Is human grade dog food better than kibble

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 16, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Best Human Grade Dog Food: 7 Super Eats You Might Envy!

Modern canines enjoy foods that are leaps and bounds better than the foods dogs available only a few decades ago. These days, pet parents can choose from an array of nutritionally balanced, high-protein foods, which are often fortified with vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotic supplements, and other helpful food additives.

There are even a few manufacturers whove begun taking things a bit further.

Instead of cooking up feed quality recipes for dogs (which are essentially held to the same standards as cow or chicken feed), these brands have started using human-grade ingredients and manufacturing human-grade foods in USDA-compliant kitchens.

Well dive into the subject below and examine a few foods made with human-grade ingredients. Well try to illustrate the differences between these types of foods and others, explain what human-grade ingredients are, and point out a few of the best human-grade dog foods on the market.

Best Overall Human-Grade Dog Food

Best Dry Human-Grade Dog Food

Most Affordable Human-Grade Dog Food

Best Human Grade Dog Food Brands

The following pet food manufacturers make some of the best human-grade foods around.

Each manufacturer emphasizes different things in their recipes, so be sure to review them all before making your choice.

Note that most of these foods require pet parents to submit a bit of information about your pooch. This info may be used to alter and customize the recipe slightly so that it will perfectly suit your pooch.

These questionnaires vary in length and by the level of detail they entail, so I went through and filled them all out for my own pooch. We then listed all of the questions asked, so youll know what to expect.

Also, because most of these foods are quite a bit more expensive than traditional dog foods, weve included the manufacturers comments about pricing, as well as the total cost to feed my own dog.

1. Ollie

Best Overall Human-Grade Dog Food

Buy Ollie with K9 of Mines link to get 50% off your first order!

About: Ollie provides custom-designed dog foods that are specifically designed to suit your pups individual needs. Youll need to provide some basic information about your dog to get started, and then you can just sit back and wait for your pets food to arrive at your front door.

Their foods are made with fresh ingredients (and no artificial flavors or colors), so theyll need to be refrigerated or frozen once you receive them. Once its time to feed Fido, just use the included portion scoop to measure out the proper amount for your pooch.

Notable Features:

All recipes are customized to suit your dogs size, age, breed, body composition, activity level, and allergies
Recipes are vet-formulated to meet the AAFCOs guidelines for all life stages (including large-breed dogs)
All of the meats used in the recipes are sourced from the U.S. or Australia
1% of the brands revenues are donated to shelters
You pick the basic recipes, and Ollie customizes them for your pets needs
Each batch of food is lab-tested for safety and quality

Basic Recipes Offered:

Healthy Turkey Feast
Hearty Beef Eats
Chicken Goodness
Tasty Lamb Fare

Ingredients for Healthy Turkey Feast:

Ingredients List

Ground turkey, pumpkin, turkey thigh, turkey liver, turkey heart...,

carrot, turkey gizzard, lentils, kale, blueberries, coconut oil, chia seeds, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, cod liver oil, salt, zinc gluconate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin E supplement, manganese sulfate, potassium iodate

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 44%

Price: Ollie reports that most meal plans start at $3.00 per day for small dogs, but the average recipe runs about $6.00 per pound. When I put in my 95-pound Rotties details, the total came to $96.83 per week.

Customization Questions:

Owners first name
Dogs name
Zip Code
Email
Breed
Sex
Spayed/Neutered?
Dogs DOB

Activity Level
Weight
Body Condition
Current Food Type
Primary Current Protein
Allergies?
Select your protein

Pros

Made with premium meats sourced from the US and Australia
Most recipes contain organ meats and nutritious produce
Most dogs appear to love the taste
Backed by Ollies bowl-lickin good money-back guarantee

Cons

Pricey, like most other human-grade foods
Pet parents shared a few complaints about the customer service department
Subscription required to order

2. A Pup Above

Best Dry Human-Grade Food

Score $50 off your order with code K950 at checkout!

About: Want to feed your pup a human-grade diet without dealing with the mess and fuss of traditional fresh foods?

A Pup Above offers a great solution with their dry line of food. Their line of dry food is made with the same quality standards and ingredients as their fresh food, but with the convenience of kibble and at a more affordable price!

