Quality & Food Safety Assurance
PET HEALTH AND SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY
Pet health and safety has always been our top priority. We believe your pets – and ours – deserve nothing less than superior quality foods. Below are some of the steps we take to assure the quality and safety of our nutritious foods.
Company-Owned Manufacturing Facility
Our company-owned manufacturing facility is located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our facility adheres to these specific quality measures:
- Our ingredients are sourced from USDA inspected facilities and facilities regulated by the FDA
- We adhere to state and federal regulations regarding product safety
- Our manufacturing facility is regularly monitored by third party auditors
- Our manufacturing facility is a USDA Certified Organic Processing Facility and adheres to USDA and EU standards
Strict Quality Control Standards
As with all of our products, we utilize robust systems to ensure the quality and safety of our foods. Our quality control and quality assurance programs include but are not limited to:
- Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP’s)
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s)
- A Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP) program
- Lot segregation
- Other industry best practices
Additional Food Safety Steps
Raw Frozen Diets. In addition to the industry best practices previously mentioned, Nature's Variety has implemented a progressive new food safety protocol called High Pressure Processing for use on all Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diets. High Pressure Processing is a unique process that kills pathogenic bacteria through high-pressure, water-based technology. High Pressure Processing is a USDA-approved, 100% natural process, and is allowed for use on organic and natural products.
The origin of the High Pressure Processing concept is as natural as the process itself. Over a century ago, scientists began investigating the fact that harmful bacteria found at sea level were actually not able to survive at deep sea levels (under high water pressures). Within the last decade or so, advancements in technology have allowed for the duplication of this interesting phenomenon for use on natural and organic foods to kill harmful bacteria while preserving taste, enzymes, and overall nutritional integrity.
Essentially, this technology “puts the squeeze” on food pathogens without cooking out vital nutrients or changing the fresh characteristics of food. During High Pressure Processing, pressure is uniformly applied around and throughout the food product. High Pressure Processing can be conducted at refrigerated temperatures, which means the temperature starts low and stays low – High Pressure Processing does not cause the heat degradation that happens during cooking. Because of this, High Pressure Processing is known for being especially beneficial for heat-sensitive products, like meats, fruits, and vegetables.
To learn more about High Pressure Processing and how Nature’s Variety uses it as part of our overall food safety and quality protocols, please visit the Safety & Quality section of our FAQ page.
Raw Frozen Bones. In 2010, Nature’s Variety began using a natural antimicrobial solution to help ensure the food safety and quality of our Raw Frozen Bones. Before being hand packaged and frozen, each bone is dipped in a natural antimicrobial solution (a combination of natural lactic acid and citric acid which have been diluted in water) to kill pathogenic bacteria. Using this solution does not change the color, taste, or aroma of the Raw Frozen Bones. In fact, our research and palatability tests have shown that dogs liked the raw bones that were dipped in lactic and citric acid just as much – or even more – than our raw bones that hadn’t been dipped in the natural solution.
Learn more about our Raw Frozen Bones' natural antimicrobial solution on the Safety & Quality section of our FAQ page.
Test & Hold Protocol
In addition to the food safety and quality control protocols listed above, Nature’s Variety utilizes a “test and hold” protocol to ensure that all products test negative for harmful bacteria before being released for sale.
Nature’s Variety uses a third party laboratory to test every lot of finished product in order to confirm that it is negative for select pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes). When the test results are reviewed and confirmed negative, the product is released for shipment to our distributor partners and then on to retail stores.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Nature’s Variety stands behind all of our products with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Please be assured that Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diets are safe and healthy for your pet.