What Is HPP in Pet Food? What Every Raw Feeder Should Know

October 16, 2026

If you've seen "HPP" on raw dog food packaging or brand websites, you might be wondering what it means for your pet. If you're evaluating raw dog food and raw cat food, you probably want to know exactly how those meals get made.

This guide covers what HPP is, how it works, what it actually changes in raw food, and which questions to ask any raw pet food manufacturer about their production methods.

What Is HPP in Pet Food?

HPP stands for high-pressure processing, a cold-water food safety method that uses extreme pressure instead of heat to inactivate harmful bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. You may also see it called high-pressure pasteurization or cold pasteurization.

This technology is widely used in human foods. Common examples include:

Cold-pressed juices
Guacamole
Deli meats

In the raw pet food industry, HPP became more common after the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 increased FDA oversight of pet food manufacturing.

HPP is not legally required. It's one method manufacturers use to address food safety, and the CDC notes that HPP-treated products are still considered to be raw pet food¹.

How High-Pressure Processing Works

The HPP process follows a specific sequence:

Raw food is sealed in its final packaging
Packages are loaded into a pressure vessel
The chamber fills with cold water
Pressure reaches approximately 87,000 PSI for several minutes
Pressure disrupts bacterial cell membranes
Packages are removed and frozen for distribution

The science behind HPP involves breaking weaker chemical bonds that hold bacterial cells together. Stronger covalent bonds that maintain amino acids, vitamins, and fatty acids remain intact.

Health Canada's assessment of high hydrostatic pressure processing confirms the process does not affect the structural components of the food itself², including structural proteins, fibers, and fats.

HPP vs. Traditional Heat Pasteurization

Method	How It Works	Effect on Nutrients	Effect on Texture & Flavor
Traditional Pasteurization	Uses high temperatures to kill pathogens	Can degrade heat-sensitive vitamins	Changes flavor and texture
HPP	Uses cold water and mechanical pressure	Retains more nutritional characteristics	Minimal changes to original properties

This distinction is why HPP-treated foods retain more of their original nutritional characteristics compared to heat-processed alternatives. This matters when comparing raw vs. cooked food preparation methods.

Which Raw Pet Food Brands Use HPP?

Many recognized raw dog food and raw cat food brands incorporate HPP into their production. These include:

Viva Raw
We Feed Raw
Stella & Chewy's
Primal Pet Foods
Steve's Real Food
Northwest Naturals
Instinct

Some apply HPP to all products while others reserve it for higher-risk proteins like poultry. Manufacturers aren't required to disclose HPP on packaging, so pet owners often need to contact companies directly. Reading how to read dog food labels can help in general, though this particular detail usually takes a phone call or email.

Some raw pet food brands do not use HPP. Instead, they rely on:

Rigorous sourcing standards
HACCP food safety protocols
Strict cold chain management
Ongoing pathogen testing

Darwin's takes this approach, leaning on rigorous sourcing, veterinary nutritionist-formulated recipes, and minimal processing rather than HPP to protect nutrient quality.

What HPP Does (and Doesn't) Change in Raw Food

The HPP conversation gets nuanced here, covering the areas raw feeders care about most.

Nutrients, Enzymes, and Beneficial Bacteria

At pressures and hold times typical for raw pet food, research suggests minimal nutrient loss. Minerals appear largely unaffected, though some vitamins, particularly vitamin A, may decrease modestly.

Enzyme activity also appears to remain largely intact at cold temperatures and short processing times.

HPP does reduce beneficial bacteria alongside pathogens. Naturally occurring bacteria levels in raw meat fall far below what's needed for a meaningful probiotic effect. The digestive benefits associated with raw feeding, which support healthy gut microbes and your dog, come from the diet's overall composition rather than trace bacteria in the meat itself.

Fat Oxidation, Color, and Texture

HPP can increase lipid oxidation potential during storage, particularly in poultry. Vacuum-sealed packaging and keeping food frozen help minimize that effect, a good illustration of the impact of freshness on nutrient value in raw diets generally.

Red meats may appear lighter after processing because of changes in myoglobin. Texture can become slightly more compact. These cosmetic changes rarely impact palatability. Processing choices and sourcing standards, including hormone-free, antibiotic-free ingredients, can affect how manufacturers approach nutrient preservation.

Questions to Ask About How Your Raw Food Is Made

Every dog owner should feel comfortable asking these questions of any fresh dog food manufacturer:

Processing:

Do you use HPP?
If not, what food safety measures do you follow?
Is food re-exposed to the environment after processing?

Ingredients:

Have you tested nutrient levels after processing?
Where do you source your meats?
Are recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists following guidelines for a complete and balanced diet for dogs?

Transparency:

Do you use BPA-free packaging?
Do you conduct third-party testing?
Is a care team available for questions?

A confident manufacturer will welcome these inquiries. Pet owners can ask whether a manufacturer offers pet nutrition consulting or access to a care team for product questions.

When buying raw pet food, consider whether a manufacturer's practices align with your priorities. Manufacturers can explain whether recipes are developed by veterinary nutritionists to meet AAFCO guidelines for complete and balanced dog diets.