Raw Pet Food Safety

Is Raw Pet Food Safe?

During initial research, people inevitably encounter information questioning the safety of raw pet food. While not all raw is created equal, feeding a high-quality raw diet with proper safety practices is absolutely safe for cats and dogs.

These measures ensure the quality and safety of Steve’s Real Food:

  • Ingredients sourced from USDA-inspected farms that treat animals humanely
  • Meets AAFCO pet food nutrient standards for complete and balanced
  • Manufacturing facility undergoes FDA inspection 
  • Employs High-Pressure Processing (HPP) to eliminate harmful pathogens such as salmonella, e-coli, and listeria while retaining essential nutrients. It’s a natural process using cold water and pressure. Learn more about HPP

We prioritize the safety of your pets and your family by implementing rigorous safety measures in producing our raw pet food. Our commitment to quality sourcing, high manufacturing standards, and transparent information ensures that Steve’s Real Food is a trusted choice for the health and well-being of your beloved pets.

Safe Raw Pet Food Starts with Quality Sourcing

We strictly use pasture-raised poultry, grass-fed beef, and sustainability-sourced and wild-caught fish. Our fruits and vegetables are locally sourced, non-GMO, and pesticide-free. All ingredient farms adhere to human USDA standards. We even visit the farms we source from whenever possible to ensure sustainability and humane practices, and to see the quality for ourselves.

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Worker pressing buttons on a machine

High Manufacturing Standards Ensure Safe Raw Pet Food

Our commitment to safety extends to our manufacturing processes:

  • Fast ingredient turnaround. We make to-order and do not stockpile ingredients or finished product.
  • Decontamination at facility entry and personal protective equipment
  • Continuous cold storage (24/7)
  • Regular inspections by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and FDA
  • Manufactured under USDA and HACCP standards
  • Small batch production (less than 1,500 pounds) with only one formula at a time
  • We use an IQF Quick Freezer to lock in nutrients
  • HPP as a kill-step to eliminate pathogenic bacteria
  • Freeze-drying some products to create shelf-stable raw foods without using chemicals, heat, or refrigeration. 
  • All products undergo testing and are held before being sold to the public.

Safe Raw Pet Food Handling at Home

Ensuring the safety of raw pet food extends to your home:

  • Freeze raw food promptly and maintain safe temperatures
  • Keep thawed food in the fridge for no more than 3 days
  • Refrigerate uneaten food within 1 hour
  • Practice proper hygiene by washing hands, kitchen surfaces, and pet bowls after every meal. stainless steel or glass bowls can be hand washed, but plastic or silicone bowls should be washed in the dishwasher because they are porous and can absorb bacteria.

Ensuring the safety of raw pet food extends to your home:

We welcome any questions you may have!

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