About Acana > Fresh Regional Ingredients
Fresh Regional Ingredients
Ingredients We Love. People We Trust.
Western Canada’s foothill farms, fertile prairies and cold clear waters are our source of both inspiration and fresh regional ingredients.
Unmatched by any pet food maker, our unmatched variety of authentically fresh regional ingredients mirrors the natural diet, supplying nutrients in their freshest, most natural form.
From cage-free poultry, nest-laid eggs, ranch-raised meats and wild-caught fish to sun-ripened fruits & vegetables, our fresh ingredients are raised locally, passed fit for human consumption, and then delivered to our kitchens fresh, preservative-free and loaded with goodness.
Equipped with state-of-the-art fresh food processing technologies, our award-winning NorthStar® kitchens are located in the center of Alberta’s dynamic agricultural community, providing access to specialty farmers with whom we partner to advance our fresh regional ingredient mission.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT?
What many pet food makers call fresh are actually pet-grade meats frozen into 25kg blocks to make them easier to transport and store, which are often frozen and thawed a number of times. It’s often the case that they are many months old before becoming food for pets.
Worse yet, many North American pet food makers use dried animal ingredients, add 4 parts of water to create a ‘meat slurry’ – an ingredient they then label ‘fresh or raw’.
No wonder there’s so much confusion!
FRESH & RAW, THE ACANA WAY
In an industry known for liberal ingredient descriptions, we believe it’s important to be clear with pet lovers on what an ingredient is or isn’t. When we say fresh we mean it. We define fresh or raw as:
FRESH: Our fresh ingredients meet the AAFCO standard: REFRIGERATION AS THE SOLE METHOD OF PRESERVATION.
RAW: AAFCO offers a variety of raw definitions, we use only one; OUR RAW INGREDIENTS ARE AS OUR FRESH, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THEY ARE FROZEN.
INGREDIENTS WE LOVE. PEOPLE WE TRUST.
Raised on local ranches, our ranch-raised red meats are raised naturally, in the heart of Kentucky’s lush Appalachian ranching country by people we know and trust.
Learn MoreRaised free-run on local Kentucky farms by people we know and trust, our Cobb chicken, turkey and whole eggs are classified fit for human consumption and then delivered to our kitchens fresh each day so they’re full of nourishing proteins and fats.
Learn MoreOur saltwater fish are wild and sustainably caught from New England’s cold and fertile waters, and our freshwater fish are sustainably caught from American waters – all whisked to our DogStar® kitchens as fresh and cold as the waters they came from.
Learn MoreFrom Barlett Pears to butternut squash, ACANA features fruits and vegetables delivered fresh from Kentucky’s fertile farms and orchards.
Learn MoreCustom grown for ACANA in Kentucky by people we know and trust, ACANA botanicals are all of American origin, and delivered either fresh or gently air dried.
Learn More