Grade updates

After a full re-audit we corrected two errors. First, We Feed Raw does name its formulator: Dr. Richard Patton, a PhD animal nutritionist with 40+ years of experience. Second, we understated their food safety: they use HPP (high-pressure processing) as a validated pathogen kill step on every recipe, frozen and freeze-dried, use USDA human-grade meats in a USDA-certified facility, and have a zero-recall record. Both corrections lift them off an F. What keeps them at a D is fear- and shame-based marketing, blaming processed food for rising disease and framing raw as what ‘smart’ owners do, on top of no completed feeding trials and no life-stage-specific formula.

Corrected pricing across all weight tiers. New monthly costs: $31 (25 lb), $51 (50 lb), $70 (75 lb), $87 (100 lb), $102 (125 lb), $117 (150 lb). Previous figures used the wrong MER multiplier (~1.6 instead of the 1.3 published in our methodology), which overstated monthly cost by roughly 19%.

Our original review missed several food safety investments Viva Raw has made. After a full re-audit, we confirmed: HPP (high pressure processing) validated through an academic partnership with IFSH (Institute for Food Safety and Health at Illinois Tech), X-ray foreign object detection, heavy metal testing on supplement ingredients, and a hold-and-release pathogen testing protocol. We also corrected two scoring errors. Recalls were being double-counted across categories, and their optional Pure line (which requires supplementation) was unfairly penalized when their flagship line is complete and balanced. No board-certified veterinary nutritionist and no completed feeding trials keep them from a higher grade.

JFFD meets every A-grade requirement: board-certified veterinary nutritionists on staff, completed AAFCO feeding trials, adult-specific formulas, and owns its own manufacturing. We previously docked points for mildly fear-adjacent marketing, but on review the science and transparency back it up. The marketing alone isn't enough to hold a brand out of the top tier.

We previously believed Freshpet only offered All Life Stages formulas without an adult-specific option, which capped them at B. On review, Freshpet does sell adult-specific recipes. Combined with completed feeding trials, board-certified veterinary nutritionists, and ISO 22000 (global food safety management) certified manufacturing, Freshpet meets every A-grade requirement. Some vague health claims remain, but the core science and testing are strong across the board.

Updated pricing data across all weight tiers. New monthly costs: $140 (25 lb), $230 (50 lb), $310 (75 lb), $380 (100 lb), $440 (125 lb), $500 (150 lb). Previous pricing was outdated.