Notable Features:

With A Pup Aboves human-grade ingredients, all meats are free of added hormones and antibiotics. All ingredients are USDA certified, and all veggies are non-GMO and pesticide-free.
Vet nutritionists on staff (Dr. Sarah Abood and Rebecca Remilliar) formulate the recipes and confirm that recipes are balanced according to AAFCO standards.
Unique Nutri-dry process (similar to freeze-drying) gently dries food instead of using high-heat cooking methods, which are common with traditional kibbles.
Solid transparency, with the ability to type in a code found on your specific packaging into their lot tracer tool to find the exact origins of your dog foods ingredients.
Uses eco-friendly packaging with curbside-recyclable boxes and insulation. Dog food bags can be recycled via Terracycle.

Recipes Offered:

Beef Pot Roast
Porkys Porchetta
Chicka Pupatouille
Turkey Pilaf

Ingredients for Beef Pot Roast Cubies:

Ingredients List

Beef, beef heart, sweet potato, yellow peas, red lentils...,

eggs, flaxseed, carrot, cauliflower, pork plasma, cranberry, salmon oil, olive oil, salt, cultured dried skim milk, thyme, parsley, minerals [potassium chloride, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, manganous oxide, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, magnesium oxide], vitamins [vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid].

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 43.26%

Price: A Pup Aboves dry dog food cubies are more expensive than most other standard dry foods on the market, as theyre using human-grade ingredients and a specialized cooking process. Crunching the numbers, their dry food cubes would set you back about $7 to $9 per day for a 30-pound dog. It would cost around $145 to $180 per week (roughly $21 to $26 per day) to feed my 95-pound Rottie this food (depending on the box size ordered and whether or not Id sign up for the subscribe-and-save plan).

Pros

Most dogs appear to love the taste
This human-grade food is easy to store and serve, with conveniently dried cubes
No subscription required

Cons

Pricey compared to other dry foods

Our Hands-On Review

Our CEO Meg Marrs got to sample A Pup Aboves sample pack of cubies and Remy was a big fan!

Megs notes:Remy when absolutely nuts for this stuff! He was constantly underfoot whenever I went to pour out his portion. I loved how easy this food was to prepare compared to fresh dog food no messy packaging or gross-out factor.

Plus, the food cubes were high-value enough for Remy that I could use them as treats when working on training and tricks. Remy put in 100% effort as if these cubes were the same value to him as a block of cheese!

3. Nom Nom

Best Ingredient Sourcing in a Human-Grade Dog Food

Get 50% off your first Nom Nom order with K9 of Mines link.

About: Nom Nom produces single-serving-sized fresh foods that are designed to please your dogs palate with a variety of high-quality restaurant-quality ingredients.

As with many other human-grade food manufacturers, they sell their products as part of a subscription-based service.

When you sign up for Nom Nom, youll need to provide some basic information about your dogs breed, size, and any health issues he is battling. This will allow the company to tailor one of their vet-designed formulas to specifically suit your pooch.

Notable Features:

Customized based on weight, age, activity level, and health issues
Free nutrition consultation with your order
Pre-portioned meals simply rip open the bag and dump it in your pets bowl
No organ meats included organ meats arent bad for dogs, but their nutritional content can vary, which creates problems when trying to balance a recipe
Specially prepared nutrient mixes are used in each food to ensure proper vitamin and mineral content
Dog food samples available to new customers

Basic Recipes Offered:

Beef Mash
Turkey Fare
Chicken Chow
Pork Potluck

Ingredients for Turkey Fare:

Ingredients List

Ground turkey, eggs, brown rice, carrots, spinach...,

dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, salt, fish oil, vinegar, citric acid, taurine, choline bitartrate, zinc gluconate, ferrous sulfate, vitamin E supplement, copper gluconate, manganese gluconate, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), selenium yeast, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B12 supplement, cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), potassium iodide.

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 44%

Price: Nom Nom says that meal plans vary from about $100 to $300 per month and that it will cost about $155 to $200 for 30 days of food for a 30-pound dog. To feed my 95-pound Rottweiler, the total came to $88.22 per week with the two-week-at-a-time schedule. They also offer 20% off your first order.

Customization Questions:

Name
Email Address
Pets Name
Pet Type (Dog/Cat)
Current Weight

Target Weight
Dogs DOB
Recipe
Delivery Frequency
Appears to be 4 meals per day

Pros

Most dogs appear to love the taste
Most pet parents reported things like healthier skin and coat condition, as well as increased energy levels
These foods are made in Nom Noms own, Bay-Area kitchens
No subscription required

Cons

As with most foods made with fresh ingredients, Nom Nom meals are pricey
A few pet owners had problems with the companys customer service department
The individual serving bags are sometimes difficult to open

4. The Farmers Dog

Most Eco-Friendly Human-Grade Dog Food

Take 50% off your first order with K9 of Mines link.

