The Steve's Real Food Difference
At Steve’s Real Food, we’re committed to being open and honest about what goes into our products. From meticulous ingredient sourcing to cutting-edge processing, every step is a testament to our commitment to quality. We believe in providing your furry friends with the best nutrition, starting with how we make our food.
Discover Our Farms!
All the building blocks that go into making Steve’s Real Food are sourced and purchased solely from companies as committed to quality as we are. We only use human-quality, non-GMO ingredients free of pesticides, antibiotics, and added hormones. Our partners are farmers who share our commitment to preserving the environment. Our fresh fruits and vegetables come from local farms prioritizing regenerative agriculture, efficient water management, and ethical treatment of animals. Our meats are sourced humanely, and 100% of the fish used in our foods are caught from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable fisheries.
Check out our ingredients page, where we happily share our farming partners and tell you a little bit about each one.
See the Manufacturing Plant
Steve’s Real Food is made in Oregon under the industry’s most rigorous quality control standards. The food is manufactured following USDA and HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) guidelines. The plant is currently working on SQF (Safe Quality Food) certification. The SQF program is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality program upholding the highest standards and is recognized worldwide.
We take all possible measures to prevent contamination. We utilize high-pressure processing (HPP) to eliminate pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella, listeria, Escherichia coli (STEC), and E-coli. Everyone entering the processing facility must wear sterilized clothing, footwear, hair nets, and gloves. We make small batches of 1500 pounds at a time, and food is flash-frozen in an IQF freezer to -50. We sterilize all equipment between each batch to prevent cross-contamination between proteins.
Our Food Testing Protocols
We test every batch of food for contaminants and pathogenic microbes such as Total Coliforms, E. coli, and Salmonella before it leaves our facility to be sold to pet owners. Our product continuously improves as we incorporate the latest scientific research and veterinary testing. We don’t say anything about our product that we can’t back up with laboratory testing, so you can be sure all our nutritional claims are accurate.
Tested Quarterly
- Guaranteed Analysis – Crude Protein, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber, Moisture, Ash, Kilocalories
Tested Yearly
- Complete vitamin and mineral AAFCO testing on all formulas
- Minerals – Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc
- Fatty Acid Profile – Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Polyunsaturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Omega-6 Fatty Acids, Omega-9 Fatty Acids, Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), Docosapentaenoic Acid (DPA), Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)
Tested Periodically
Amino Acid Profile – Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cystine, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Taurine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine, Valine
Transport and Distributing Raw Pet Food
To remain frozen and viable, Steve’s Real Food products require special refrigerated freight trucks that ensure continuous freezing below -27 degrees. We work hard with our transportation partners, distributors, and retailers to minimize the opportunity for the product to thaw before making it to your freezer. You can tell if our product has been frozen continuously before reaching you. When thawed, our food loses its nugget/patty shape and will re-freeze into a large block of food.
Sustainability Practices
We truly do everything we can to reduce our impact and preserve the planet so future generations can enjoy it. We source ingredients locally from mom-and-pop farms. Our manufacturing plant runs on clean hydroelectric power, and our packaging facility runs on solar. We require all of our suppliers to possess a sustainable action plan.
We are the 1st raw pet food company in the industry to earn Interseroh accreditation and are currently working toward B Corp Certification. All of our packaging is recyclable. We use Velo-Flex, a mono-layer, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) material that allows for strength and flexibility. The PE material is able to withstand printing inks without having to rely on multiple layers of unrecyclable materials. The velcro closures on the bags are also made of the same material and are completely recyclable. The bags are a #4 rated, recyclable plastic that can be dropped off at facilities that collect other plastic bags, such as grocery and retail bags.