Fidelis Fresh Menu in glass jars

Better than canned food

Fidelis Fresh Menu in jars	Sterilised canned food
High-quality fresh meat, gently steamed	Meat cooked at around 130°C
Short sterilisation time	Long sterilisation time
High nutrient content	Reduced nutrient content
Smells like real food	Strong “tinned food” smell
Glass leaves no residues	Risk of metal and coating residues
Resealable to keep it fresh	Not resealable once opened
Whole pieces of meat	Often just “mush”

The problem with tins

Is tinned food safe?

Slogans like “fresh from the can”, “BARF from the can” and “organic ingredients” make tinned food sound like a healthy, natural diet. It’s certainly practical, but there are three reasons to think twice.

High heat and pressure reduce nutrients

Nutrients that are sensitive to heat and pressure, such as B vitamins, are greatly reduced by cooking in the tin and usually have to be added back artificially. Little of the goodness from the original ingredients is left.
Hidden binding agents

Tinned food is typically cooked for hours in a pressure cooker (autoclave) at around 130–135°C. So much water escapes from the meat and veg that it has to be bound back in with thickeners such as carrageenan (E407) or xanthan gum – which don’t have to be listed on the label. Additives like these can trigger intolerances in some dogs.
Residues from the can

Cans are made from aluminium or tinplate, and acids in the food can dissolve small amounts of metal. To prevent this, cans are often lined with plastic coatings, some based on epoxy resins containing bisphenol A (BPA). Traces can transfer into the food, and BPA has been linked to a range of health concerns in humans and animals – which is why its use is increasingly restricted.

For these reasons, we believe fresh food in glass is a healthier alternative to canned food.

Our approach

More than just convenient

Every Fresh Menu is made from high-quality fresh ingredients from food production: pure muscle meat and healthy offal, fresh vegetables and fruit, and selected oils and herbs in a carefully balanced ratio. All gently cooked, with no artificial additives, preservatives, flavour enhancers or attractants.

Why not tins?

Not everyone has the freezer space for frozen fresh food, and it’s no good on holiday. So we looked for another way to keep our food fresh – and a tin was out of the question. We wouldn’t want to feed our children from tins every day, so why should it be any different for our dogs? Just because most brands sell tinned food doesn’t mean it’s good.

Steamed first, so no binders needed

Because our meat is gently steam-cooked first, sterilisation in the jar can happen at a much lower temperature and for much less time. Far less water escapes, so there’s no need for the artificial binding agents used by almost every can manufacturer.

Smells like real food

Using only fresh ingredients and no binders means our food smells fresh and appetising, without that typical “tinned food” odour. The gentle preparation also helps keep the nutrients from the original ingredients, with just a small top-up of vitamin D and trace minerals to keep each recipe complete.

Glass, not metal

Glass can’t shed metal or coating residues into the food, and it doesn’t affect the taste. It’s no coincidence that so much baby food comes in glass jars. Our jars are resealable too, so no more smelly open cans in the fridge.

The result: fresh-smelling, wholesome menus for a varied, digestible diet – just as practical as tinned food, only much better.

Fresh Menu range