Since we launched Pet-Tao, I have had numerous people ask me about pasteurizing pet food- how, why , and what!!!!!!
Basically, pasteurization of pet food is similar to pasteurizing any food. The food is heated to a certain temperature to kill or retard the growth of certain bacteria known to cause foodborne illness. The most common bacteria are Salmonella, Listeria, and E. Coli, just to name a few.
At Pet-Tao, our process is unique because we first package the raw material in a boil-in bag and then submerge the food in the bag into heated water. The internal temperature of the food product is heated to 161F for 15 seconds and then submerged into a water bath for quick cooling. This is the pasteurization process. You can learn more at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteurization.
We pasteurize our food as opposed to actually cooking it for a couple of reasons. 1.) Pasteurization is a only mild insult to the quality and integrity of the food and its inherent nutritional value. 2.) Pasteurization strikes a balance between cooking and raw. We feel it is a perfect compromise.
Some of my raw food friends will disagree. However, there are three main criteria that have led us and caused us to have the firm belief that pasteurized is better: Western Food Hygiene and Food Science; Eastern Food Therapy and Energetics; and over 25 years of clinical experience in veterinary practice. Right now is not the time to get into debate over raw pet food versus pasteurized pet food. We will save that for another post.
