Manufacturer of private-label pet food: wet food, dry food, snacks and cat milk for dogs and cats
saturn petcare gmbh
Bremen, Germany · Hattem, Netherlands · Terre Haute, USANew on Amplifa
About saturn petcare
Saturn petcare gmbh, headquartered in Bremen, has been active as a private-label pet food manufacturer for the retail trade since 1987. The company produces wet food for dogs and cats in cans (400 g to 1,240 g), aluminium trays (100 g to 300 g) and pouches (85 g to 100 g), as well as dry food, snacks, bakery products, dog sticks and cat milk in Combibloc cartons (200 ml/250 ml). The value chain covers product development in its own development centre, manufacturing, sterilization and packaging. Meat, grains and vegetables are processed; packaging includes, among others, aluminium, plastic composite films and FSC-certified paper. In addition to the standard range, the team of food chemists, technologists, nutrition scientists and veterinarians develops custom customer products whose acceptance is verified through feeding tests in defined households. With around 1,000 employees, saturn petcare produces at three sites: Bremen (DE), Hattem (NL) and Terre Haute (USA, Indiana). As part of the heristo group, the company supplies food retail with own brands ranging from basic to premium quality.
- Site
- Bremen
- Processes
- Manufacturing of wet food (pet food) for dogs and cats, Sterilization of pet food/wet food, Packaging of wet food in cans, aluminium trays and pouches, Manufacturing of dry food (dog and cat food), Manufacturing of snacks, dog sticks and bakery products for dogs, Packaging of dry food/snacks in flat film bags and stand-up pouches (with ZIP,, Packaging in folding cartons/folding boxes with FSC paper and activated carbon filter, Filling of cat milk into Combibloc cartons (200 ml/250 ml)
- Materials
- Meat, Grains, Vegetables, Aluminium (aluminium trays), Cat milk, FSC-certified paper, Aluminium, Plastic composite film
- Certificates
- IFS Food Version 8, DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 (Energy management), MSC Chain of Custody (Marine Stewardship Council), ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council), DIN EN ISO 50001:2018, MSC Chain of Custody
- Founded
- 1987
- Employees
- approx. 1,000
- Industries
- Pet food, Private-label production for the retail trade, Pet food industry
- 01
Product development (product development centre, test series)
- 02
Procurement of raw materials (meat, grains, vegetables) with own
- 03
Manufacturing of wet and dry food
- 04
Sterilization of wet food
- 05
Packaging (cans, aluminium trays, pouches, bags, folding cartons, Combibloc)
- 06
Quality assurance along the production process
- 07
Storage and distribution
Raw materials & packaging
Meat
Main raw material for wet food, dry food, snacks and dog sticks.
Grains
Used in dry food, snacks and bakery products; grain-free or gluten-free recipes possible.
Vegetables
Component of balanced recipes for dog and cat food.
Aluminium
Packaging material for wet food in aluminium trays and round trays.
Plastic composite film
Flat film and stand-up pouches with closure techniques such as ZIP, tear notch or resealable sticker.
FSC-certified paper (FSC Mix)
Folding cartons with activated carbon filter, 100% recyclable.
Cat milk
Filled in Combibloc cartons of 200 ml or 250 ml.
Sites
Bremen
DEHeadquarters, wet food production site with high-bay warehouse
- Lot size
- Large-scale series
- Materials
- Meat, grains, vegetables, aluminium
- High-bay warehouse with more than 20,000 pallet positions (2004)
Hattem
NLProduction site for wet food (cans)
- Lot size
- Large-scale series
- Materials
- Meat, grains, vegetables
Terre Haute
USProduction site for wet food (since 2020/21)
- Lot size
- Large-scale series
- Materials
- Meat, grains, vegetables
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing of wet food (pet food) for dogs and catsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Meat, Vegetables, Grains, animal proteins |
| Sterilization of pet food/wet foodHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Pet food/wet food |
| Packaging of wet food in cans, aluminium trays and pouchesAssembly | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Composite films (pouches) |
| Manufacturing of dry food (dog and cat food)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Meat, Grains, Vegetables |
| Manufacturing of snacks, dog sticks and bakery products for dogsAssembly | – | – | – | – | Meat, Grains |
| Packaging of dry food/snacks in flat film bags and stand-up pouches (with ZIP,Assembly | – | – | – | – | Film (plastic composite) |
| Packaging in folding cartons/folding boxes with FSC paper and activated carbon filterAssembly | – | – | – | – | Paper (FSC Mix), Activated carbon |
| Filling of cat milk into Combibloc cartons (200 ml/250 ml)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Cat milk, Composite carton (Combibloc) |
| Product development (product development centre, test series, feeding/acceptance tests)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quality assurance: sensory, physical and chemical analyses along the production processTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-bay warehouse | – | 1 | more than 20,000 pallet positions | 2004 | Bremen |
Additional services
Quality & certifications
The production process is continuously accompanied by sensory, physical and chemical analyses; a complete traceability system and in-house supplier audits ensure the safety of the materials used. The sites are certified according to IFS Food v8 (Bremen: score 97.42%, unannounced audit); SQF applies in the USA.
| Evidence | Bremen |
|---|---|
| IFS Food Version 8 | |
| DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 | |
| MSC Chain of Custody | |
| ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) |
History
- 1987
Acquisition of a small pet food factory in Hattem (NL) by the Stockmeyer group (heristo ag); dog and cat food in cans laid the foundation for saturn petcare.
- 1991
Construction of a new, larger production facility for wet food in Bremen.
- 1999
Range expansion to include dry food, snacks and cat milk; start of cooperation with bosch Tiernahrung from Blaufelden.
- 2004
Expansion of the Bremen site with a high-bay warehouse with more than 20,000 pallet positions.
- 2012
Initial MSC certification (Marine Stewardship Council).
- 2013
Initial certification of energy management (DIN 50001/ISO 50001).
- 2014
Initial ASC certification (Aquaculture Stewardship Council).
- 2020/21
Expansion into the USA; commissioning of the wet food production site in Terre Haute, Indiana, after modernization measures.
- 2021
Certification according to IFS (International Featured Standards) since March 2021.