Ed De Souza
Process Director, Wenger Process Solutions
Wenger Manufacturing LLC
Ed de Souza is a professional in food extrusion technology with a 30-year career at Wenger Manufacturing LLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and a business administration degree from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Brasil. Known for his deep technical expertise and leadership, de Souza has become a trusted consultant in extrusion process for pet food. Throughout his tenure at Wenger, he has served in various roles, including his leadership in establishing Wenger do Brasil in Valinhos — a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Currently serving as process director, Wenger Process Solutions, de Souza's hands-on approach and commitment to efficiency have consistently helped customers optimize operations and achieve outstanding results. Beyond his professional achievements, he is deeply committed to education, service and innovation, establishing him as a key resource for customers and academic institutions, and further advancing the field of extrusion technology.
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Tue Apr 29 3:10 PM - 4:15 PM | Pet food technology sessions: New processing technologies KCCC 2102A-B - New methods in high-moisture extrusion for creating innovative, diverse and nutritious wet pet food — Jenni Harrington, director of technology and innovation, Buhler Group, presents test results demonstrating how to create new formulations of wet pet food products tailored to canine and feline dietary needs using high-moisture extrusion combined with aeration technology and breaker plates. These new production approaches can enable development of new textures and colors as well as flexibility in the range and types of raw materials used in the newer wet pet food products.
- Starch gelatinization in extrusion cooking of pet foods: Balancing quality and sustainability — Ed de Souza, process director, Wenger Process Solutions, explores how to harness the power of science and technology in the extrusion process to optimize energy usage and precisely control the cooking levels of pet foods. This approach ensures both energy-smart practices and the perfect preparation of high-quality pet nutrition. Carefully controlling starch gelatinization during extrusion cooking offers pet food manufacturers a pathway to improve product quality and nutritional profiles, reduce costs and energy usage and minimize waste, achieving a more sustainable production process. As knowledge of the process evolves, the industry can expect continued improvements in efficiency, profitability and environmental responsibility.
- Optimizing microbial control in pet food: Understanding traditional and innovative methods — Daniela Soto Castro, HPP food specialist, Hiperbaric, introduces an emerging technology for ensuring pet food safety derived from high-pressure processing (HPP), called high-pressure thermal processing (HPTP). This method aims to create microbially stable products that can be shelf stable, fresh or minimally cooked. HPTP involves preheating packaged products and then applying high pressure to effectively raise the temperature. This process inactivates spore-forming bacteria at 250ºF in shorter timeframes, helping develop chilled, stable minimally cooked products with an extended shelf life and that maintain high added value while reducing thermal load. Soto also compares the efficacy of microbial control methods such as traditional cooking, UV treatment, bacteriophages and fermentation as kill steps.
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