In recent months, the fear surrounding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, has been a major concern for pet owners. With reports of cats and dogs falling ill or even dying after consuming contaminated raw pet food, many owners are reconsidering their choice to feed their pets a raw diet. The risks associated with harmful pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and even HPAI have led some pet owners to question whether raw food is still a safe option. Rest assured, Simply Raw by Nature's Diet® is the safest way to feed a raw diet and is superior to other raw, fresh, frozen, cooked and kibble products because of the measures taken to ensure food safety and nutrition. This article will explain the unique quality and safety measures that are required to achieve an ultra-safe and biologically appropriate pet food.
For many pet parents, raw dog food has long been praised for its potential to improve digestion, promote healthier coats, and boost energy levels. But with growing concerns over contamination, pet owners are asking an important question: Can I continue to feed my pet a raw diet without risking their health? The answer lies in the quality and safety measures of the raw food itself, and not all raw pet food products are created equal.
While some traditional raw diets are more vulnerable to contamination, others, like Simply Raw by Nature’s Diet® are formulated with premium human grade, pathogen-tested ingredients and cutting-edge food safety technologies. These ingredients are USDA-certified, human-grade meats that have been rigorously tested for harmful microorganisms like Salmonella, E. coli, and even HPAI. These high-quality ingredients are carefully sourced to meet the highest food safety standards, ensuring that your pet gets the benefits of a raw diet without the risks typically associated with pathogens.
Simply Raw doesn’t just stop at high-quality ingredients. To protect your pet’s health, we employ advanced preservation methods like freeze-dried raw food technology. Freeze-drying is a gentle process that locks in essential nutrients and flavors while extending shelf life, all without the need for artificial preservatives or high-heat processes that can degrade the food’s natural goodness.
Furthermore, Simply Raw takes food safety to the next level with pressure-treated food. Through a process called High Pressure Processing (HPP), harmful pathogens are eliminated without the use of heat, preserving the nutritional integrity of the food. This ensures that your pet’s meal is not only pathogen-free but also retains its full spectrum of proteins, amino acids, and vitamins—just like a traditional raw diet, only safer.
By combining premium, pathogen-tested ingredients, freeze-drying for nutrient retention, and HPP for pathogen elimination, Simply Raw offers a safe, balanced raw diet that provides all the nutritional benefits of traditional raw food—without the associated risks. Whether you're concerned about HPAI, E. coli, or simply want to ensure your pet is eating the healthiest food possible, Simply Raw is the solution that balances safety and nutrition.
With Simply Raw, you can confidently feed your pet a safe and nutritious diet that supports long-term health and well-being—without compromising on the raw, natural nutrition they need.
Why USDA Certification Matters for Your Pet's Food
When it comes to feeding your pet, one of the most important factors to consider is the quality and safety of the ingredients in their food. That’s where USDA certification comes into play. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for ensuring that meat and poultry products meet strict safety and quality standards. For pet food manufacturers like Nature's Diet®, using USDA-certified ingredients means that their products are made with meats that have been inspected and deemed safe for human consumption. Most pet foods are not made with human grade ingredients. But why does this matter for your pet?
Ensuring Quality and Safety
USDA certification guarantees that the meats used in pet food are of the highest quality. When ingredients are “USDA-certified,” it means they have undergone rigorous inspection to ensure that they are free from contaminants and pathogens. This includes Salmonella, E. coli, and other harmful bacteria that could cause serious health risks to both pets and humans. In short, USDA-certified ingredients are as safe as the meats you would find in your own kitchen.
For pet food companies, using USDA-certified, human-grade meat means that they are meeting a higher standard of food safety. Many raw, fresh pet food and kibble brands use lower-quality meats that may not have gone through the same level of inspection. These meats might come from suppliers who use practices that don’t meet the rigorous standards set by the USDA, which could introduce risks into the pet food supply chain. By choosing USDA-certified ingredients, pet owners can be confident that their pets are getting the safest, highest-quality food available.
Transparency and Traceability
Another important benefit of USDA certification is transparency. With USDA-certified meat, pet food companies like Nature’s Diet® can trace the origins of every ingredient, ensuring that the food is sourced responsibly and ethically. This level of traceability allows pet food brands to provide customers with more information about where their ingredients come from and how they are handled.
If you're looking for peace of mind knowing exactly what’s going into your pet’s food, choosing a brand that uses USDA-certified ingredients is a crucial step. It offers transparency about the sourcing, inspection, and safety of the food, which is not always guaranteed with lower-quality meat products.
