Today, we have almost four times the old capacity, and we have a system that operates the same way even when the operators change.
Vincenzo D’Agostino, Commercial Director
Dagel Mangimi, S.r.l.
Dagel Mangimi, S.r.l.
ANDRITZ Technology, paired with Italian culinary tradition, means Dogs and Cats can take part in the Family Meal
Dagel Mangimi, S.r.l., makers of dog and cat food brands: Althea Super Premium, Top Dog and Top Cat (Top Cane and Top Gatto), Silvium, Formula D, and Dagel Dogs, is a one of the premier producers of commercial pet foods in Italy. Located in Puglia, in the South of Italy, Dagel sources only the best locally grown produce and “short range“ meats and seafood, that are more nutrient dense, as well as more sustainable.
This approach to formulating Dagel pet food was inspired by the inimitable Apulian gastronomic tradition where meals, crafted out of love, are served on family tables, but with a careful eye on the nutritional balance and energy supply needed by cats and dogs.
Founder, Giacomo D’Agostino, a milling technician for more than 20 years, traveled to feed mills around the world for vocation. In his travels, he noticed an emerging market. One that he noted was missing in Puglia. There were no companies producing commercial pet food and dogs and cats were still fed leftovers from human tables.
“We had no clue how to make dog food, but we knew all about the other transport and grinding equipment needed since it was similar to a feed factory,” shares Vincenzo D’Agostino, Commercial Director and Giacomo’s son. “I was living in the United States at the time and I got in touch with a company that made small extruders. We took all our life savings and put it into this new project. We took the original machinery and we modified it according to what we thought it was going to work better… and it did.”
“In 2004 Dagel Mangimi S.r.l. was founded, and we were up and running with a modified 800 kg/hr., single screw extruder to achieve 1000 kg/hr., along with two driers and a rotating drum for coating. We develop our recipes in collaboration with the University of Turin to create food for dogs and cats with the proper nutrition, including all the elements that their bodies need to "function at its best": water, proteins, fats and oils, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, all in the right quantities and proportions to guarantee our furry friends have everything they need to enjoy a full and happy life.“
After 15 years, it was time to upgrade. Dagel wanted to increase capacity and be able to reach other markets, but they also wanted to avoid depending on the human element that was required to keep the machines running. “The old plant required that the extruder operator continuously monitor all the variables and make constant adjustments to the machines,” stated Vincenzo. “This caused the standard of the product to change depending on which operator was on duty. Since the plant was running 24/7, we had to depend on many different operators, and therefore we had many different end results.”
ANDRITZ Feed and Biofuel provided a new pet food line with a 4TPH capacity that included fully automated grinding, extrusion, drying, coating and cooling machinery, and complete plant/project engineering services. This state of art line with the latest technology is controlled by one software making it possible for all the machines to communicate with each other, in a seamless fashion...since they are all made by the same company.”
“Today, we have almost four times the old capacity, and we have a system that operates the same way even when the operators change. We have machines that produce better quality product and is four times faster. We are working at three times our original capacity, and we have a consistent product that we can present to more clients.” Vincenzo looks to the future and knows there is potential for growth as they continue to adapt along with this new processing line and their partner, ANDRITZ.
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