Page 19 - 2020 Answers Retailer Handbook

Food safety
Not all raw is created equally
AnswersTM Pet Food offers a humane, sustainable way of organic, pasture-raised farming that protects the food state, environment, livestock, and our pets. We offer the most natural, effective way to make raw products as safe and healthy as possible. In order to achieve our high standards, Answers uses
HURDLE TECHNOLOGY as a method of ensuring that pathogens, or bad bacteria, in food products can be eliminated or controlled. It works by combining more than one approach and using multiple methods.
It operates at all steps and stages of process and production, from farm to bowl.
SOURCING is the first step of intervention against pathogens. Pathogen control begins with sourcing livestock that are raised in their natural environment, fed species-appropriate food and not confined or raised on factory farms.
MINIMAL PROCESSING Our ingredients are minimally processed, lowering the risk of pathogen growth, and are then flash frozen.
FERMENTATION is our food safety and preservation method. Fermentation fights bacteria with bacteria, a microbiological science that’s been used for centuries. These methods and practices ensure our raw food products will be safe for pet consumption, and their shelf life will be extended.
EFFICIENT AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE METHOD Answers’ fermentation process inoculates food with billions upon billions of good bacteria, also known as lactic acid bacteria, along with the beneficial substances they produce, such as a natural medicine known as bacteriocins which destroy unwanted bacteria. These conditions create a very high count of good bacteria. Their job is to prohibit any potential pathogen cells from multiplying by out-numbering cell growth. If faced with a compromised environment, the good bacteria is able to block any pathogen from becoming a health concern. It’s Mother Nature’s check
and balance. With billions of lactic acid bacteria cells that compete against minimal cells of pathogens, that’s a seriously effective and highly efficient food safety method.
See exactly how and why it works: Food Safety and Fermentation video Visit answerspetfood.com homepage to watch
PRODUCT SAFETY