Freshly Prepared, the way forward…

Freshly prepared food is becoming more popular as consumers shift towards having fresh food on their own plates. The term “Fresh” has been a significant draw that is now also becoming a prominent feature in pet food. This year research has shown that 77% of people have taken a closer look than ever before at their own health and wellness in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
The Influence on pet food
A recent study showed that there were behavioural shifts in human food such as:
• An increase in focus on gut health and immune function
• A key interest in weight management
• A better balance between emotional wellbeing and nutrition
• A shift in shopping values with a plan to purchase more items related to health and wellness
There is a clear correlation between pet and human food trends. The role of humanisation in pet food has seen us focus more on the health and wellbeing of their pets. Gut health and immune function are growing factors for consumers, whilst preventing obesity is also a key influence when choosing what type of food they would like to feed their pet.
The term “Fresh” is gaining traction as we associate this with other words such as minimal processing, natural and whole foods. All of these terms are associated with “healthy” in our minds. This means that the idea of “fresh” in pet foods is only going to grow, which is a good thing.
Here at Orchard House, all of our ingredients are responsibly sourced from people we know and trust. Cold chain transportation is used to transport fresh meat, maintaining its freshness. As the fresh/raw meat passes the weighbridge it is then put into cold temperature-controlled storage units. Using the trademarked  Freshtrusion™ technology the meat is then cooked at a gentle 82 degrees C temperature, keeping in the freshness and protecting the proteins, whilst adding our other fresh ingredients such as Sweet Potato and Superfoods.