About: The Farmers Dog is another subscription-based food service that seeks to provide owners with real, fresh food in a convenient fashion. All of the recipes produced by the Farmers Dog are made with human-grade ingredients that are sourced from suppliers and farms that meet USDA standards.

After setting up an account with The Farmers Dog, youll need to answer a few questions about your doggo so that they can tailor the recipe to suit his breed, age, activity level, ideal weight, and any sensitivities he may have. A few days later, youll receive your first batch of food.

Notable Features:

Meal plans are customized to suit your dogs specific needs
All foods are prepared in USDA kitchens
Flexible shipment schedules available
All food is delivered within a few days of being cooked
Packed with biodegradable insulation materials you can compost them or throw them in the sink and dissolve them in water
Each recipe features The Farmers Dog proprietary nutrient blend

Basic Recipes Offered:

Turkey & Parsnip
Beef & Lentils
Pork & Sweet Potato

Ingredients for Turkey & Parsnip:

Ingredients List

Turkey, parsnips, chickpeas, carrot, broccoli...,

spinach, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, fish oil, taurine, vitamin B12 supplement, zinc amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, vitamin E supplement, copper amino acid chelate, thiamine mononitrate, sodium selenite, riboflavin supplement, potassium iodide, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 32%

Price: The Farmers Dog reports that meal plans for smaller dogs start at less than $3 per day. I plugged in my 95-pound Rottie and found that it would cost $118.29 per week.

Want more info? Read our full review of The Farmers Dog here!

Customization Questions:

Email Address
Owners first name
How many dogs
Dog name(s)
Zip Code
Do I believe that fresh food is healthiest?
Dogs sex
Dogs age
Spayed/Neutered
Weight
Personality question

Breed
Body condition
Activity level
Eating style (picky to will eat anything)
Health issues (20 different options)
Type of current food
Brand of current food
Does she get treats/scraps?
Prescription diet?
Select recipes

Pros

Pet owners reported that most dogs loved the taste and digested the food well
Meals are frozen flat, thereby minimizing the amount of fridge space necessary
We love the biodegradable nature of their packing materials

Cons

A subscription is required to order
Only available in 3 flavors
Foods are packaged in larger quantities, which is eco-friendly but inconvenient

5. Pet Plate

Most Convenient Human-Grade Dog Food to Serve

About: Pet Plate offers a subscription-based food plan that allows you to receive fresh, veterinarian-designed meals at your home.

Designed to be supremely convenient to store and use, Pet Plate meals come in pre-portioned plastic containers, which you can warm up in the microwave before feeding your pet.

You can even sign up for Pet Plates special topper plan. This is great for owners who feed their dogs kibble but want to add something nutritious and tasty on top.

Notable Features:

Each meal plan is customized to suit your dogs size and age
All recipes are designed by a veterinarian to meet or exceed the AAFCOs guidelines for all life stages
Cooked and tested in the USA
Can be stored in your freezer for up to one year
All meats come from USDA farms

Basic Recipes Offered:

Chompin Chicken
Barkin Beef
Tail Waggin Turkey
Lip Lickin Lamb

Ingredients for Tail Waggin Turkey:

Ingredients List

Turkey, sweet potatoes, potatoes, turkey liver, apples...,

carrots, green peas, pumpkin, salmon oil, dicalcium phosphate, salt, proprietary supplement blend (vitamin E, zinc oxide, ferrous fumarate, copper gluconate, manganese gluconate, sodium selenite, potassium iodide, vitamin D3)

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 41.59%

Price: Pet Plate estimates that meal plans cost between $2 and $19 per day, depending on your dogs size. Feeding a medium-sized dog will cost about $6 to $8 per day. When I filled out the questionnaire for my 95-pound Rottie, the total came to $89.95 per week.

Customization Questions:

Dogs name
Breed
Dogs DOB (they even ask for the day)

Weight
Recipe (you can select up to four)
Email Address

Pros

Most dogs appear to love taste
Each meal is very easy and convenient to serve
We love that the foods can be frozen for as long as 1 year if need be

Cons

Customization options arent as varied as they are for some other human-grade foods
Slightly lower protein content than other, comparable foods

6. Honest Kitchen

Most Affordable Human-Grade Dog Food

Take 30% off your order with the code K930!

About: Like the other foods weve discussed so far, the Honest Kitchen produces premium dog food recipes that are made from human-grade ingredients.

