Best practices

Leading European manufacturers of raw pet food – including Freshfrozen for Pets (Jolipet, Wolf’s Menu, Barf BuDet), Snellman Petfood (Benyfit Natural, Mush, Fodax Foder) and The Nutriment Company (Nutriment, Dibo, Barfgold, Natural Instinct, Purrform) have jointly announced an initiative at Interzoo to introduce a European manufacturing standard for raw pet food. According to the accompanying press release, this is to be based on best practices established by UK Pet Food.

According to a press release, fresh pet food already accounts for up to 10 per cent of the pet food market in some European countries – and as the category grows, so too does the responsibility to support this growth through harmonised standards.

The industry is not waiting for change – it is pooling its resources in this initiative to define sound regulation in collaboration with industry associations and to create a common framework that reflects the maturity of the category. The participating manufacturers are committed to fully complying with – and proactively exceeding – EU-wide and local regulatory frameworks, implementing robust quality assurance systems, and raising consumer awareness of safe raw feeding practices.

Regular audits carried out by independent third-party organisations are also set to be a key element. Any manufacturer willing to meet the specified criteria is invited to take part. ‘When I built this company from the ground up in 2013, I wanted to create a place where we could produce healthy products in a healthy working environment for a better society,’ explained Pierre Kemseke, founder and CEO of Freshfrozen for Pets. ‘I am delighted to have found like-minded partners in Snellman and TNC, with whom I can inspire other producers to follow our example.’

Anders Kristiansen, CEO of The Nutriment Company, added that raw feeding is one of the most natural and beneficial ways to feed pets. ‘As an industry, we have the opportunity to define what excellence looks like and make it the standard across Europe.’ Greg van Praagh, Managing Director at Benyfit Natural, added: ‘Safety, standards, best practice and transparency are the foundation for the future of raw feeding.’

The organisers strongly encourage other manufacturers of raw and fresh pet food to contact their local national associations and join the programme. Further details regarding the framework, governance model and certification process are to be announced in the coming months.