Dedicated Air-Dried Manufacturing Partner
Alpine Export was established to connect New Zealand’s premium agricultural output with global pet food brands seeking differentiated supply. We specialise in air-dried complete diets, treats and toppers manufactured in Longburn, Palmerston North for private label partners across the US, EU, Asia and beyond.
We manage formulation, production, compliance and export, allowing our partners to focus on brand growth and market expansion.
We are a specialist production partner for brands that take provenance, nutrition and long-term supply seriously.
New Zealand Provenance
New Zealand’s food reputation is shaped by geography. Isolated by ocean, with strict biosecurity controls and a pasture-based farming system, it produces proteins with clear origin and consistent quality standards that are genuinely difficult to replicate anywhere else in the world.
Alpine Export builds deliberately on this environment. Our recipes incorporate proteins and functional ingredients native to, or uniquely expressed in, New Zealand including grass-fed beef and lamb, New Zealand venison, green-lipped mussel, hoki, kahawai, Mānuka honey, feijoa and kiwifruit.
These ingredients carry provenance that translates into premium shelf positioning and a story your customers can feel good about telling.
For brands operating in markets where provenance carries pricing power, New Zealand origin is a structural supply chain decision, not a marketing overlay.
New Zealand Supply Advantage
New Zealand maintains one of the world's most robust agricultural and food safety frameworks, underpinned by MPI, the Ministry for Primary Industries, whose certification standards govern everything from on-farm practice to export documentation. Pasture-based farming, strict biosecurity and nationally regulated traceability systems mean that sustainability here isn't a marketing position. It's a function of how the country produces food
Our export partners choose New Zealand because both the provenance and the regulatory framework underpinning it cannot be replicated in competing supply regions.
Specialised Air-Dried Capability
Air-dried manufacturing is our sole focus. Oven-based air-drying preserves ingredient structure and protein integrity in ways conventional extrusion cannot, proteins remain recognisable, moisture is reduced without heat damage, and the resulting product sits confidently at the premium tier in both retail and specialist channels.
Our facility supports:
• Small batch production with 1 oven MOQ per SKU
• Flexible slicing sizes and texture formats
• Rope extrusion capability
• Integration of functional and palatability enhancers
We produce complete and complementary products for both cats and dogs, tailored to partner specifications.
Formulation & Nutrition
We work alongside qualified nutritionists to develop balanced formulations aligned with AAFCO guidelines.
Programmes are developed to meet specific protein targets, ingredient inclusions and functional positioning requirements. Our formulation approach balances regulatory compliance, ingredient integrity and commercial viability.
Quality & Compliance
Quality control is embedded at batch level throughout production. Our systems support:
• Ingredient traceability from source to dispatch
• Controlled batch processing with full documentation
• Export documentation for shipping
We hold MPI Risk Management Programme registration, New Zealand Customs Secure Exports Scheme partnership.
Export & Commercial Model
Alpine Export operates with containerised export capability and established international supply experience. Our commercial structure is designed for long-term private label partnerships, not one-off production runs.
Our structure supports:
• Multi-SKU pallet load, with an array of master carton options - to suit your distributor needs
• Long-term private label partnerships
• Supply into established and emerging premium markets globally
We understand the operational requirements of scaling air-dried programmes internationally. Our partners receive full export documentation support and access to our regulatory compliance framework across all approved markets.
Brand Experience That Informs Our Manufacturing.
iti is our own air-dried pet food brand for small breeds. It operates as a separate business in a distinct niche and does not compete with our partners’ programmes.
What it provides is something many manufacturers do not have: direct experience on both sides of the shelf.
Developing and selling a brand creates a different perspective on product development. It means understanding not only how to manufacture a compliant formula, but what it takes for a product to be listed, and why some products move while others do not.
For our partners, that perspective matters. Guidance on formulation, pack format and positioning comes not only from a production standpoint, but from a business that has made the same commercial decisions itself.
You are not simply working with a manufacturer who can execute a brief. You are working with one that understands what determines whether a product succeeds once it reaches the shelf.
Structured for Long-Term Supply Partnerships
Alpine Export works with international retailers, private label programmes, established brands, and global distributors.
We prioritise long-term supply relationships built on production discipline, regulatory compliance, and structured export execution.
Our role is to provide reliable, scalable air-dried manufacturing capacity from New Zealand for partners seeking premium differentiation in global markets.