Is raw dog food safe? Kitchen hygiene for raw feeders

If you’re comfortable handling raw chicken or mince for your own meals, you already know most of what it takes. Here’s the everyday routine, from the freezer to the bowl.

Why hygiene matters

Any raw meat can carry bacteria, and a 2025 New Zealand Food Safety report on raw meat pet food names Salmonella and Campylobacter among them. That’s true of the chicken in your supermarket trolley as much as raw dog food. Cooking kills them in the food we eat. Raw feeding skips the cooking, so the job moves to how the food is stored, thawed and cleaned up after. None of it is complicated, and it soon becomes routine.

The routine at a glance

Storing it

• Keep raw food in the freezer until you need it. Our orders arrive chilled, so get them into the freezer as soon as you can.
• Keep the oldest cartons at the front and use them first.
• In the fridge, keep thawing and thawed food in a covered container on the bottom shelf, below and away from food for people.

Set the fridge between 2 and 5°C and the freezer at -18°C, the same settings that keep food for people fresh. A 10 kg carton is 36 × 27 × 18 cm, about 17.5 litres, so it’s worth clearing a shelf before your first order arrives.

Our minces and mixes come as blocks of about 500 g, bandsawn and hand cut, packed in a liner inside the carton. Taking out one block at a time means the rest stays frozen and untouched.

Thawing it

Thaw raw food in the fridge, a couple of days’ worth at a time. Don’t thaw it on the bench, where the outside warms up while the middle is still frozen, and don’t microwave it. Food Standards Scotland’s raw pet food advice is the same: defrost it in the fridge, in a sealed container at the bottom. Use thawed food within two to three days. Our guide to thawing and storing raw dog food has the full routine.

With a small dog or a cat, a block lasts longer than that. Thaw it, keep two to three days’ worth in a sealed container in the fridge, and put the rest straight back in the freezer. Our guide to portioning raw dog food shows how to split blocks and rolls into tubs.

Preparing a meal

• Use a board, knife or scoop that’s kept for the dog’s food, or wash yours in hot soapy water straight after.
• Portion the food away from anything you’re preparing for people.
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water when you’re done.

Bowls and leftovers

• Stainless steel bowls are easy to keep clean, because they don’t scratch and hold on to food the way some plastic bowls do.
• Wash the bowl after every meal, in hot soapy water or the dishwasher.
• Pick the bowl up after 10 to 15 minutes. Food that’s only been down that long can go back in the fridge, covered, for the next meal; anything that’s sat out longer goes in the bin.
• Feed somewhere easy to wipe down, especially with a messy eater or a dog that carries food off to eat it.

Children and other people in the house

Keep children away from the dog’s food while it’s being prepared, and make hand washing after touching the bowl or the food a house rule. UK public health guidance on raw pet food says children under five shouldn’t touch it at all. If someone at home is pregnant, very young, elderly or more prone to infections because of illness or treatment, it’s worth talking to your doctor about raw feeding first, and being extra careful with the steps above.

Raw-fed dogs can carry the same bacteria in their stools, so pick up after your dog promptly and wash your hands afterwards.

Bones

Raw bones bring a different kind of care: never feed cooked bones, which vets warn can splinter, choose a raw meaty bone your dog has to chew rather than swallow whole, and supervise while they eat it. Our guide to which raw bones dogs can eat covers it.

How our food reaches you

Our food is made to order in the Waikato the week after you order, from 100% New Zealand meat. Everything is made to order, so nothing sits in a warehouse. It’s packed in a liner inside a carton and delivered chilled by our own team across Auckland and the Waikato, so all you need to do is get it into the freezer. If you’re still deciding, our guide to is raw food good for dogs covers what owners like about it.

Each product page lists every meat in it, along with what it’s free from, and the shop filter greys out anything with a protein you leave out. Delivery is $5 an order, and you can order once or set up a subscription that you can change or pause in My Account before the weekly cut-off.

Common questions

Does raw chicken need extra care?

Raw chicken is often linked with Salmonella and Campylobacter, for people as well as dogs, so it’s worth being particularly tidy with it. Our guide to raw chicken for dogs covers the routine.

How do I know if raw food has gone off?

Off food smells sour or rotten rather than meaty, or feels slimy. Our guide to telling if raw dog food has gone off goes through the signs.

Can I refreeze raw dog food?

Yes, if it was thawed in the fridge. Raw meat thawed in the fridge can be refrozen, which is handy with a small dog or a cat.

Does the same routine work for cats?

Yes, the same kitchen routine works for cats. Our guide to can cats eat raw meat covers which of our products suit cats and how much to feed.

Do I need a separate freezer?

Not always. One carton takes about 17.5 litres, so check your kitchen freezer has that much room before your order arrives. With several dogs and bigger orders, a chest freezer helps. Our guide to raw feeding multiple dogs covers freezer space for bigger orders.