Is raw dog food safe?

Raw food safety – quick takeaways

• Storing and handling raw dog food can be safe if you follow these simple hygiene steps.
• Natures Menu prepare and deliver meals with careful temperature control – reducing the possibility of bacteria growth.
• We undertake rigorous and routine safety checks and source high-quality ingredients.
• A recent study proved that cross-contamination rates with raw are very low.

 

It’s one of our most common new customer questions – ’But, is raw dog food safe?’ And there are some big myths out there.

The good news is that a raw diet can be safe to feed your dog. It can also be safe for you to handle and serve at home – made a little easier by our Natures Menu nuggets.

Here, we look at the safety and quality checks that our raw food goes through.

 

What makes Natures Menu raw food safe?

Here at Natures Menu, we’ve been making raw dog food for over 40 years. Our staff have been feeding it to their own dogs and we have plenty of positive reviews from our loyal community of customers, too.

 

1. We follow strict safety checks and production

We’re members of UK Pet Food (formerly the PFMA), the leading body for the UK’s pet food industry, and our manufacturing facilities are approved by DEFRA (the government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs).

On top of that, all of our high-quality pet food is formulated according to the European Pet Food Guidelines created by FEDIAF (the European Pet Food Industry Federation).

It’s important to remember that there will always be some bacteria in raw food. Bacteria is found in all pet food, so that’s why it’s important to handle and store their food with care.

However, we take additional safety steps and protocols to reduce the risk of harmful bacteria. Plus, our multi-million-pound manufacturing facility is powered by experienced and trained hygiene teams.

 

2. We source quality ingredients

We make sure every one of our raw dog food products is made with healthy, high-quality, natural ingredients. They never contain added sugars, artificial colours or preservatives.

Our food includes a careful blend of vitamins and minerals to help support your dog’s health, and we avoid any unnecessary processes, keeping our raw dog food recipes and ingredient lists straightforward and easy to understand.

We’ve also worked hard to make the switch to raw dog food easy for you and your dog. Our Complete & Balanced frozen raw nuggets are full of healthy, natural ingredients, carefully formulated to give your dog all the nutrients they need without any extra supplements.

 

3. We make it safe to store and serve

With raw dog food, safe handling and storage are essential. This is why all our ingredients are frozen at source and remain frozen throughout the factory and distribution process.

We keep our meals frozen until you defrost them for feeding. This ensures we protect the nutrients and that every product has a safe shelf-life.

We’ve put together a few simple steps you can follow to make raw feeding dogs easy and keep your dog’s food as fresh as your own…

• Defrost – thaw a meal by placing it in an air-tight container at the bottom of your fridge overnight – you could do this every evening so it’s ready for the next day. Use the food within 24 hours.
• Store – always keep your dog’s food in a covered container to defrost and keep all remaining food frozen until ready to defrost.
• Hygiene – clean bowls, surfaces, utensils and feeding areas after feeding. And always wash your hands before and after preparation.

Check out our full guide for storing and defrosting raw food safely.

 

4. It doesn’t have to be messy

Our raw meals come frozen into neat little nuggets in convenient packaging. So, you don’t even need to handle it.

You can count the number of nuggets for easy portion control, pour them into a tub or their bowl to thaw overnight in the fridge and serve to your pooch.

 

5. Your dog’s immune and digestive system is geared up for raw

As far as your dog is concerned, a raw food diet can be safe. Their immune systems and digestion evolved on raw food and, providing they are healthy, can usually deal with the trace amounts of bacteria sometimes found in raw meals.

If your dog has an immunosuppressive disorder or has a medical issue, give us a call first to chat through your options.

 

6. The cross-contamination risk is very low

The University of Helsinki conducted a recent study into the cross-contamination and safety of raw dog food. Researchers found that across 13,000 households over 7 years, there were potentially 2 cases of transmission.

Both of these cases were DIY raw, where the chances are higher, as the dog owner performs all the prep themselves.

And when they looked at the data further, the university found that more households were contaminated by children going to nurseries than feeding their dogs raw.

Want to read up on more on raw food safety? Our partner UK Pet Food has the latest advice.

 
Try our personalised meal plans with high-quality raw ingredients – including fresh fruits and vegetables – for a healthier, happier dog.