Raw Feeding & Food Safety: Your Kitchen Already Knows More Than You Think

Long before I became a chef, I learned how to handle food from my mother and my grandmas.

They made meatballs, broke down chickens, grilled meat, handled fish and game, and prepared meals for the people they loved. One of my grandmas even slaughtered and dressed chickens and game herself.

Nobody announced, "Now we're implementing our pathogen-control protocol."

They just knew what to do. Wash your hands. Keep the kitchen clean. Don't use the cutting board you just had raw chicken on to prepare something else. Keep cold food cold. Put things away when you're finished. And if something smelled wrong or looked wrong, you didn't eat it.

They were teaching me food safety long before I knew there was a name for it.

I think many of us grew up with some version of that. Safe food preparation becomes part of our lives almost without us noticing. It's in there somewhere, whispering to us, and sometimes we just have to listen.

If you're just beginning to explore raw or fresh feeding, start with Part 1 of our Rawgust series: Raw Feeding Doesn't Have to Be Complicated. Start Here. It walks through simple ways to take that first step without feeling like you need to change your pet's entire diet overnight.

That's important to remember if you're curious about raw feeding but find yourself thinking, I don't know if I'm comfortable handling raw food for my pet.

You already know more than you think.

Respect Raw Food. Don't Fear It.

Raw food deserves respect. Absolutely. But respect and fear aren't the same thing.

If you've prepared chicken for your family, made hamburgers, handled a steak, cleaned fish, or cracked eggs into a bowl, you've already handled raw animal foods.

Preparing raw food for your dog or cat doesn't suddenly require an entirely new set of kitchen skills. Many of the habits that help keep a kitchen safe are the same ones you've probably practiced for years.

After 35 years of working professionally with food, I certainly respect what can happen when raw ingredients are handled poorly. But I've never been afraid of raw food.

There's an important difference. We don't need to fear the chicken. We need to understand how to handle the chicken.

How to Handle Raw Pet Food Safely

Safe raw feeding starts with many of the same habits you use when preparing food for yourself and your family.

Keep raw food properly refrigerated or frozen until you're ready to use it. Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator rather than leaving it on the counter.

Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw ingredients. Or wear gloves.

Use clean utensils, cutting boards, counters, and food preparation surfaces. Avoid using a surface or utensil that has touched raw meat for another food until it has been thoroughly cleaned.

Clean your pet's bowl after meals, and don't allow uneaten raw food to sit out for extended periods. Keep raw pet food away from foods that will be eaten without further cooking.

Then clean up when you're done. It isn't glamorous, but good food safety rarely is.

Pay Attention to Storage, Too

Food safety doesn't begin when the food hits the bowl. Pay attention to how raw food is stored, thawed, portioned, and returned to the refrigerator.

Follow the storage and handling instructions provided by the food manufacturer. Keep refrigerated products properly chilled and frozen products frozen until you're ready to thaw them.

If you portion larger packages, use clean tools and containers and return unused food to proper storage promptly.

And use your senses.

If something smells unusual, looks unusual, or you have reason to question how it was stored, don't take the chance.

That's not "raw feeding advice." That's food advice.

Clean Bowls Matter

We talk a lot about what's going into the bowl, but the bowl itself matters, too.

Food residue, saliva, and moisture can accumulate in pet bowls regardless of what you're feeding. When raw animal ingredients are involved, consistent cleaning becomes even more important.

Wash food bowls after raw meals with hot, soapy water and allow them to dry thoroughly before the next use. Keep feeding areas clean, and wash any utensils or surfaces used during meal preparation.

This is one of those small routines that quickly becomes second nature.

Feed. Clean. Put everything away. Done.

Know Your Household

Raw feeding isn't going to be the right choice for every household, and food safety decisions should take into account the people and animals living in your home.

Some households may need to exercise additional caution, particularly when someone is especially vulnerable to foodborne illness.

That's part of making an informed decision.

Your neighbor's feeding routine doesn't have to become your feeding routine. Consider your pet, your household, your comfort level, and any guidance you've received from your veterinarian or healthcare provider.

The goal is to make a choice you can manage safely and consistently.

What About the Pet?

Good food-handling practices aren't only about the humans in the house. Pay attention to your pet's eating habits, too.

If your dog carries food away from the bowl, you may need to clean those areas afterward. If you're feeding multiple pets, consider whether they're swapping bowls or leaving food behind for someone else to finish later.

And, just as we discussed in Part 1 of our Rawgust series, pay attention to the animal in front of you as you introduce dietary changes.

Watch appetite, stool quality, body condition, energy, and overall response. Food gives us feedback if we're willing to pay attention.

Confidence Comes With Practice

The first time you open a package of raw pet food, you might feel like you need an instruction manual, a hazmat suit, and three different disinfectants.

You don't. You need good information, a clean kitchen, and consistent habits. The more familiar the routine becomes, the less intimidating it feels.

That's true of so many things in pet wellness. We learn. We practice. We pay attention. And eventually something that once felt complicated simply becomes part of what we do.

If you're interested in adding more fresh or raw food to your pet's bowl, don't let fear of handling it stop you from learning more.

Start where you're comfortable. Respect the food. Keep your kitchen clean. Pay attention to your pet.

And take the next step when you're ready.

If handling that first package of raw chicken still makes you hesitate, listen closely. Mom and those grandmas might still be in there somewhere whispering: "Wash your hands, Scot."

Chef Scot Hill
CPCN
Co-Founder, Woof Creek Pet Wellness