- Acquisition of Attifood secures its own production line and opens the freeze-dried therapeutic diet category - Joint venture with Kyungpook National University for feed clinical trials backs the global push with veterinary evidence
Korean bio pet food startup LIMPID has officially launched 'Dr.Trusty', the first therapeutic diet brand made with freeze-drying. Therapeutic diets have until now been produced almost entirely by extrusion, the process behind dry kibble; this is the first therapeutic line built on freeze-drying.
The defining feature of the launch is that LIMPID secured its own production line by acquiring Attifood, a freeze-dried pet food manufacturer. Attifood built its reputation producing compound feed by freeze-drying in Korea, and absorbing the company gives LIMPID a vertically integrated structure running from R&D through to production.
'Dr.Trusty' was created by clinical nutrition veterinarians who designed disease-specific formulas for animals living with conditions such as diabetes, food allergy and pancreatitis. Dr. Changtae Kim, LIMPID's Chief Technology Officer, explained, "Unlike extrusion, which cooks ingredients at high temperature and pressure, freeze-drying causes far less nutrient damage and keeps the formation of advanced glycation end products, a driver of chronic disease, to a minimum. We studied formulas suited to animals living with disease so that palatability and clinical benefit rise together."
LIMPID also announced plans for a joint venture with Kyungpook National University to establish a contract research organization (CRO) dedicated to feed clinical trials, which will let the company build veterinary research and clinical data on a firmer footing. Therapeutic diets deal with chronic disease management, and veterinary verification is what earns trust in that market.
CEO Heesu Kim, a veterinarian, said, "Companion animals are aging and chronic disease is rising much as it is in people, yet no one in Korea or abroad had produced a therapeutic diet using freeze-drying, a process with proven palatability. Building on what we learned developing 'TrustyFood', we are combining the advantages of freeze-drying with veterinary expertise to set a clearer standard for companion animal health management."
The launch marks a turning point for LIMPID. In a fast-growing premium diet market, integrating research, production and clinical testing directly gives the company a durable base for competing globally. Notably, it extends the freeze-drying capability behind its main diet brand 'TrustyFood' into therapeutic diets.