Why It’s Important for Raw Pet Food
For raw pet food brands, the USDA certification process is particularly important. Raw diets for pets are made with fresh, uncooked ingredients, meaning the risk of contamination is higher. USDA-certified ingredients help mitigate this risk, as they have already undergone rigorous testing for pathogens, ensuring that the raw food your pet eats is free from harmful microorganisms.
Choosing pet food made with USDA-certified raw meat gives pet owners the confidence that their pet is consuming the highest quality, most carefully sourced ingredients available, with no compromise on safety or nutrition.
Why Process Raw Food Using High Pressure?
While USDA certification ensures that the meat used in pet food meets the highest standards of safety and quality, High Pressure Processing (HPP) plays a crucial role in making sure the food stays safe from pathogens throughout its journey from the manufacturer to your pet’s bowl. HPP is a non-thermal, food safety technique that uses intense cold water pressure to eliminate harmful microorganisms without using heat, chemicals, or preservatives. This process has become an essential part of food safety in freeze dried raw pet food production, and here's why it matters.
For raw pet food, the risk of contamination is higher due to the nature of the ingredients used—uncooked, fresh meats that may contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, or Campylobacter. While USDA-certified meats are inspected for pathogens, there’s always a chance that harmful microorganisms could still be present. HPP ensures that any potential pathogens are destroyed without altering the nutritional integrity of the food. By applying pressures as high as 87,000 psi (similar to the pressure found five miles underwater), HPP disrupts the cellular structure of bacteria and viruses, rendering them harmless.
This process is especially important for raw diets, where the preservation of the food’s natural nutrients is key. Unlike cooking or pasteurization, which can degrade vitamins, proteins, and enzymes, HPP preserves these vital nutrients while eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses. As a result, pets get all the benefits of a balanced, raw diet—packed with essential nutrients, amino acids, and vitamins—without the risk of foodborne illness. Choose freeze dried raw food like Simply Raw to receive these benefits. Most other brands and types of raw, fresh and cooked pet food do not use HPP.
To learn more about HPP and how it works to ensure the safety and nutritional integrity of your pet’s food, stay tuned for our upcoming article on High Pressure Processing.
By combining the power of HPP with USDA-certified raw ingredients, Simply Raw offers a safe, nutritious, and convenient solution for pet owners who want the best for their pets.
How Freeze-Drying Contributes to Food Safety and Quality
Freeze-drying is a preservation method that plays a significant role in ensuring the safety and quality of raw pet food. Though it doesn’t directly kill pathogens like viruses, instead freeze-drying works by removing moisture from the food, which helps inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and mold that rely on water to proliferate. This makes it an excellent tool for preserving the integrity of raw food while extending its shelf life.
During the freeze-drying process, the food is first frozen at very low temperatures, then placed under a vacuum. The vacuum causes the frozen water in the food to sublimate (turn directly from a solid to a gas), leaving behind a dry, nutrient-rich product. This method preserves the food’s natural texture, color, and taste, all while maintaining the essential vitamins, proteins, and enzymes that make raw diets beneficial for pets.
Though freeze-drying does not eliminate viruses or bacteria, it significantly reduces the risk of contamination by removing moisture, which is a critical factor in the survival and growth of many pathogens. When combined with other food safety technologies like HPP (High Pressure Processing), freeze-drying becomes part of a multi-layered approach to food safety. The result is a balanced, safe raw diet that maximizes nutritional benefits while minimizing the risk of contamination.
By locking in essential nutrients and preventing moisture-driven bacterial growth, freeze-drying ensures that raw pet food stays fresh and safe for longer periods—without the use of preservatives or chemicals. This process, paired with pathogen testing and HPP, makes freeze-dried pet food a top choice for pet owners seeking both quality and safety in their pets' diets.
Conclusion: Is Raw Pet Food Still Safe?
When it comes to feeding your pet a raw diet, safety and nutrition go hand-in-hand. While concerns about pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and even HPAI are valid, the quality and safety measures of raw food products play a significant role in minimizing those risks. Choosing high-quality, pathogen-tested ingredients—such as those found in Simply Raw by Nature’s Diet®—ensures that your pet receives all the nutritional benefits of raw food without compromising their health. With advanced preservation methods like freeze-drying and High Pressure Processing (HPP), Simply Raw offers a safe, nutrient-dense option that retains the raw food benefits your pet deserves. So, while the risks of raw feeding are real, with the right product, you can confidently offer your pet a safe, healthy, and balanced diet that supports their long-term well-being.
You can trust Simply Raw to deliver the healthiest, safest option for your pet, without sacrificing the benefits of a raw diet. Whether you’re worried about HPAI or simply want to ensure your pet gets the best, Simply Raw is your go-to solution for safe, delicious, and nutritious meals. Give your pet the best—safely—with Simply Raw.
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