Raw pet nutrition is on the rise — could it be a great seller for your shop?
What is raw feeding?
Raw feeding is providing a diet of raw food for cats and dogs made up of raw meat, offal, and raw bone, along with other ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds.
The benefits of raw feeding
There is no doubt that feeding processed pet foods work for many people and many dogs. If owners make a good choice selecting a complete pet food, they can be sure they are feeding their dogs a scientifically formulated diet that combines convenience with balanced nutrition.
For some people though, raw feeding their pets has been a total revelation, with positive benefits for skin, teeth, behaviour, weight management, energy levels, and perceived food satisfaction. This isn’t some kind of quackery either, and while there are some vets who are anti-raw feeding, there are also many vets who support it and even highly recommend it.
Raw food is not a fad. Ian Billinghurst’s ground-breaking book ‘Give Your Dog a Bone’ came out nearly a quarter of a century ago and dogs have thrived for the past 15,000 years on a diet of raw, unprepared food, while processed pet food has only been around for the last hundred years.
Concerns about raw pet food
There are concerns about how raw meat can carry bacteria, such as salmonella and campylobacter, which can pose a risk to animals and humans. Raw meat does pose a risk to human health, there’s no doubt about that but it poses a risk whether you are feeding it to your dog or feeding it to your family. To mitigate against risks, hygiene is crucial any time you are handling raw meat (cleanliness, washing hands, washing utensils).
It is recommended for any owner wanting to feed raw to choose a commercially prepared raw food. Preparing a homemade raw diet has increased risk and it possible that it wouldn’t contain all the nutrients pets need.
Commercially prepared raw foods
Some members of UK Pet Food produce frozen and freeze-dried raw foods for cats and dogs, with both ‘complete’ and ‘complementary’ varieties available in a range of convenient formats. These products help owners to feed their pet raw diets responsibly.
The ‘complete’ pet foods have been specially formulated to provide the nutritional balance a cat or dog needs in their daily diet. The term ‘complete’ is a legal definition — it means that the food lawfully contains all essential nutrients a pet needs.
A ‘complementary’ pet food will need to be fed alongside another food source.
The pet food label will tell you whether it’s ‘complete’ or ‘complementary’ along with directions for handling and feeding guidelines.
As with all commercially prepared pet foods, commercially prepared raw foods are subject to stringent legislation and require various tests to ensure they are safe. This minimises the risk of food-borne contamination to both the owner and the pet.
Safety certification
When it comes to selling raw, one of the best places to start is UK Pet Food — the leading association for pet food manufacturers, suppliers, and the wider industry. Many of their members are raw food manufacturers and as well as signing up to general standards as required to be a member, UK Pet Food has also created the Raw Pet Food Certification Scheme. Developed by independent certification scheme experts, KIWA, the standard provides another tool to support the safe production of commercial raw pet food.
The scope of the scheme includes plant design and maintenance, supplier assurance, safe product formulation, full traceability systems, safe handling, quality checks, microbiological testing, a programme of internal auditing, HACCP, staff training and labelling compliance.
Michael Bellingham, UK Pet Food CEO advises: “The certification scheme is based on a comprehensive standard, encompassing all aspects of hygiene and feed safety. It applies to the entire process from the selection of raw materials to the finished goods. It’s developed with the objective of ensuring safe products for our pets.”
Michael continues: “Our partnership with KIWA was critical to the credibility and success of this scheme. They are well known in the agri-food sector and have developed other highly regarded schemes such as the Universal Feed Assurance Scheme.”
UK Pet Food members are adhering to the highest standards and is the best place to find out more about the manufacture of raw food. Other raw pet food schemes, including RawSAFE also exist too.
Becoming a raw food stockist
The raw pet food market is growing and experts predict that it will continue to rise over the next few years. As a pet retailer who is keen to provide what customers want, it is likely that raw food is going to be on your agenda — if it isn’t already.
If you’re looking at becoming a stockist, the best place to start is the UK Pet Food website (www.ukpetfood.org/resource/raw-feeding-factsheet.html). At the bottom of this page under the UK Pet Food members companies tab, you will find a list of manufacturers of raw pet food products.
Research the different manufacturers, what they offer, and how their brands differ. Once you have found a product (or several) that you think fits your shop, then you can contact them to discuss becoming a stockist and how to set up a trade account.
The manufacturer will be able to guide you on how best to stock their products (you will need freezers) and how to promote them too. Wholesalers will usually offer raw products too.
Raw feeding hygiene and handling tips
Good hygiene practice is always important. Even more so when handling fresh, frozen, or freeze dried raw food. Follow these guidelines to ensure you are handling raw pet food correctly.
1. Purchase products that are in good condition. You should see no visible signs of damage to the packaging, such as dents, tears, discolourations.
2. Wash your hands with hot water and soap after handling either your pet or their food and its packaging.
3. Immediately after each use, wash and disinfect all surfaces, dishes, and utensils that have been in contact with raw food.
4. Remove and carefully dispose of any uneaten raw pet food as soon as your pet has finished eating.
5. Clean and disinfect your pet’s feeding area as soon as your pet has finished eating.
6. Store your raw pet food correctly. When buying prepared raw foods, you can find the storage instructions on each package.
Defrosting raw pet food
- When defrosting raw pet food, ensure that you:
- Defrost in an airtight, leak-proof container at the bottom of the fridge
- Never refreeze
- Never discard the thawed juice, as this can contain essential nutrients for your pet
- Consult the manufacturer for further information on preparation and storage
Potential benefits of raw food
- Cleaner teeth.
- Fresher breath.
- Shiny coat.
- Digestive well-being.
- Firmer, more manageable poos.
- More enjoyment of food.
- Less faeces (and less smelly!).