Why do we Air-Dry our Food?

It’s a great question. Not every pet food brand uses the Air-Drying process. We go through this process to ensure our quality ingredients retain the most nutrients and flavours for our beloved canine friends. But what is it? And why do we go to such extents to do it?

Air-Drying removes moisture

The Air-Drying process combines low heat, tiny humidity and consistent air circulation in a confined area. When shaped and sized, our dog food enters a drying unit where the moisture is gradually removed with the procedures above. It will stay in the unit until the ‘active water level’ (what we fondly refer to as AW in the trade) reaches our standards, which stops microorganisms from breeding.

Other production processes

Our meat and fish are lovingly selected from quality producers with whom we’ve established fantastic relationships. Before air-drying them, we handcraft them into different shapes, sizes, and textures depending on the product.

Our fantastic production team in our Yorkshire factory manually processes each product at least 10 times. This includes measuring, weighing, and slicing the product uniformly. This human touch allows us to assess our products' quality consistently.

After each batch is made, we pack the products into the relevant packaging and hand them to our in-house distribution team, who send the food on its journey to your dog’s bowl.

Why do we do this?

After many years in the dog and pet food industry, we know people love their animals and want the best for them. We know we do, and we bet that you, reading this article, do, too.

Quality food makes your dog or cat the best version of themselves. It gives them the energy to woof and meow heart-warmingly and provides health benefits.

Many dog owners believe that a raw diet is the only option for their canine family members – yet this is costly, takes up fridge/freezer space and can contain nasty bacteria. While not an issue for dogs, the latter can be troublesome if you have children or vulnerable people in the same household.

Air-dried food carries similar benefits to a raw dog food diet, meaning the Innocent Hound range doesn’t short-change anyone for nutrients and protein. The result is that your dog gets a fantastic meal without you having to store it in cold conditions and have to have nasty organisms in your house.