smallBatch raw dog food Review

Smallbatch Raw Dog Food rates a 10 for all 7 foods in the line, with no points deducted for light processing or ingredient quality or safety. The foods are very low in carbohydrate, averaging 4% on a dry matter basis (meaning with the moisture removed, for comparison with dry foods).

Smallbatch’s manufacturing is done by third party facilities, which resulted a few years ago in their raw foods being high-pressure pasteurized without the company’s knowledge. This problem has now been rectified and there’s now no HPP performed on their foods on products with expiry dates after 2/29/21. The company monitors raw food production carefully and is on-site at the production facility. 

The Raw line has 7 raw meat-based formulas (including bone and organ meats) combined with 10% organic produce. Proteins offered are  Chicken, Beef, Turkey, Lamb, Duck, Rabbit and Pork in various sizes (Sliders 3 lbs, Smallbites 4 lbs, Patties 6 lbs and bulk 18 lb boxes.

The foods all have a lower percentage of fat than protein, which is desirable in a raw food. 

There are no added vitamins or minerals (except vitamin E as a preservative). This suggests indicates higher quality ingredients because the nutrients comes from whole foods.. 

Smallbatch does source quality ingredients but the label uses unsubstantiated descriptions like “humanely raised and harvested” for their animal protein sources. These are purely marketing terms that have no legal meaning under pet food regulatory standards. The products in this line contain added salmon oil, so it’s advisable to thaw the food in a refrigerated, sealed container to minimize oxidation. The company doesn’t state whether the oil is from farmed or wild-caught salmon. Wild-caught fish is more nutritious than farmed and has a better fatty acid balance. 

The food does not provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio, which is a concern since AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1.