However, unlike these other brands, the Honest Kitchen recipes are not fresh dog foods and are not sold via a subscription-based service.

Instead, you simply buy your dogs food as needed.

In addition to a variety of kibble toppers and partial dog food mixes, the Honest Kitchen provides two basic types of food: Dehydrated meals that you add to warm water and serve, as well as their Whole Food Clusters line, which is essentially a kibble-style product you can serve as-is.

Well primarily be focusing on the dehydrated meals here, as that is their primary focus.

Notable Features:

Made in the USA in a human-grade food processing facility with many organic ingredients
Several different recipes to choose from, including grain-inclusive and grain-free options
Honest Kitchen was the first company to produce human-grade dog foods, being the first pet food company to obtain approval from the FDA to use the term human grade on its products
Requires no refrigeration (although re-hydrated leftovers would need to be refrigerated)
Contains no feed grade by-products, artificial preservatives, or GMO ingredients

Ingredients for Cage-Free Turkey:

Ingredients List

Dehydrated Turkey, Organic Oats, Dehydrated Potatoes, Organic Flaxseed, Dehydrated Carrots...,

Dehydrated Cabbage, Dried Apples, Dehydrated Honey, Dehydrated Organic Kelp, Dried Garlic, Minerals [Tricalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Potassium Iodide, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Sodium Selenite], Taurine, Vitamins [Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), D- Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement].

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 24.07%

Price: Approximately $1.61 per pound. Crunching the numbers, this food looks like it would cost me about $45 per month to keep my 95-pound Rottie fed a similar amount of calories that she currently gets. Thats in the same ballpark as what I currently spend on her premium kibble.

Customization Questions: None simply pick the food you think will work best.

Pros

Much more affordable than the other human-grade dog foods listed here
No subscription required
A wide variety of recipes are available
Pet parents can choose between grain-inclusive and grain-free options

Cons

Not as fresh as some other human-grade dog foods
A bit of preparation is required before serving
The consistency doesnt look very appealing to most owners (then again, theyre not eating it!)

7. Raised Right

Best Human-Grade Dog Food Without Synthetic Vitamins

About: Rather than rely on synthetic vitamins, Raised Right uses real sources of nutrients like tasty organ meat and produce to provide a nutritionally balanced meal for your pooch. These limited-ingredient recipes also contain healthy fats like cod liver oil to nourish your canines skin and coat, as well as ground eggshells to provide calcium.

As with many other fresh options, this food has a ground meaty texture, pleasing the palates of most doggos and being easier to eat for floofs with missing teeth.

Made in the USA with human-grade ingredients, Raised Right is vet-formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for your specific pooch. Just input your dogs basic facts, and youll receive this fresh food shipped right to your door.

Notable Features:

Packed in recyclable boxes with compostable non-GMO corn liners
Select from a full box of 16 bags or a sample pack of 4 bags
Can be fed as your dogs entire diet or as a mix-in nutrition and flavor booster
While a subscription is required, you can pause or update your plan at any time
Made in the USA at a USDA-inspected human-grade facility

Ingredients for Turkey Recipe:

Ingredients List

Turkey Thigh, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Carrots, Blueberries...,

Organic Spearmint, Cod Liver Oil, Egg Shell Powder, Flaxseed Oil, Organic Dried Kelp

Protein Content (Dry Matter Basis): 62%

Price: Feeding a 40-pound dog of normal activity levels looking to maintain his weight 100 percent Raised Right would cost $13.04 a day. For the same dog weighing 20 pounds, the price drops to $7.76 daily, and with a 95-pound pooch, itd be $24.96.

Customization Questions:

Is your dog a puppy or adult?
How much does your canine weigh?
Whats your pups activity level?
Does your dog need to lose, gain, or maintain his current weight?

Pros

Pet parents love that it relies on natural sources of nutrients versus synthetic vitamins
You can mix and match recipes in every order to give your dog variety if you like
Limited-ingredient recipes are ideal for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities
We love the inclusion of organ meats and fresh produce

Cons

Definitely one of the pricier human-grade dog food options
Requires refrigerator space

Another Option: Human-Grade Dog Food Toppers

Best Human-Grade Dog Food Topper

About: Portland Pets Meal Pouches offer you another way to spice up your poochs dinner while sticking to only human-grade ingredients. Simply open up a pouch, microwave it if you like, pour it on top of your pups chow, and give it a little stir.

Voila! Five-star dinner is served!

Though marketed as toppers, these meals are *this close* to being nutritionally complete dog dinners by themselves. So, not only will they make your dogs food taste better, theyll add a ton of nutritional value to your dogs dinner too.

