Food Safety
At VēRUS Pet Foods, we are committed to the safety of your pet and dedicated to high-quality, safe and consistent pet foods. All of our manufacturing facilities are FSMA-ready (Food Safety Modernization Act) and follow “Good Manufacturing Processes” protocols. All of our pet food is made in an EU-certified facility.
With the health and safety of your pet in mind, we only choose suppliers that we know and trust. All of our ingredients have been tested by our approved suppliers to make sure they are all EU-certified before they even arrive at the plant. The ingredients are not received into the plant until samples are taken and various tests are performed on-site. Quality assurance tests include, but are not limited to, vomitoxin, aflatoxin, peroxide/free fatty acids, salmonella/enterocbacter, nutritional integrity and moisture levels. After testing is completed and samples are deemed safe, they are accepted into the facility.
When the manufacturing process begins, samples are taken every 15-20 minutes and tested and verified for safety. The samples are then sent to the NIR room (near-infrared technology) to ensure that our formulas are compliant with our Guaranteed Analysis.
After production is completed, our concern for safety does not end; that is why VēRUS stands out above the rest! Every batch run is set aside and marked “Test & Hold.” Samples are then retained for repeat lab testing to be compliant with our Guaranteed Analysis. After tests are proved satisfactory, the “Test & Hold” is released and the product is cleared for shipping to our loyal customers.
In addition to testing at the manufacturing facility, extensive lab testing is performed monthly to ensure our formulas are safe and are meeting the nutritional needs of your pet.
We take many steps to ensure that your pet and all other pets are safe. At VēRUS Pet Foods, our flawless reputation has set us apart from all the rest and we are one of the few manufacturers to never have a recall. We will never cut corners and put your pet at risk. Can you put a price on safety? At VēRUS, we cannot!
The Slow-Cook Process
At VēRUS, the production of our kibble undergoes a slow-cooking process at lower temperatures; the cooking process is called extrusion. All the ingredients are mixed together, then steam and water are added to make a paste or slurry of the food. It is then pushed through small tubes in the extruder that have steam heat, lightly cooking the food; this only takes about 14-20 seconds. From there it is cooked or dehydrated the rest of the way in low-temperature ovens or dryers at about 140 degrees. Our slow-cooking preparation retains nutrition and flavors and creates a higher starch conversion, which can lead to increased stamina and energy in pets. The higher the starch conversion, the higher the digestibility of a product. VēRUS aims for a 94% starch conversion rate for our formulas.
