Your pet’s digestive tract was made for raw food. Literally. As carnivores, their digestive systems are designed for a diet that’s primarily meat-based. Their short, highly acidic digestive tracts break down and process raw food so quickly, bacteria and infections don’t have time to grow.
Is raw food safe? You bet your pet’s sweet digestive tract it is.
RAW FOOD SAFETY FACTS
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES YOUR PET TO DIGEST FOOD:
3-6 hours for raw
6-8 hours for canned
12-24 hours for kibble
AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES BACTERIA TO GENERATE IN INTESTINES:
8-12 hours
TO COMPARE:
AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES YOU TO DIGEST FOOD:
24-48 hours
SAFETY FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD
HIGH PRESSURE PROCESSING:
Bacteria can’t survive high pressure. Utilizing this fact, high-pressure techniques process raw food at pressures five times greater than those found at the deepest sea level. This process is similar to how cold-pressed juices are made.
TEST AND HOLD POLICY:
Third-party lab testing ensures all raw food is negative for bacteria before being released for sale.
HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS (HACCP) COMPLIANCE:
HAACP is a systemic approach to prevent biological, chemical, physical and radiological hazards from contaminating food. All of the raw food manufacturers we work with use this safety system established by the FDA & USDA.
SAFETY STARTS AND ENDS WITH YOU
Our Pet Foodies can help you with your first job—selecting the raw food that’s right for your pet. Once you get it home, here’s a handy checklist to ensure you’re handling it safely.
RAW FOOD SAFETY AT HOME
Always refrigerate or freeze raw food until you are ready to serve. Defrost raw in refrigerator.
Feed your pet in glass or stainless-steel bowls. Plastic and porcelain are porous and can trap bacteria over time.
Immediately throw out, or refrigerate any uneaten food.
For freshness and safety, serve thawed food within 3-5 days. Always refrigerate raw food.
Wash all surfaces, utensils, hands and food bowls with hot, soapy water after handling raw meats and poultry.
Use two different sponges - one for cleaning your dishes and another for cleaning your pet’s dishes.
Keep raw meats and poultry away from children or anyone in the house that is immuno-suppressed.
Keep raw meats and poultry separate from other foods.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR (AND WHERE)
The best brands have thoughtfully sourced proteins, high standards for handling raw meat and species appropriate recipes for cats and dogs.
Our favorite raw brands include:
