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Ziwi Peak foods are made at the company’s own facilities in several New Zealand locations. The company was founded in 2002 by a free-range deer farmer who wanted to combine the nutrition of a raw diet with the convenience of a ready-serve kibble.
Ziwi Peak is still family-owned but in September 2021 there was a press report that a Chinese private equity firm was acquiring the company. The report stated the acquisition would help fund Ziwi’s new facility that will double current production capacity, at a cost of NZD 70 million. Ziwi’s website mentions the new plant but not the acquisition. There’s also no mention of Ziwi on the investor’s website at this stage, so it’s unknown if the report was accurate or whether the alleged acquisition will take place.
The brand offers air dried as well as canned foods in their Originals line. Their Provenance line (with both air-dried and canned choices) features unusual local ingredients from 3 different regions of New Zealand.
Ziwi considers its air-dried foods to be a raw alternative. However the air-dried foods are moderately processed using some heat. The heat is high enough to control pathogens so it likely causes some nutrient loss as well.
The company considers themselves “guardians of the land, sea and creatures” so they source ingredients from sustainable free-range farms. Most (but not all) of the fish in their recipes is wild-caught.
The average score of each Ziwi Peak line is listed below. Click on any line to view the individual foods and scores.
Ziwi Peak Originals Air Dried Dog Food is a low risk food with an average overall score of 9. It’s very low in carbohydrates at 4%. Protein averages 33% and fat 24%.
This air-dried food is intended to be a convenient alternative to raw, but the nutriients are likely affected by the use of heat in this moderately processed food.
Ingredients are non GMO and generally good quality, with free range grass fed meats and wild caught fish. However the food does contain excessive added minerals, which suggests some nutrients that should come from whole food ingredients are lacking.
Ziwi Peak’s Provenance Air Dried Dog Food is considered a low risk food, with an average score of 8.5. The line features specialty local ingredients from 3 different regions in New Zealand. The food is extremely low in carbohydrates, at 1%, with average protein of 38% and average fat of 32%.
The company’s air dried foods are intended as a convenient alternative to raw. However the food is moderately processed using heat sufficient to eliminate pathogens, so it’s likely there’s some nutrient loss from heat processing. This is likely the reason the food is fortified with excessive vitamins and minerals, which usually indicates nutrients that are lacking from the whole food ingredients.
With an average score of 7, Ziwi Peak’s Original Wet Dog Food is considered a moderate risk dog food. The food has almost no carbs, with protein averaging 43% and fat 21.4% (measured on a dry matter basis for comparison with dry foods).
Like all canned foods, this is a highly processed food. Canned foods are heated twice during processing, causing significant losses in nutrients. This is reflected in the addition of excessive vitamins and minerals, suggesting the whole food ingredients don’t supply these nutrients.
Ingredient safety suffers from the inclusion of chickpeas in the top 5 ingredients. Crops like legumes are known for higher pesticide residue because they’re sprayed with glyphosate as a dessicant.
Ziwi Peak’s Provenance Wet Dog food has an average score of 8. The Provenance lines feature local ingredients from 3 different regions of New Zealand. The foods have negligible carbohydrates, but average 47.8 for protein and 33.9% for fat, on a dry matter basis (with moisture removed).
Like all canned foods, the Provenance Wet foods are highly processed, using high heat that causes significant losses in some nutrients. This is reflected in the excessive added vitamins and minerals, which indicate that nutrients are lacking from the whole food ingredients.
While the food contains ethically sourced free range meats, not all the fish in this line is specified as wild-caught. Farmed fish is less nutritious than wild-caught.
Ziwi Peak is a low to moderate risk dog food, with its air-dried foods offering a convenient alternative to raw diets. The foods are low in carbohydrates and the Originals lines have non-GMO ingredients with wild-caught fish and free-range grass-fed meats.
The Provenance lines contain some specialized local ingredients but not all the poultry is free-range and some of the fish is not specified as wild-caught.
The company states the air-dried foods are as nutritious as raw, but they are moderately processed using heat that likely causes some nutrient loss. This is reflected in the addition of minerals and vitamins, indicating nutrients that are lacking in the whole food ingredients.
The wet foods are lower quality because, like all canned foods, they’re highly processed. Again, heat used during the canning process will cause significant loss of nutrients.
Ziwi Peak has had no recalls and there are no known lawsuits pending.
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