Better Decision Making for Pet Parents

There has been a constant evolution in pet food, culminating in the highest quality and safest real food options found in the Fresh category. Here is a representation of how pet food has evolved over time, and the options that are available to every pet owner to meet their own unique set of pet food purchase decision making criteria.

Traditionally pet food purchase decisions were made given two primary criteria - Budget and Convenience. This is why most pet food options to the left side of the evolution spectrum revolve around highly processed, lower cost items that are very convenient for pet owners (shelf stable and ease of scooping kibble or opening a can). In the past decade or so, there has been a growing trend where we have seen the introduction of two additional criteria - Health and Humanization.

Health - more pet owners want to make food decisions to best support the health and longevity of their family pet, and are willing to pay for enhanced food options that are more natural, of higher quality, where ingredient nutrients are more bio-available, and are safer through the adoption of more stringent human food production standards.

Humanization - more pet owners treat their pets like true members of their family, and are seeking products and services that treat their pets more like humans. For the most part we see this with pet brands moving away from the generic “chicken, beef and fish” recipes to more elaborate humanized meal offerings like Italian Beef Pasta Dinner and Beef&Broccoli. This is also starting to dramatically change the spectrum of nutrient sources available to pets, where some pets are eating a wide variety of different proteins, vegetables, and fruits on a weekly basis. This also is starting to impact traditional concepts like “Complete and Balanced” where every pet food had to have all of the nutrients possible as if that was the only food a pet would be served for their life.

Every pet owner has their own unique way of weighing these four criteria in choosing the best food for their pet, depending on their own budget and other circumstances. The goal of the FPFA is to bring enhanced transparency and accountability in the information provided to pet owners by pet food brands so you can feel confident in the decisions you make for your pet.

Understanding Fresh Pet Food

The FPFA defines “Fresh” pet food as any product that requires refrigeration or freezing, which predominantly includes gently-cooked foods that resemble what we feed our families, and raw foods. Unlike kibble, canned food, dehydrated or freeze-dried, these products prioritize quality, digestibility, and freshness — requiring cold chain logistics and culinary-level food safety practices.

Human Grade

True human grade means every ingredient, every step of production, and the final product meet human food standards. This includes sourcing, facility licensing, labeling, and safety. FPFA Certified Human Grade is the only standard in Canada modeled after AAFCO’s definition — but our work doesn’t stop there.

Nutrition

Our certified foods are formulated with veterinary input to meet or exceed nutrient profiles for companion animals. We encourage transparency in nutrient content, sourcing, and functional claims — with an emphasis on real food, not synthetic additives.

Food Safety

Food safety isn’t optional — it’s foundational. FPFA certification requires annual audits, HACCP plans, and proper cold chain documentation. We advocate for standards that reflect human food practices, from sourcing to serving.