Freeze-dried and frozen raw foods most closely match what our pet’s ancestors ate in the wild. These meals are minimally processed, provide whole-food nutrition and don’t include hormones or additives like kibble recipes do. A raw food diet gives our pets the moisture, nutrients and protein they need to live long, happy and healthy lives. But with great feeding comes great responsibility in ensuring we are keeping these meals fresh and safely handling them!
TIPS FOR SAFELY HANDLING FREEZE-DRIED & FROZEN RAW FOOD¹
- Wash your hands before and after handling raw food.
- Disinfect your food prep area before and after assembling your pet’s meal.
- Use a clean dish and scooping/serving utensils every feeding.
- Keep raw foods separate from other foods in the refrigerator and on the counter.
- Use a stainless steel bowl which is nonporous and can easily be disinfected.
- Thoroughly wash your pet’s dish with soap and water after every meal to avoid bacteria buildup.
Handling raw pet foods is like handling raw chicken or meat at home and, remember, freeze-dried raw, although freeze-dried, is still raw food. Ensuring you’re maintaining a clean, sanitized space and thoroughly washing your hands will prevent any cross contamination!
KEEPING FREEZE-DRIED & FROZEN RAW FOOD FRESH²
- Once thawed, raw food can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2-5 days, depending on the brand.
- Never refreeze thawed raw food! Once thawed, the food must be served or discarded to prevent bacterial growth.
- Once served, raw food can sit out for up to 2 hours - discard anything after that.
- Never cook, heat up or add hot water to raw food - even to thaw! This destroys the nutrients and makes the meal more susceptible to bacteria.
Just as we can get sick from eating foods that have spoiled or sat out too long, so can our pets. Freeze-dried and frozen raw recipes are put through multiple quality checkpoints to ensure they are safe to feed to our pets before they leave the manufacturer. To maintain optimum freshness and safety at home, follow our tips and tricks! We need to make sure we continue maintaining the freshness of the food at home.
PRODUCTS WE RECOMMEND FOR RAW FEEDING:
STAINLESS STEEL BOWLS
MESSY MUTTS STAINLESS BOX SET WITH LIDS
FROZEN RAW PET FOOD
FREEZE-DRIED RAW FOOD
SPOT'S FINAL THOUGHTS
Feeding your pet a raw food diet may seem intimidating or daunting, but following our tips and tricks makes it easy. Our food brand partners do a fantastic job of creating frozen and freeze-dried raw options to fit any lifestyle, preference and feeding experience level. Unsure where to start? Take our Raw Food Quiz to determine the diet that's right for your pet before heading in store or online to shop our vast array of food options. MIND BODY BOWL Benefits members receive 250 points for completing the quiz!³
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