what” and “why,” this article focuses on the “how”: exactly how cold pressed dog food is made—and why each step matters for your dog.

What “Cold Pressed” Really Means

The term “cold pressed” is often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean the food is raw, and it doesn’t mean it never sees heat. It means the food is formed into pellets using lower temperatures and shorter exposure times than the high‑heat extrusion used for typical kibble.

With extruded kibble, a dough is blasted through an extruder, cooked at high temperatures and puffed into familiar biscuit shapes. With cold pressed dog food, ingredients are mixed and then compressed into dense pellets at controlled, relatively low temperatures. The objective is straightforward: create a dry, shelf‑stable dog food that better preserves the character and nutritional value of its ingredients.

To see how those manufacturing differences translate into real‑world pros and cons for your dog, it’s worth comparing formats directly in Cold pressed dog food vs kibble: which is better for your dog?. For now, let’s walk the production line.

Step 1: Selecting And Preparing The Ingredients

Every cold pressed dog food starts with a formulation: target protein, fat, fiber and energy levels designed for a particular dog profile—say, an active adult or a growing puppy. Once the formula is set, the manufacturer sources the raw materials:

• Animal proteins (meat meals or sometimes fresh meat, depending on the brand)
• Carbohydrates (grains, potatoes, peas or other plant sources)
• Fats and oils (animal fats, fish oil, plant oils)
• Functional ingredients (fiber sources, joint‑support compounds, herbs)
• Vitamins and minerals to ensure the diet is complete and balanced

These ingredients are then milled or ground to a consistent particle size. That grinding step is crucial. Uniform particle size helps ensure that when ingredients are mixed and pressed, each pellet has a similar nutritional profile. Inconsistent milling, by contrast, can lead to “hot spots” where some pieces are richer or poorer in key nutrients than others.

For owners, the first and most visible checkpoint is the ingredient list on the bag. Learning to decode that list—what named meats, whole grains and fats should look like in a serious cold pressed formula—is the focus of How to read cold pressed dog food labels and spot quality ingredients.

Step 2: Mixing To A Precise Recipe

Once the individual ingredients are prepared, they move into industrial mixers. Here, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and micro‑ingredients are combined according to the formula. The goal is homogeneity: every scoop of the mixture should match the nutritional targets laid out on the spec sheet.

At this stage, manufacturers also account for how the pressing process itself will affect the final product. If the pressing and drying are expected to reduce moisture to a specific level, the initial dough’s water content is adjusted accordingly. The same goes for the interaction between fats and the pressing temperature—too much or too little can alter texture, stability and shelf life.

For pet owners, this mixing phase is invisible, but its results show up later in consistent stool quality and predictable feeding results. Brands that treat formulation and mixing as a science, not a suggestion, are more likely to deliver the kind of performance outlined in 7 evidence‑backed benefits of cold pressed dog food.

Step 3: Cold Pressing At Controlled Temperatures

This is the defining moment. Instead of extruding and puffing the dough under intense heat and pressure, cold pressed dog food manufacturers feed the mixed dough into a press that compresses it into shapes—often small pellets or “nuggets”—at lower temperatures.

Two variables dominate this stage:

• Temperature: Kept significantly lower than extrusion to help protect heat‑sensitive nutrients and fats.
• Pressure and dwell time: Carefully controlled to create pellets that hold together in the bag but still break down quickly in the stomach.

This is where cold pressed begins to differentiate itself functionally from kibble. The denser structure and the way pellets crumble in water—or in gastric juices—contribute to the digestibility many owners notice when switching formats. How that translates into real‑world outcomes (like stool quality and comfort in sensitive dogs) is unpacked in Is cold pressed dog food good for sensitive stomachs and allergies?.

Step 4: Cooling, Drying And Stabilizing The Pellets

After pressing, pellets are still warm and may contain more moisture than is safe for long‑term storage. They are moved through cooling and drying systems designed to bring temperature and moisture down to tightly controlled levels.

Done correctly, this step:

• Reduces moisture enough to inhibit microbial growth and spoilage
• Stabilizes fats, helping prevent rancidity over the product’s shelf life
• Locks in structure, so pellets stay intact during packaging and transport

If cooling and drying are rushed or inconsistent, the risk of mold growth or fat degradation increases—problems that can emerge later as off smells, changes in texture or reduced palatability.

From an owner’s perspective, proper stabilization is one of the reasons cold pressed dog food can sit in a cupboard like kibble, rather than demanding freezer space like many raw or fresh diets. For a broader perspective on where cold pressed fits among those alternatives, see Cold pressed dog food vs raw and fresh diets: pros, cons, and safety.

Step 5: Quality Control And Testing

In serious operations, quality control is not a single checkpoint; it runs throughout the process. Raw materials may be tested for contaminants and nutritional content before they even enter the mixer. During and after production, additional checks are typically carried out, which can include:

• Visual inspection of pellet size and uniformity
• Moisture and water‑activity testing to ensure shelf stability
• Periodic nutritional analysis to confirm that finished food matches the label
• Microbial testing to guard against harmful bacteria or molds

These protocols are where brands separate themselves. Two bags may both say “cold pressed,” but only one has invested in robust testing and tight process control. That’s why, when you’re comparing products, it pays to go beyond the buzzword and interrogate the brand’s stance on manufacturing and safety—something covered in the decision‑making framework in Best cold pressed dog food: how to choose the right brand for your dog.