Basic Recipes Offered:

Hopkins Pork N Potato
Rosies Beef N Rice Meal
Tuxedos Chicken & Yams
Grandma Adas Turkey & Yams
Wallys Salmon N Rice

Ingredients for Rosies Beef N Rice Meal Pouch:

Ingredients List

Beef, Brown Rice, Peas, Carrots, Beef Heart...,

Eggs, Millet Flour, Vegetable Oil, and Powdered Eggshell.

Pros

Most dogs go absolutely nuts for the flavor of these meal pouches
These provide a tasty and nutritious way to upgrade your dogs standard kibble
They can be helpful for enticing picky pups to feed

Cons

These will increase your overall dog food budget
Pet parents will have to put in some extra time and effort to prepare dinner

K9 of Mine Review

K9 of Mine contributor Kate Brunotts reviewed Portland Pet Foods toppers with her dog, Spicy, a while back, but they recently sent me a couple of variety packs to try out with my pooch J.B.

(They also sent me some tasty treats, but well talk about those another day. Suffice to say, they were much appreciated by my pup especially the bacon-flavored ones.)

Once dinner time rolled around, I opened up a bag, nuked it for 30 seconds, and mixed it in with my puppers food.

It actually looks pretty darn good, once its all mixed up.

But unfortunately, my dog didnt care for the taste.

I was not terribly surprised, as she is incredibly picky. Im not kidding she wont even eat deli meats (but she will gladly slurp down asparagus, so go figure).

But thats OK I had other options.

Option #1: I grabbed a topper pouch and headed over to my girlfriends house to see if Willow, her 7-year-old, sugary-sweet great Pyrenees, would be interested.

As a matter of fact, she was interested.

The nomming commenced immediately and did not stop until her bowl was spotless. Ive given her several other flavors since then, and shes loved each and every one.

On to option #2: I sent my brother home with a few of the meal pouches after a recent visit. He tried them with Diesel, his 5-month-old Pyr. Diesel proved to be just as big a fan of these as Willow.

He greedily slurped both recipes down, which is saying something, as Ive seen this dog politely take treats from me and then gently place them on the ground as if to say no thanks.

OK, so for those keeping score at home, we now have two big ol pups who loved these human-grade toppers. But what about smaller breeds?

For that, well have to move on to options #3 and #4. I gave a meal to two of my neighbors to try with their own dogs.

One of these puppers (who is unfortunately camera shy, so youll just have to use your imagination) is a slightly crotchety old shih tzu named Hardy.

Hardy, in a word, loved these toppers. His mom raved about the way he enjoyed them, and she mentioned that he is actually a bit of a picky fella.

Another one of my neighbors has a relatively chill and reserved Chihuahua named Taco (I should also point out that Taco is one of the largest Chihuahuas Ive ever seen).

Just like Willow, Diesel, and Hardy, Taco enthusiastically devoured these meal pouches, as you can see:

So, while my particularly picky pupper wasnt a fan, these meal pouches were quite popular with the four other floofs who had the chance to try them.

If youre thinking about trying a topper for your dog and want to stick to human-grade ingredients, Portland Pet Food Pouches should clearly be your first choice.

Differences Between Human-Grade and Normal Dog Food

Well talk about the definition of human-grade dog foods in a minute, but lets start by looking at some of the key differences between a typical bag of kibble or dry dog food, canned dog foods, and a bag or tub of pet food labelled as human-grade or made with human-grade ingredients.

Some of the most important differences are detailed in the table below.

Characteristic	Human-Grade Dog Food	Typical Kibble (Dry Food)	Typical Canned Food
Overall Appearance	Most human-grade foods are comprised of readily identifiable ingredients you may cook for yourself. This includes things like pieces of chicken, rice, and peas.	Usually, kibble takes the form of small, roundish, crunchy balls. Individual ingredients are rarely identifiable.	Some canned foods are minced and formed into a pate-like consistency. Youll rarely be able to identify the constituent ingredients easily. Other canned foods are comprised of cuts of meat, as well as carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, which are all mixed in a gravy-like sauce.
Preserved or Shelf Stable?	Not usually. Most human-grade foods and foods made with human-grade ingredients must be kept refrigerated or frozen. There are also a few human-grade foods that are dehydrated products, which are shelf stable and require no refrigeration.	Kibble or dry food is usually preserved. The best foods are generally preserved with naturally occurring mixed tocopherols (such as Vitamin E). Kibbles are usually shelf stable for about one year.	Most canned foods are preserved, and like kibbles the best ones typically use naturally occurring mixed tocopherols as the preservative. Most unopened canned foods are shelf stable for two years. Once opened, theyll last about one week if refrigerated and sealed up tightly.
How to Serve	Thaw a frozen packet (if necessary), cut open bag or open tub, pour into your dogs bowl. Most such packages are designed to contain a single serving. Some human-grade come in dehydrated form, so youll need to add warm water to the mix before serving.	Scoop out desired amount and transfer to your pets bowl.	Open can and dump out the desired amount in your pets bowl.
Care of Leftovers	The leftovers of human-grade foods must be refrigerated.	Leftovers can be left at room temperature for several hours.	Leftovers must be refrigerated or discarded.
Special Recipes Available? (such as LID, joint-support, reduced calorie, etc.)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Available for All Life Stages?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cost	Very high	Typically, the most affordable option	Higher than kibble; lower than human-grade

