How can I be sure that your recipes meet my pet’s nutritional requirements?
Our recipes are formulated by a team of qualified and passionate pet nutritionists who use their expertise to craft complete and balanced diets that are formulated to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommendations to meet your pet's nutritional needs.
Our Nutrition Manager, Natalie Williams, has a MSc in Companion Animal Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from the University of Guelph. Also on the team is one nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science in Companion Animal Health, a Master of Science in Animal Science from the University of Alberta and a graduate certificate in Companion animal nutrition from the University of Illinois. Plus, an additional nutritionist with a Master of Science degree in animal nutrition from the University of Guelph. Each team member has at least six years of post-secondary education specializing in nutrition.
Is Now Fresh dog food safe? How do you guarantee quality in the manufacturing of your pet foods?
We approach the quality and safety of our dog and cat food with utmost care and set extremely high quality and safety standards for ourselves and all of our suppliers and partners. Petcurean products are manufactured at plants which meet all regulatory requirements in addition to adhering to Petcurean’s own high standards for partnership. We work with plants that are EU, FDA, and CFIA certified, meaning they must meet a very high standard of sanitation, cleanliness and manufacturing practices. Partners also participate in 3rd party audit programs, such as BRC or GFSI. We have our own Quality Management Specialist, who is a certified Food Safety and Quality auditor, to conduct audits with all of our partners to ensure they are aligned with our values and goals of producing high quality and safe products for pets.
Our recipes are crafted using the highest quality ingredients which begins with a qualification program to approve all ingredient suppliers. Even when approved, we test all ingredients prior to receiving them at the plant; quality assurance tests include, but are not limited to, vomitoxin, aflatoxin, zearalenone, nutritional integrity and moisture levels. Testing continues on every batch at multiple points of the manufacturing process built on regulatory and industry standards for safe food production. We use Near Infra Red [NIR] technology during production to accurately measure the fat, protein and moisture content of the food. We as a company choose to operate on a positive release program for our products and conduct food safety testing, such as salmonella and enterobactericaea, in addition to nutritional testing, and ensure all results are favorable before we release them for sale. We keep final tested food samples of all lots produced in our nutrition office and regularly perform supplemental quality and nutrition testing for our own internal quality program.
Other components of our quality program include traceability of all products from ingredient sources through to our retailers. We have a comprehensive program to monitor our product quality and safety performance, along with customer feedback. These activities support our goals of continuous improvement, along with regular updates and monitoring of our quality control procedures.
Where is Now Fresh dog food made?
Our Now Fresh kibble recipes are manufactured in Canada by Elmira Pet Products Ltd, who hold FDA, BRC, GFSI and CFIA certifications. In 2015, Petcurean partnered with Elmira Pet Products to ensure a secure supply for our growing customer base and provide us with a solid foundation to continually innovate the best, premium pet food recipes that our customers have come to know and expect. Their new facility features state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, which is owned by Petcurean and which is run by Elmira’s dedicated and knowledgeable operations staff.
What is the shelf life of your dry and wet foods?
Our dry foods have a shelf life between 16 to 18 months depending on the recipe. The best before date can be found on every bag, on the bottom left-hand corner in the coloured panel where the ‘feeding guidelines’ are located.
Our wet food products have a shelf life of 2 years.
Where do I find the “best before” dates on your products and how do I read them?
The best before dates on our dry food products can be found on the back of the bag, on the bottom left-hand corner in the coloured panel where the ‘feeding guidelines’ are located. The code will look something like, “BB/MA 2025 AL 04”. Most people get confused by the BB/MA, but this just means ‘Best Before’ and then the French translation of ‘Meilleur Avant’. You can easily understand the date if you start with the year. This one is April 4, 2025.
For wet food pouches the expiration date is on the back of the pouch, at the very bottom beneath the barcode.
What is the best way to store dry food?
Short answer: Dry food is best stored indoors in a cool dry place. If there is no zip closure, the top should be rolled down as far as possible and, if feasible, put in an airtight container, in the original bag. Dry food can also be frozen or refrigerated to maintain freshness.
(Slightly!) longer answer: Correct storage of pet food is extremely important to ensure the food is kept fresh (and enjoyable for your pet) and to ensure the well-being of your pet is protected.
Our kibble is cooked and carefully dried to a specific moisture level before it’s placed in the bag (to prevent mold from forming). To ensure that mold spores from environmental moisture don’t develop, be sure to store your kibble in a cool, dry location. Moist areas (like basements or crawl spaces), open containers, or areas where condensation or temperature fluctuations exist encourage mold to grow.
What about pouring your kibble into a storage container?
We receive an a lot of phone calls from our customers claiming they have the best dog food storage, e.g. the dreaded Rubbermaid tub.
Pouring pet food into these containers is absolutely not a good idea for two key reasons: many of these containers are not airtight (plastic is porous by nature), and fat and oils can be absorbed into the plastic, risking the opportunity for rancidity to occur.
The best way to store your pet's food is in the bag the food came in, stored in a cool, dry area. Store open, sealed bags in an airtight container for an added level of protection.
Can I refrigerate or freeze dry food?
Generally speaking, most kibble can be refrigerated or even frozen. The food should be tightly sealed or in airtight containers in either case.
How long can I keep an open container of wet food in the fridge?
Our wet food pouches are intended for single use. If you choose to feed a partial potion, the remainder in the pouch should be sealed in an airtight container or sealable bag . When properly stored, the product can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Do you do any testing on animals?
We believe that if any of our new products aren’t fit to be tested on our own pets, then they shouldn’t be tested at all. To ensure our products perform up to our (and our customers) high standards we perform palatability (taste), stool and digestibility, and urine pH testing in dogs and cats during our product development process.