Wanna hear how we make Heckova!?
Wanna hear how we make Heckova!?
You’re proud of your dog. And we’re proud of how we create the safest, cleanest, tastiest, freeze-dried raw dog food we possibly can.
It all happens in one incredibly cool place.
Preparing raw food for your pup might sound simple, but it’s not. It takes special equipment and rigorous safeguards to produce top-quality raw food that offers the natural flavor dogs love, along with optimal safety and nutrition.
Every ingredient is responsibly sourced.
Premium food starts with premium ingredients. We sniff out the very best from trusted sources, including fresh chicken raised without antibiotics. Our simple, clean, limited-ingredient recipes include only natural, protein-packed meat and poultry, nutrient-rich veggies and high-fiber grains for optimal head-to-tail health. And Heckova! is produced with a heck of a lot of love at our freeze-dry facility right here in the U.S.A. (Nebraska, to be exact.)
We mix it all up. And apply big-time pressure.
After all the ingredients are combined, the food is purified through something called high-pressure processing (HPP). Here’s how it works: the food is subjected to more than 80,000 pounds per square inch of water pressure, which literally squeezes the bacteria out while preserving the food’s original flavor, texture and nutrition. The result is food that’s safe, clean and pathogen-free, but with all the natural taste and pup-pleasing goodness of raw.
Into the freeze drier it goes.
After HPP, the food is chopped into bite-size pieces and freeze-dried using a process called sublimation. What the heck is that? Let us explain. With sublimation, we use extreme cold to evaporate moisture immediately off the food, so it goes directly from a frozen to a gas state -- think dry ice, for example. The meat retains its shape, texture and quality, but becomes dramatically lighter in weight and no longer needs refrigeration. Then we package it up and it’s out the door, bound for some lucky dog’s bowl!
Here’s why it all matters to you and your pup.
Our process isn’t fast. And it’s definitely not easy. But it’s exactly the right way to produce amazingly delicious food that will delight your pampered pup -- and provide optimal nutrition specially crafted for greater health and happiness. For you it means total convenience, welcome peace of mind and extra mealtime joy, knowing you can dish up the raw goodness your fur-baby loves anytime, anywhere -- no refrigerator required.
Hungry for more? Let’s dig into the details.
Where is Heckova! made?
If it says Heckova! it’s made by a heck of a great team at our freeze-dry facility, located in Nebraska, USA.
How is the bacteria in raw food controlled?
The bacteria in our raw food is killed through a step called high-pressure processing (HPP). HPP uses extremely high pressure to eliminate microorganisms such as E. coli., Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella. HPP is a scientifically validated process that retains the nutrients in the food much more effectively than cooking it.
Does high pressure processing reduce the overall nutrition of Heckova!?
Nope, HPP has little to no effect on the nutrition of Heckova! products. That’s what makes HPP such an essential step – it kills harmful pathogens, while preserving the nutrients of the raw food.
What specific quality control measures do you implement to guarantee the safety and quality of Heckova!?
Quality starts with our ingredients. We have a very rigorous supplier approval program to ensure that all of our ingredients meet the highest standards for quality and traceability. During processing, each batch is high-pressure processed, goes through multiple metal detectors, and is tested for pathogens and microbiological indicators at three points during the manufacturing process. In addition, 100% of the product is manufactured in a facility that is Safe Quality Food (SQF) certified in both Pet Food Manufacturing and Quality. We’re proud to report that our facility has received the highest rating achievable (“Excellent”) in every SQF audit. Finally, we test and hold the product until it passes all of our rigorous safety and quality control steps to ensure that only the highest quality food makes it into your dog’s bowl.
What does Safe Quality Food (SQF)-Certified mean?
The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognized certification. The SQF program details strict food safety and quality standards that cover all aspects of the food supply chain. Every year, our food safety and quality program and manufacturing facility are audited by an SQF auditor. We’re incredibly proud to have earned an “Excellent” rating (the highest rating achievable) in every SQF audit.
