What to look for in a brand:
1. Do they employ a nutritionist?
a.Yes, we currently employ a Ph.D. Companion Animal Nutritionist. James Templeman, Ph.D., is on-staff with us full-time.
2. Who formulates the diet(s)?
a.Dr. James Templeman (Ph.D., Companion Animal Nutrition).
3. What is the quality control process for ingredients and finished products?
a. Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)
b. Approved Supplier Program
c. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)d.A Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) program
e. Lot segregation
f. Our ingredients are sourced only from USDA-inspected facilities and/or facilities regulated by the FDA
g. Our manufacturing facilities are FDA, USDA, and California SDA inspected
h. Regular testing to ensure AAFCO nutrient profiles continue to be me
i. Strict Test & Hold policy for salmonella, e coli, and listeria at a 3rd party food safety laboratory for all finished products
4. What kind of product research or nutrition studies have been conducted? Is it in peer-reviewed journals?
a. We're currently conducting sponsored research at the University of Illinois. This is slated to wrap up in 2022 and be published sometime in 2023. You can view the abstract online through the Journal of Animal Science titled "104 Standardized AminoAcid Digestibility of Three Formats of Freeze-Dried Dog Foods Using the Precision-fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay." Link here: 104 Standardized Amino Acid Digestibility of Three Formats of Freeze-Dried Dog Foods Using the Precision-fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay | Journal of Animal Science | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
What to look for on a label:
1. Nutrition Adequacy Statement?
a. All our diets are formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles by analysis of the finished product. Our Ph.D. companion animal nutritionist uses advanced software to formulate these recipes to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for the specific life stage. Additionally, our team conducts post-production nutrient analysis on the finished product in partnership with a third-party laboratory. We adhere to a science-forward approach and intend to update our feeding trials and conduct additional digestibility studies in the coming year. As more data becomes available, we will happily provide it.
b. We test full AAFCO nutrient profiles on our balanced formulas quarterly at a 3rd party laboratory to ensure nutritional adequacy.
c. We also completed digestibility studies to compare our frozen and freeze-dried formulas. Both formulations had caloric digestibility of over 90%.
i.Additional amino acid digestibility research is currently being conducted. You can view the abstract here: 104 Standardized Amino Acid Digestibility of Three Formats of Freeze-Dried Dog Foods Using the Precision-fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay | Journal of Animal Science | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
2. How many calories per gram or serving of food?
a.Caloric information is provided on our website and directly on each product package. Caloric values also can be provided by contacting our customer service team [email protected]
3. Does the company provide immediate contact information such as phone number or email address?
a. Our customer service team can be reached at: [email protected] or (800)742-1312
4. Who makes the food?
a. All balanced formulas are produced by our own manufacturing facilities located in California and Texas.