The first step in creating a high-quality dog ​​food is selecting suitable and complementary ingredients . These form the foundation of the dog food and are therefore essential.

In this first step, when developing our dog meals, it's important to us that we combine a holistic selection of elements to create a healthy foundation for our food. We place great importance on ensuring that our food's ingredients reflect all components of the food pyramid (yes, there is one for dogs, too).

The two largest components of our Alpenwuff foods are therefore always a combination of proteins and carbohydrates. In our recipes, it is important to us to use meat as the main ingredient and thus the primary protein source . Unlike other manufacturers , we avoid low-quality slaughterhouse waste such as hooves, claws, or feathers. Highly processed animal protein (always labeled "protein") is also not included in our food. We also use plant-based protein and carbohydrate sources such as peas or amaranth as supplements.

Potatoes and rice are the most commonly digestible carbohydrate sources found in our food. Pumpkin and amaranth are also used in some recipes to provide a suitable alternative for the growing number of dogs with a potato or grain intolerance.

The third important component is sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. We avoid low-quality animal fats of unknown origin in our recipes. Instead, you'll find high-quality oils such as salmon, rapeseed, thistle, and linseed oil in our recipes, which complement our recipes as fat sources.

Juiced carrots, chicory, parsnip, apple and carob flour provide valuable fiber for digestion and complete our recipes as natural mineral and vitamin suppliers.

In addition, Alpenwuff is of course always free from artificial colors, fragrances, flavors and preservatives.

All in all, it is important to us to reflect all dimensions of a healthy diet with our food and to show you transparently what is in the food and where the ingredients come from.

You can find detailed information about the individual ingredients we use and why we use them in our article on the topic of Our Ingredients .

The next step in the manufacturing process involves breaking down the carbohydrate sources.

Before the feed can be pressed, some ingredients must be broken down. This is especially true for carbohydrate sources such as potatoes and peas, which cannot be digested in their raw state.

We gently cook carbohydrate sources such as potatoes, peas or sweet potatoes using steam and pressure and then dry them .

In contrast to extrusion plants, where temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius are possible, our temperature remains consistently below 100 degrees Celsius. This gentle cooking process preserves many of the natural and valuable ingredients, while still making the carbohydrates easily digestible and wholesome for our four-legged friends.

Second, the meat is heated to at least 100 degrees Celsius and boiled. This is a hygiene requirement and ensures that germs and bacteria are killed. With the legally required pretreatment of the meat, it is a myth that cold-pressed dry food carries a higher risk of bacteria, salmonella, or other germs .

Next, the other ingredients are dried and then added, and the feed is pressed into its briquette form at a relatively cold temperature of 60 degrees Celsius .

After the meat and carbohydrates have been pretreated , all ingredients are first dried.

Since it's a dry food, this step is essential. After gentle drying, the ingredients are ground so that all the ingredients are ready for the actual cold-pressing in ground form, like flour.

The ingredients are then cold-pressed at just 60 degrees Celsius to form crisp briquettes. In addition to the pre-cooked carbohydrates, the ingredients include dried meat, oils, vitamin sources, and fiber. Vitamins and oils, in particular, are very temperature-sensitive and are attacked by heat, as various human medical studies have shown. These two components can be better preserved in their natural form through cold-pressing.

The result is the distinctive Alpenwuff briquette , which our four-legged friends, and especially Calu, love so much. Finally, our food is packaged and ready to be shipped to you and your four-legged friend.

Next, our feed is filled into handy paper bags . These are multi-layered. A plastic bag is glued to the inside to prevent the feed from becoming greasy and to allow it to be transported in the sustainable paper bag. Once the feed has been removed from the paper bag, it is important that you remove the plastic inner bag from the paper bag.

Only by disposing of the two bags separately can they be recycled . In terms of sustainability , this is very important for us, and perhaps for you too.

Our food will have a shelf life of (at least) eight months from the time it arrives. This relatively early best-before date is due to the fact that our food is 100% free of artificial preservatives . However, please note that this is only a best-before date.

The first step in creating high-quality wet dog food is selecting suitable and complementary ingredients . Unlike dry food, the proportions of the individual components are based on the raw food (BARF) diet, as meat contains a large amount of liquid. As with dry food, we attach great importance to ensuring that the ingredients in our wet food varieties adequately represent all components of the food pyramid .

Naturally, (organic) meat is the main ingredient in all wet food varieties.

Once the careful and complementary selection of ingredients is complete, carbohydrate sources are broken down and prepared for further processing.

All ingredients are then gently mixed and ground to create a uniform feed mass.

The freshly ground ingredients are placed directly into cans or bags at a cool 4°C to prevent bacteria from growing. Similar to cold-pressing, natural nutrients are preserved.

The sealed portions are then placed in a large "cooking pot" and gently heated to around 100°C. This preserves most of the beneficial nutrients, and the meals have a long shelf life without artificial preservatives. The meat juices that collect in the can are produced naturally during heating—just like when you pan-fry a piece of meat at home.