At Smallbatch, the wellbeing of your pets is our highest priority. With growing concerns about avian influenza, we want to reassure you that we take this matter seriously and remain fully committed to producing safe, high-quality food you can trust.
Our Ongoing Commitment to Food Safety
We actively consult with veterinarians, food safety experts, and independent labs to stay up to date on the latest research and best practices. At this time, there are no commercially available or proven tests for detecting live avian influenza in finished pet food products. While we are monitoring advancements in testing, prevention methods like reputable sourcing and food safety and handling protocols remain the most effective approach to ensuring food safety.
Why Smallbatch Poultry is Different
For nearly 20 years, we've partnered with family-owned farms that uphold best-in-class food safety and biosecurity measures.
- No Mechanically Separated Meats – This production method can increase the risk of contamination and bacterial load present in the meat. By being one of few brands only using whole muscle cuts and organ meats, we reduce the risk of cross-contamination and provide a cleaner, safer protein source for your pet.
- Strict Biosecurity Protocols – Our farms follow rigorous safety measures to prevent exposure at the source, reducing risks before processing ever begins.
- Routine Flock Testing – Poultry flocks are tested at Smallbatch selected family-owned farms before harvest to ensure safety and meet USDA inspection standards.
- Trusted, Transparent Sourcing – We never source from factory farms. We work exclusively with reputable, family-owned farms, hand-picked by us, that uphold the highest standards in food safety and animal welfare.
Your Feeding Options
We understand that feeding your pet is a personal choice, and if you prefer an alternative to frozen raw at this time, we have you covered.
- Freeze-dried – Our freeze-dried recipes for cats and dogs offer high-quality nutrition in a shelf-stable format. These foods are made using HPP (High Pressure Pasteurization) and are then freeze-dried. HPP is an effective, USDA and FDA recognized kill-step for mitigating food-borne pathogens. Because of the high pressure involved in this step, plus the combination of freeze-drying, freeze-dried foods are considered fully pasteurized much like cooked food is.
- Lightly Cooked – Our Lightly Cooked diets for dogs are fully cooked, sous vide style, maintaining optimum nutrition in an easy to portion, frozen slider.
Plus, we’re excited to announce that our long-awaited Lightly Cooked cat food will be available soon, providing another safe, nutritious option for cats!
We encourage you to stay informed and make feeding choices that feel right for you and your pets. As this situation continues to evolve, we are closely monitoring updates with our poultry and non-poultry suppliers, along with the rest of the industry. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at ask@smallbatchpets.com.
— The Smallbatch Team
September 2025 update:
Our priority has always been the health and safety of pets and the trust of their families. That’s why we have strengthened our processes, increased transparency, and are working closely with our partners to ensure we are maintaining the highest standards of quality and care.
We are happy to share that we’ve expanded our test-and-hold program—already screening every batch for bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli—to now include Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on our raw poultry products.
While we’ve added every possible safeguard and preventative measure to protect our raw foods, cooking remains the only way to fully inactivate the virus. That’s why we now offer Perfectly Cooked for cats —a gently prepared line that delivers the same high-meat, whole-food nutrition of our raw foods with the added assurance of sous vide cooking. If you would prefer a cooked diet for your cat for added peace of mind, be sure to ask your local retailers for our new Perfectly Cooked sliders for cats.