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When shopping for the best quality dog food, you may run into the “human grade ingredients” label. Human grade dog food manufacturers use a different set of standards to grade the quality of their ingredients. They are typically much higher quality dog foods than those that use traditional ingredients. These foods are a great option if you are looking to feed your dog nutritious, healthy dog food. Here is an informative guide to understanding human grade dog foods and some recommendations to check out if you decide this type of dog food is right for you and your dog.
VIDEO: What Is Human Grade Dog Food?
Dog Food Regulation
Dog food is not highly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Association of American Feed Control Offices (AAFCO). The basic guidelines of the FDA are that the food needs to be safe to eat, produced in sanitary conditions, and are labeled correctly. The AAFCO regulates the basic guidelines for the nutritional content of the food. Neither of these bodies have particular guidelines for the contents of the food beyond the ingredients should not be harmful. These loose guidelines are why so many dog foods contain filler ingredients like cornmeal, soybean hulls, and citrus pulp which add no nutritional value to the food. They are also why many dog food companies use animal-byproducts which can contain highly processed disease or rotten meat or the excess materials from industrial meat production like beaks, feathers, and fat. Ultimately, because dog food isn’t highly regulated, dog food manufacturers aren’t required to provide the highest quality nutrition.
Why Human Grade Dog Food?
Human grade food seeks to resolve the issues that are caused by a lack of regulation in the dog food industry. Instead of using the FDA and AAFCO guidelines for the ingredients going into their foods, they use the FDA guidelines for what is acceptable to go into human foods. Human food is much more highly regulated and has very strict standards on quality, ingredients, and nutritional profiles. These foods use United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved meat ingredients. USDA approved meat is the same highly quality meats you will find in your local grocery store or butcher shop, instead of just what is cast off during manufacturing.
What Is Human Grade Dog Food?
Human grade dog food is a dog food that uses the FDA and USDA food standards for people food. These dog foods may also use human-grade standards for production as well as ingredients. Often these foods are also holistically formulated, use organic or locally-sourced ingredients, and contain a much denser nutritional profile that is better suited to meet the nutritional needs of a dog. These foods tend to be a little more expensive than regular dog food because they use more expensive ingredients and manufacturing processes.
Human Grade Dog Food Brands To Consider
Since the nutritional profile of human grade dog foods is so good and the ingredient quality is much more trustworthy, human grade dog food is a great option to consider for your dog. Here are some of the great brands that use human grade ingredients and/or processing methods to ensure that your dog is receiving the best quality dog food.
Honest Kitchen Natural Human Grade Dehydrated Organic Dog Food
Honest Kitchen was started out of San Diego as a boutique dog food company after a massive pet food recall that lead to the deaths countless dogs. The founders started making holistically-formulated dog foods with human quality and organic ingredients in a human grade kitchen. The food quickly became popular with dog owners because they began seeing a massive difference in the health and well-being of their dogs and the company expanded into a national brand. All of the products at Honest Kitchen are also minimally processed using dehydration and are of such highly quality that humans could eat their meals.
Honest Kitchen offers a range of dog food options from dry food mixes to raw foods base mixes to limited ingredients options. Their food comes in both whole grain and grain free to meet the specific digestive health needs of any dog. The formulas are designed by veterinarians to not only meet all the nutritional needs of your dog, but to help treat and prevent chronic illnesses caused by improper nutrition.
Spot Farms Dehydrated Human Grade Dog Food
Spot Farms is a family-owned farm that produces human-grade dog food options. They partner with other local area farms and only use USDA-approved ingredients. All of the livestock used in making Spot Farms food is fed a natural, vegetarian diet so the meat ingredients are the highest quality for even human consumption standards. Their dog food is made in small batches in a human grade kitchens and naturally processed using dehydration.
Spot Farms offers both grain-free and whole grain dog foods to meet the dietary needs of any dog. They also offer a range of treats that can be paired with their foods for optimal nutrition. They offer turkey, chicken, and pork flavors and you simply add a little water to the food before feeding to your pup.
Beyond these two great options, there are also some dog foods that use human-grade ingredients that are available as wet dog food and kibble. You can also check out these brands when looking for human-grade dog food:
When choosing a dog food for your dog, consider looking at a human grade dog food. These foods use the same exact ingredients you would find in your own food. These high quality ingredients are more trustworthy than the ingredients found in dog foods that follow dog food regulation standards and provide healthier nutrition. So check out these brands to see if they are right for you pet!
