Creating High Quality, Profitable Soft Chews

From defining your strategic direction to full-scale manufacturing, each step in the process plays a crucial role in delivering a product that meets industry standards, satisfies pet owners and delights their animals. This guide outlines the five essential steps to creating a superior soft chew product that is both effective and commercially viable.

Before diving into the manufacturing process, you need a well-defined strategic direction. This step establishes the foundation for your soft chew product by answering key questions:

• What is the product’s purpose? Define the problem it solves, such as joint pain relief, skin and coat health, or digestive support.
• Who is your target audience? Consider whether the product is for dog or cat owners.
• What are your budget constraints? Set realistic financial goals, including production costs and projected revenue.
• What are the key benefits? Determine what will distinguish your soft chew in the market, including whether it’s organic, the active ingredients used and ease of use.
• What are the packaging options? Choose sustainable or traditional packaging that aligns with your brand.

A clear roadmap ensures your product aligns with your brand identity and market demand.

With a clear vision, the next step is turning your idea into a tangible product. This involves:

• Formulation review and refinement to balance efficacy, cost, and manufacturability.
• Evaluation of raw materials to confirm their effectiveness and pricing.
• Selection of appropriate packaging materials for preservation and branding.
• Prototyping in the lab to test and perfect the formula.
• Scaling up for manufacturing trials to ensure large-scale production feasibility.
• Packaging trials and artwork validation to refine the final presentation.

This phase ensures the product meets your quality and performance expectations before full-scale production begins

Once a prototype is established, it must be rigorously tested to ensure consistency and effectiveness. Quality control measures include:

• Pilot manufacturing to confirm the feasibility of full-scale production.
• Designing an analytical process to test ingredient integrity.
• Stability testing to ensure product longevity and efficacy.
• Palatability testing to confirm animals will consume it willingly.
• Packaging testing to verify durability and protection.
• Finished goods testing to ensure compliance with label claims.

This phase guarantees the product remains effective, safe and appealing over time.

Once testing confirms the product meets quality standards, the next step is establishing documentation and procedures to maintain consistency, including:

• Finalizing ingredient specifications to ensure quality control in sourcing.
• Establishing packaging specifications to ensure it is consistent and available.
• Documenting manufacturing processes for repeatable, scalable production.
• Conducting additional manufacturing trials to validate consistency.

The “engine check” step ensures that every batch meets the same high standards, securing customer trust and regulatory compliance.

With all preparations in place, full-scale manufacturing begins. This phase ensures:

• Quality ingredients meet specifications and budget constraints.
• Product stability over time for reliable efficacy.
• Scalability to meet growing demand.
• Detailed documentation for consistent manufacturing.
• Superior palatability to keep animals coming back for more.

By following these five steps, you ensure your soft chew product is high-quality, profitable and positioned for success in the market. With a well-planned approach, your brand can deliver a product that pet owners trust and animals love.