Is Big Country Raw Pet Food Safe? Here's How We Protect Every Batch

Big Country Raw uses a multi-layer food safety program that includes approved ingredient sourcing, strict temperature controls, bacteriophage pathogen reduction, hydroxyl radical fogging, third-party laboratory testing, full traceability, and frozen distribution to help ensure every batch is safe.

When you choose the food for your pet, trust matters and we know pet parents want to know exactly how their pet's food is sourced, handled, and protected throughout production. That's why food safety isn't just one step in our process. It's built into every stage, from responsible sourcing and temperature-controlled handling to advanced pathogen reduction and third-party testing.

Here's a closer look at how we help ensure the safety of every batch.

It Starts with Carefully Selected Ingredients

Food safety begins long before production starts. We source our ingredients from federally and provincially approved farms and suppliers that meet strict quality and food safety standards. Every delivery is inspected for quality, temperature, and condition before it enters our facility.

From the moment ingredients arrive, maintaining the cold chain is a top priority. Fresh ingredients are received below 4°C, and frozen ingredients at -18°C. They are then immediately placed into temperature-controlled storage until production begins.

Every Batch Is Fully Traceable

Transparency and accountability are essential components of food safety. Each production batch is documented and tracked from ingredient receipt through finished product. This traceability allows us to verify ingredient sources, monitor production records, and quickly access information if needed.

By maintaining detailed records, we can confidently track every package back to its production batch and ingredient origins.

Controlled Processing Reduces Risk

During production, ingredients move through a carefully controlled grinding and mixing process. Temperatures are continuously monitored throughout production to help preserve product quality and minimize opportunities for bacterial growth. Maintaining strict temperature control is one of the most effective ways to support food safety in raw food manufacturing.

How We Reduce Pathogens in Raw Pet Food

One of the most important safety steps in our process occurs during pathogen reduction.

Bacteriophages: Nature's Precision Tool
We use bacteriophage technology as part of our food safety program. Bacteriophages, or "phages," are naturally occurring viruses that target specific harmful bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes. They attach only to their target bacteria, destroy them, and help reduce pathogen levels without affecting pets, animal cells, or the nutritional quality of the food. This targeted approach helps enhance food safety while preserving the integrity of our raw diets.

Clean Works Hydroxyl Radical Fogging Technology
We use Clean Works hydroxyl radical fogging technology as an additional layer of protection in our food safety program. To validate its effectiveness, Big Country Raw partnered with Clean Works and the University of Guelph.

Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive molecules that help reduce a wide range of microorganisms on food surfaces. Unlike bacteriophages, which target specific harmful bacteria, hydroxyl radical fogging provides broad-spectrum pathogen reduction. After reacting, the hydroxyl radicals quickly break down into oxygen and water vapour, leaving no residue behind.

Together, bacteriophage technology and hydroxyl radical fogging provide complementary layers of protection:

· Bacteriophages = targeted protection

· Hydroxyl radical fogging = broad-spectrum protection

While some raw pet food manufacturers use HPP as their primary pathogen-reduction method, Big Country Raw uses a comprehensive multi-hurdle food safety program designed to achieve the same goal: reducing pathogen risk and producing safe raw pet food.

Test & Hold – Every Batch Is Tested for Safety Before Release
Food safety doesn't stop after production.

Samples from every batch are held and tested for pathogens by an independent third-party laboratory. Products are not released until test results confirm they meet our safety standards.

This "test and hold" program provides an additional verification step and ensures that every batch receives the same level of scrutiny before reaching customers.

How We Keep Raw Pet Food Safe During Storage and Delivery

Once production is complete, products are rapidly frozen using a -27°C blast freezer. Rapid freezing helps preserve freshness, quality, and nutritional value.

Before packaging, product temperatures are verified to ensure they remain below 2°C. Finished products then undergo additional safety checks, including portion verification, metal detection, coding, dating, weighing, and visual inspection.

Products remain frozen throughout storage, picking, and distribution. Full pallet scanning and traceability systems help ensure accuracy and accountability at every step.

Finally, products are delivered in temperature-controlled frozen trucks, with delivery temperatures verified to maintain product integrity right through to arrival.

A Commitment You Can Trust

Food safety is not a single intervention. It's a system. From responsible sourcing and strict temperature controls to advanced pathogen reduction technologies, third-party laboratory testing, traceability, sanitation, audits, and frozen distribution, multiple layers of protection work together to help ensure your pet receives safe, high-quality nutrition.

Because when it comes to feeding family, every step matters.

Frequently Asked Questions About Raw Pet Food Safety

Is Big Country Raw pet food safe?
Yes. Big Country Raw uses a multi-hurdle food safety program that includes approved ingredient sourcing, strict temperature controls, bacteriophage technology, hydroxyl radical fogging, third-party laboratory testing, full traceability, and frozen distribution.

What are bacteriophages?
Bacteriophages are naturally occurring viruses that target specific harmful bacteria without affecting pets or food quality.

Are bacteriophages safe?
Bacteriophages target only one specific bacteria. Once their job is complete, and the pathogen is non-existent, it dies – maintaining the quality and integrity of the product, with no trace of the phage left behind.

Does Big Country Raw use HPP?
No. Big Country Raw uses a multi-hurdle food safety program that combines bacteriophage technology, hydroxyl radical fogging, strict temperature controls, traceability, and third-party batch testing to reduce pathogen risk.

How is the raw food tested?
Every production batch undergoes third-party pathogen testing before release.

How are pathogens reduced?
We use a combination of targeted bacteriophage technology and Clean Works hydroxyl radical fogging technology.

What food safety measures do raw pet food manufacturers use?

· Sourcing of the highest quality ingredients from approved, government-inspected facilities.

· Government-regulated and third-party certifications (like FDA, CFIA, HACCP etc.)

· Strict Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), sanitation procedures, environmental monitoring, traceability controls, and employee food safety training.

· Pathogen reduction: bacteriophage, fogging technology, high-pressure pasteurization.

· Continuous microbiological testing and internal audits

· Cold-chain management for ingredient sourcing through distribution.