DEFRA stands for Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

We are a defra-registered raw food company, meaning we must abide by specific governmental  legislation that covers raw dog food manufacturing.

There are over 50 pieces of legislation that govern the manufacture of dog foods, the most pertinent for raw feeding relate to “ Animal By-Product” regulations 1069/2009 and 142/2011.

Being registered under defra, we must adhere to strict government guidelines which give you absolute peace of mind that your dog’s food has been sourced, processed and packaged within a safe, hygienic environment.

The legislation also has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards Salmonella in raw dog food products; defra-registered raw food manufacturers must send samples of their raw food to verified, independent labs to be tested for Salmonella. Microsearch Laboratories carry out Microbiological testing of ProDog Raw food. Stringent testing is carried out on a batch by batch basis (for Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae) ensuring optimum quality and safety of our products.

The results of this testing are sent to APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency). This agency also carries out regular inspections of the manufacturing facilities of defra- registered raw dog food companies.

There is a restricted list of raw materials that ProDog RAW is permitted to use in our dog food formulas. Animal by-products such as   feathers, pelts, hooves and horns are NOT PERMITTED because the potential pathogen risk in raw food would be too high. These derivatives  are allowed in dog food intended to be cooked.

Legislation also dictates that all raw material used for dog food by defra-registered companies must be gland-free, eliminating the potential for animals to develop endocrine disorders such as hyperthyroidism; a condition which has occasionally been reported in dogs consuming raw thyroid tissue.