Step 6: Packaging, Storage And What Happens In Your Kitchen

Once pellets pass inspection, they’re packaged—usually in multi‑layer bags designed to protect against oxygen, light and moisture. Some manufacturers flush bags with inert gas before sealing to slow down oxidation of fats.

From there, the logistics look similar to kibble: warehouse storage, shipping to retailers or direct‑to‑consumer fulfillment and finally a place in your pantry. How you handle that last step matters more than many owners realize. Even the best‑made cold pressed dog food can be compromised by:

• Storing bags in hot, humid spaces
• Leaving bags open, exposing the food to air and moisture
• Transferring pellets to non‑airtight containers without labeling dates

Good storage practices pair with a thoughtful feeding strategy. Because cold pressed foods often have different density and energy content than kibble, your usual scoop may not deliver the same calories. How you translate the numbers on the bag into daily portions—and how you structure a transition from a previous diet—are laid out in How to feed cold pressed dog food: portions, schedules, and transition tips.

How The Process Affects Nutrients And Digestibility

The central promise of cold pressed dog food is that gentler processing better preserves nutrients and results in a food that behaves differently in the digestive tract. While exact numbers vary from brand to brand, several broad effects are worth noting:

• Heat‑sensitive vitamins and fats are exposed to lower temperatures and shorter cooking times than in extrusion, which can help maintain their integrity.
• Pellet structure—dense but quick‑to‑crumble—means many dogs experience faster breakdown in the stomach compared with some extruded kibbles.
• Ingredient visibility: because the marketing of cold pressed tends to attract label‑conscious buyers, many brands pair the process with more transparent, higher‑quality ingredient lists.

Those process‑driven differences underpin many of the functional advantages owners report: more stable stools, better tolerance in some sensitive dogs, improved coat and energy. A full, balanced discussion of those outcomes—alongside the downsides, such as cost and availability—is in 7 evidence‑backed benefits of cold pressed dog food.

Cold Pressed For Different Ages And Health Profiles

The manufacturing process is the same whether you’re producing a puppy formula or a senior blend, but the recipe going into that process changes substantially with life stage and health needs.

For example:

• Puppy formulas may be designed with higher protein, specific calcium‑to‑phosphorus ratios and energy densities that support controlled growth.
• Adult dog formulas often prioritize maintenance of lean mass and stable weight.
• Senior formulas may build in joint‑support ingredients, slightly lower calories and enhanced digestibility.

The fact that a food is cold pressed doesn’t automatically make it right for a six‑month‑old large‑breed puppy or a 12‑year‑old small dog with kidney issues. You still need to match the formulation coming off that press to the dog in front of you. That’s the focus of Cold pressed dog food for puppies, adults, and seniors: what you need to know.

Owners dealing with specific sensitivities—itching, loose stools, recurrent digestive upsets—should overlay life‑stage considerations with targeted ingredient strategies, as outlined in Is cold pressed dog food good for sensitive stomachs and allergies?.

How Cold Pressing Compares To Kibble, Raw And Fresh

Seen from the factory floor, cold pressed dog food is one more way of turning raw materials into something safe, stable and nutritionally reliable. Seen from your dog’s bowl, it competes directly with:

• Extruded kibble, which offers maximum convenience and range of price points but is heavily processed
• Raw diets, which promise minimal processing but raise food‑safety, cost and practicality challenges
• Fresh or gently cooked diets, which offer high perceived quality but require refrigeration and higher spend

Cold pressing offers a hybrid value proposition: more considerate processing than kibble, far more convenience than raw or fresh. Whether that trade‑off is worthwhile depends on your budget, your schedule and your dog’s response. The strategic decision—format by format—is explored in Cold pressed dog food vs kibble: which is better for your dog? and Cold pressed dog food vs raw and fresh diets: pros, cons, and safety.

Turning Process Insight Into Smarter Buying Decisions

Understanding how cold pressed dog food is made is more than an academic exercise. It gives you concrete questions to ask when you’re choosing a product:

• Does the brand explain its pressing temperatures and quality controls, or just repeat buzzwords?
• Do the ingredients going into the press meet your standards, or is “cold pressed” being used to dress up a mediocre recipe?
• Is there a version of the product formulated for your dog’s life stage and health status?

When you combine those process‑driven questions with the label‑reading skills from How to read cold pressed dog food labels and spot quality ingredients and the brand‑evaluation framework in Best cold pressed dog food: how to choose the right brand for your dog, you move from passive consumer to informed selector.

If you’re still building your foundational understanding of the category, circle back to the flagship explainer, Cold pressed dog food: the complete guide for dog owners. When you know what’s happening at every stage—from ingredient intake to pressing, cooling and packaging—you’re better positioned to decide whether this format deserves a place in your dog’s bowl.