Human Grade
What Exactly Does "Human-Grade Ingredients" Mean?
In the context of raw pet food, the term human-grade ingredients refers to components that meet the standards required for human consumption as regulated by the appropriate governing bodies (e.g. Canadian Food Inspection Agency). Specifically, it means:
Sourcing
The ingredients must be sourced from facilities inspected and approved for processing human food. This includes meats, vegetables, and other components deemed safe and clean for people to eat.
Processing Standards
The ingredients must be handled, stored, and processed under the conditions required for human food production, maintaining hygiene and quality to prevent contamination.
Labelling
For a product to be labelled human-grade, every ingredient and the final product must adhere to human food safety and quality standards, including proper inspection and certification.
Carnivora's Take On Using This Term
It’s important to note that human-grade doesn’t necessarily mean the food is better or more nutritious for pets, as their dietary needs differ from humans. It does, however, indicate higher quality control and sourcing standards compared to many feed-grade pet food products.
We feel using the terminology human-grade to describe our foods can be somewhat misleading. Our products are crafted to closely mimic the biologically appropriate composition of prey animals—including bone, connective tissue, and organs. Our products are not intended for human consumption in their final form. For instance, ground bone isn’t desirable unless you’re a dog or cat. Therefore, this distinction is intentional, as our focus is on meeting the nutritional needs of dogs and cats, not people.
However, the ingredients we use originate entirely within the human food supply chain to ensure the highest quality standards. Aside from our kangaroo, we source our animals directly from small-scale farmers, in Saskatchewan, close to where our food is produced. By doing so, we eliminate feedlots and maintain strict controls over the quality and ethics of our sourcing. Carnivora exclusively accepts whole, healthy, disease-free animals raised on holistic diets without additives, antibiotics, or hormones.
Our commitment extends beyond nutrition; we are deeply invested in supporting ethical animal treatment and sustainable farming practices every step of the way.
