Welcome to First Source Pet Foods
Your Pet's Health is Our Top Priority.
We understand your concerns about the H5N1 Virus.
Recent news about the H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) and some brands' decisions suspend production has left many raw pet food customers worried about the safety of their pets.
Rest assured, the brands we carry – Albright’s Raw, BJ’s Raw, Blue Ridge Beef, and GreenTripe.com – are committed to the highest safety and quality standards.
Here's how each of our brands are keeping your pets safe:
Albright's Pet Food
Albright’s Raw prioritizes safety and transparency, working with USDA-inspected suppliers and implementing robust measures to ensure your pet’s food is always safe.- Sourced exclusively from human-grade, USDA-inspected suppliers.
- Poultry suppliers certify products as “H5/H7 clean” before processing.
- Ongoing monitoring ensures their supply chain remains unaffected.
Albright's Official Statement
Avian Influenza Quality Statement
Dear Valued Distributors and Customers,
We understand that recent headlines about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), specifically the H5 strain, have raised concerns. This strain has affected wild birds and, in some cases, led to infections in U.S. poultry and dairy cows. We want to assure you that we are actively working with our suppliers and closely monitoring the situation to maintain the quality and safety of our products.
In response to our recent inquiries, many suppliers and their representatives, including Directors of Food Safety and QA, have provided detailed information about their Avian Influenza safety measures, testing protocols, mitigation procedures, and response plans. These efforts not only comply with required standards but, in many cases, go above and beyond to ensure their products are safe and free from HPAI. This is a critical benefit of sourcing from reputable, human grade, USDA inspected suppliers.
Here’s some additional information to help qualify the issue by the proteins in question:
Pork: There are currently no known outbreaks impacting pork.
Beef: The infections are limited to some dairy cows, and we primarily source steer beef, which is not currently impacted. The dairy beef we do source is from states with currently no reported cases of HPAI.
Poultry: as with all our major proteins we only source human-grade poultry from USDA-inspected facilities. The suppliers and facilities we work with are a small but trusted network that adhere to stringent testing and compliance procedures to ensure all birds are “certified H5/H7 clean” before reaching their harvest plants.
Bottom Line: Historically, these spikes in HPAI have aligned with wild bird migratory patterns and remain relatively isolated as the procedures in place serve to isolate and minimize the spread. At this time, we have no evidence that our supply chain has been affected. We will continue to engage with our suppliers, monitor the situation closely, and update you if anything changes.
Thank you for trusting Albright’s Raw Pet Food. The health and safety of your pets, your customers’ pets and our own, remain our top priority, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards in everything we do.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Blue Ridge Beef
With cutting-edge processes like High Pressure Processing (HPP), Blue Ridge Beef leads the industry in proactive safety measures for raw pet food.- Products undergo High Pressure Processing (HPP), a scientifically proven method to eliminate pathogens like avian influenza.
- Every batch is tested and frozen under stringent conditions for optimal safety.
Blue Ridge Official Statement
As a commitment to our product safety we are continually monitoring the current Avian Influenza outbreak and how it may affect our suppliers or products. At this time we are confident that our products and supply are unaffected.
In addition to our supplier vetting procedures, processing and sanitation operations; we use High Pressure Processing (HPP) as a lethality step after packaging. This lethality step takes place after final stuffing/packaging and before the freezing of our chubs. During this process the product is exposed to 600mpa for a 3 minute hold time. The sealed processed chub is then frozen and boxed ensuring that the product inside of the packaging is safe for shipment and consumption.
High Pressure Processing has been studied and proven to destroy avian influenza through a variety of pressures and corresponding hold times under that pressure. Attached are some references regarding these studies.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713516304200
https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-food-072514-104609#right-ref-B59
Moving forward, we are patiently waiting for commercial avian influenza tests to become available. Once our lab partner has these tests available we will begin screening for the virus in our finished products.
Please let me know if I can provide any other details regarding HPP or our operations.
Dustin
Quality Assurance
Blue Ridge BeefBJ's Raw Pet Food
BJ’s Raw is deeply committed to protecting pets, combining expert partnerships and strict sourcing to provide safe, high-quality food you can rely on.- Ingredients come from trusted suppliers with rigorous biosecurity protocols.
- Adheres to CDC guidelines for raw food safety.
BJ's Raw Official Statement
At BJ’s Raw Pet Food, the health and safety of your pets are our top priorities. We understand that recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) may raise concerns among pet owners.
We want to assure you that we take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our products and the well-being of your pets:
- Strict Source Verification: We only source our ingredients from reputable suppliers who adhere to the highest standards of animal husbandry and biosecurity.
- Close Collaboration with Experts: We maintain close communication with veterinary professionals and animal health experts to stay informed about the latest developments and implement the most effective safety measures.
- Adherence to CDC Guidelines: Our practices align with the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the safe handling and consumption of animal products.
What You Can Do:
- Monitor Your Pet’s Health: Observe your pet closely for any signs of illness, such as lethargy, loss of appetite, or respiratory distress.
- Practice Good Hygiene: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw pet food and any surfaces that may have come into contact with it. Using food-safe gloves when handling raw food is always a great option as well, and preferred!
- Consult Your Veterinarian: If you have any concerns about your pet’s health or the potential impact of Avian Influenza, please consult with your veterinarian for personalized advice.
We understand that this situation may cause some anxiety. We remain committed to providing you with the safest and highest quality raw pet food available.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
GreenTripe.com
GreenTripe has earned the trust of pet owners through years of consistent quality, demonstrating a steadfast dedication to providing nutritious, raw pet food.- All meat is sourced from USDA, CDFA, and FSIS-inspected facilities, which conduct rigorous testing for avian flu and other potential risks.
- Batch samples are retained for additional testing, such as for salmonella, ensuring a proactive approach to product safety and quality assurance.
GreenTripe Official Statement
We deeply value the trust you place in us to provide high-quality, safe food for your pets.
We want to assure you that the meat we use is sourced exclusively from facilities regulated and inspected by government agencies like the USDA, CDFA and FSIS. These agencies conduct rigorous testing for avian flu and other potential risks to ensure the safety of the meat entering the supply chain.
While we do not have the facilities to conduct testing ourselves, we rely on these trusted and certified sources that meet or exceed all regulatory standards. This approach ensures that the products we provide to you are safe and of the highest quality.
We also retain samples of each batch we produce. This allows us to conduct additional testing, such as for salmonella, if needed. This proactive approach ensures that we can respond quickly and effectively to any safety concerns, providing an extra layer of protection for your pets
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have further questions or concerns.
If you'd like more information about our brands' safety measures or need guidance on raw feeding safety please call or email us today.
As always, thank you for trusting us to be a part of your pet's care.