What ARE Human-Grade Foods? What Does Human-Grade Even Mean?

Chances are, if you are reading this, we dont have to convince you that your dog deserves the very best.

Thats part of the reason youre reading about dog foods in the first place. In fact, wed bet that you probably like the idea of feeding your pet food thats deemed high-enough quality to grace your own dinner table. In other words, youd like foods made with ingredients that are fit for human consumption.

While theres no doubt that the foods listed here are some of the healthiest dog foods on the market today, The problem is that the regulations regarding the use of the term human grade are complex.

There are at least four different federal agencies that play some role in the regulation of pet foods:

American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Further, the Department of Agriculture for each state is also involved in regulating some pet food labelling issues.

Theoretically, human grade dog foods are those made with human-grade ingredients and prepared in USDA-approved kitchens in accordance with the FDAs 21 CFR part 117.

That seems simple enough, but there are a million complicating factors.

For one, some states wont recognize any kitchen that manufacturers dog food to be a human-grade facility. This means that for some states, human-grade dog food simply doesnt exist. Of course that doesnt mean much for most pet parents, but it illustrates just how confusing and unregulated the human-grade title is.

Additionally, the term human-grade doesnt even appear to have a legal definition, according to the AAFCO. The most appropriate term that does have a legal definition, and should therefore be used instead, is human edible.

This is important because there are two different types of foods that can come out of a USDA-approved kitchen: human edible and human inedible.

So, even if a food was processed in a USDA-approved kitchen, it may not be considered human edible or human grade, even if it can still be used in a pet food.

Despite this, many manufacturers will promote the fact that their dog food is processed in a USDA-approved kitchen, although this doesnt mean that the food is closer to human edible quality.

To complicate matters even further, many of the regulations in place are currently in a state of flux, as regulators are doing their best to adjust to these new trends in dog food manufacturing. Hopefully, these issues will be resolved in the near future.

Truthfully, at least at the moment while regulations are still developing, the label of human-grade is more of a marketing gimmick than anything else. There simply isnt any kind of all-encompassing regulation or approval process when it comes to labeling a dog food as human-grade.

That being said, human-grade dog foods do tend to generally be high-quality options that most owners love. Most human-grade dog foods deal with fresh, wholesome ingredients, and owners tend to see favorable outcomes when switching their dogs to one of the human-grade brands we detail below.

In this article, weve explored only those brands that produce foods embodying a human-grade ethos, regardless of the technical, legal details of their claims.

Human-Grade Dog Food FAQ: Your Questions Answered!

Theres no doubt about it: The subject of human-grade dog food triggers a number of questions among dog owners. So, weve tried to clear up a few of the most common questions about this subject below.

Can humans eat human grade dog food?

Theoretically, yes. If you wanted to eat human-grade dog food, you could. However, dog food contains fewer spices and flavors than human food, since dogs dont always digest them well.

Is human grade dog food better than kibble?

Human-grade dog food offers a number of benefits over kibble, often using fresh ingredients and requiring less processing than traditional dry dog food.

If a dog food is made in USDA kitchens, does that make it human grade?

No. USDA kitchens can produce human edible and human inedible food, so just because a dog food was made in a USDA kitchen does not mean the food is human-grade.

How is human-grade dog food stored?

Fresh, human-grade dog food needs to be refrigerated. However, human-grade foods that are shelf-stable can be stored like ordinary kibble.

Do human-grade dog foods contain artificial flavors?

Not usually. However, theres no regulation that prevents brands from doing so, as many human foods contain artificial flavors, artificial colors, and artificial preservatives.