Health

Making Raw Food Safe From Avian Flu

The recent news about the avian flu may cause you to worry about the risk of H5N1 in pet food. We understand your concerns, and we want to reassure you that we have some of the highest safety standards of raw pet food brands available in the United States. We use rigorous protocols to ensure that our food is safe.

Let’s take a closer look at the risk of avian flu in pet food, how we use high-pressure processing (HPP) to ensure our raw food is the safest choice for your pup, and how we can be sure we’re providing safe raw pet food to everybody who trusts us.

What Is Avian Flu and Why Is it a Concern for Raw Pet Food?

Avian flu, also known as bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects birds. It is extremely rare for avian flu to affect humans or dogs.

We’d like to assure you that We Feed Raw is one of the safest raw pet food brands on the market. That’s because we use advanced HPP technology on our food that already comes from trusted ingredients and is prepared in USDA-inspected, human-grade facilities with strict safety standards.

Can Raw Food Be Safe From Avian Flu? Understanding HPP Technology

High-pressure processing (HPP) is a non-thermal method of food preservation that uses high pressure to kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. It has long been used to make a variety of foods safer to eat, including things like:

•Guacamole
•Baby food
•Juices
•Smoothies
•Seafood
•Deli meats
•Some ready-to-eat meals

This technology is effective in inactivating avian flu viruses in raw meat. At We Feed Raw, we use HPP to ensure that our food is free of harmful pathogens, including avian flu.

HPP Inactivation Studies Explained

Many studies have shown that HPP performed at cool to room temperatures (not frozen) effectively inactivates the avian flu virus. Here are summaries of two of those studies:

•Inactivation of Avian Influenza Virus by Heat and High Hydrostatic Pressure: This study found that high pressure at cold temperatures was as effective as high heat at inactivating the avian flu virus in raw chicken meat, ensuring that poultry treated with HPP is safe for pets to eat.
•High-Pressure Inactivation of Selected Avian Viral Pathogens in Chicken Meat Homogenate: This study found that high pressure can effectively kill several types of bird viruses in chicken meat, including avian flu. While one virus unrelated to bird flu was resistant to HPP, the virus still became inactive enough not to cause infections in chickens.

We Feed Raw's Commitment to Safe Raw Pet Food

At We Feed Raw, we are committed to providing safe, high-quality raw food for dogs. We use only high-quality human-grade ingredients, and our food is prepared in USDA-certified facilities that meet strict safety standards. We also use HPP technology to eliminate any potential pathogens, including avian flu.

Advanced High-Pressure Processing (HPP) Technology

We prioritize food safety by using High-Pressure Processing (HPP). This innovative technology uses cold pressure to eliminate pathogens like salmonella, listeria, and E. coli while preserving the nutrients in our raw food.

HPP is proven effective against avian flu, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Although specific studies on the current H5N1 strain are limited, research demonstrates HPP's effectiveness in controlling other avian flu strains. We apply HPP at 87,000 psi for 4 minutes, ensuring the highest level of safety for your pet.

USDA-Certified and Inspected Facilities

We take pride in producing our food in USDA-certified facilities that adhere to the highest safety and quality standards. The USDA's rigorous meat inspection process involves veterinarians who carefully inspect animals before and after slaughter. This ensures that only the highest-quality meat, safe for human consumption, is used in our products.

Trusted Ingredient Sourcing

We understand that you want the best for your pet, which is why we source only the highest-quality USDA-certified, human-grade meats. Our trusted suppliers meet rigorous standards, allowing us to create meals you can confidently feed your pet.

Try Our HPP’d Raw Pet Food Today

If you have any questions or concerns about the safety of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@wefeedraw.com or text us at (843) 732-2849. We are always happy to answer your questions and help you make the best decisions for your pet's health and well-being.

To learn more about our food, discover how we were founded by dog lovers, for dog lovers; read our reviews; or complete your pet’s profile to have our nutritionally complete and balanced raw dog food delivered to your door.