What Is Extrusion, and How Is Kibble Made?
5-minute read · Loyal Saints Nutrition Glossary
Quick answer
Extrusion is the high-heat, high-pressure manufacturing process used to make most kibble: ingredients are cooked and forced through a die at 160–200°C, then dried and sprayed with fats and flavors. The intense heat destroys enzymes, degrades heat-sensitive vitamins, and reduces protein bioavailability — which is why extruded foods are then fortified with synthetic vitamins.
Most dog food sold today is kibble, and almost all kibble is made by extrusion. Understanding the process explains a lot about why kibble is formulated the way it is — and why freeze-dried raw is fundamentally different.
How extrusion works
Ingredients are ground, mixed into a dough, and forced under high pressure through a shaping die while simultaneously exposed to high heat — typically 160–200°C. The dough expands into the familiar kibble shape, is dried, then sprayed with fats and flavor enhancers (palatants) to make the finished, heat-processed pellets appealing to dogs.
What heat does to nutrition
This intense heat has consequences. It destroys natural enzymes, degrades heat-sensitive vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin C), and reduces the bioavailability of protein. This is precisely why extruded foods must be fortified afterward with a synthetic vitamin premix — the processing strips out nutrition that then has to be added back artificially.
Extrusion vs. freeze-drying
High heat (160–200°C)
Extrusion cooks at intense temperatures; freeze-drying uses none.
Nutrient loss
Heat destroys enzymes and degrades heat-sensitive vitamins.
Requires synthetic fortification
Lost nutrients are added back via a synthetic premix.
Palatants added
Fats and flavor enhancers are sprayed on to make heat-processed pellets appealing.
Loyal Saints uses freeze-drying precisely to avoid all of this. With no heat, enzymes and heat-sensitive vitamins stay intact, protein remains highly bioavailable, and there's no need to spray on palatants or fortify with a synthetic premix — the real-food aroma and whole-food nutrition are already there.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is kibble made?
Most kibble is made by extrusion: ingredients are ground into a dough and forced through a shaping die under high pressure and high heat (160–200°C), then dried and sprayed with fats and flavor enhancers. The high heat is what defines the process and its nutritional impact.
Why is kibble fortified with synthetic vitamins?
Because the high heat of extrusion destroys natural enzymes and degrades heat-sensitive vitamins, those nutrients must be added back afterward via a synthetic vitamin premix. The processing strips nutrition that then has to be replaced artificially to meet AAFCO requirements.
Is extruded kibble bad for dogs?
Kibble is convenient and can meet nutritional requirements, but extrusion's high heat reduces protein bioavailability and destroys heat-sensitive nutrients, requiring synthetic fortification. Freeze-dried raw avoids this by using no heat, preserving whole-food nutrition in a more bioavailable form.
How is freeze-dried raw different from kibble?
Freeze-dried raw uses no heat — food is frozen and moisture removed under vacuum — preserving enzymes, heat-sensitive vitamins, and protein bioavailability. Kibble extrusion uses intense heat that degrades these, requiring synthetic fortification and added palatants. The two are fundamentally different in processing and nutrition.
Now you know what to look for.
Loyal Saints: real whole foods, no fillers, no synthetic premix, complete and balanced. Everything you just learned to want.
