FIDELIS fresh menus in jars are
better than canned food!

Marketing slogans like 'fresh from the can“, B.A.R.F. from the can, organic ingredients and many other marketing tricks make us believe that we can feed our dogs a healthy and species-appropriate diet. Canned food is extremely practical, but not harmless for three reasons:

1. nutrients are destroyed by the high pressure and high temperature
Nutrients that are sensitive to heat and pressure (such as B vitamins) are greatly reduced by cooking in the tin and have to be added artificially. Nutrients from the original ingredients are usually only present in small quantities.

2. Hidden binding agents that are not subject to declaration can lead to allergies.
The meat and vegetables in the tin are cooked for approx. 4 hours in an autoclave (pressure cooker) at approx. 135 degrees. If you were to open the can after the cooking process and without the binding agent, you would first have half the water at the top that has escaped from the meat and vegetables during the cooking process. As the dog food industry does not believe that this is acceptable to the customer, the water is bound with binding agents that do not have to be declared according to the Feedstuffs Ordinance. Caragene E 407, Xhantan Gum or other artificial binders or thickeners are most commonly used. All artificial additives can trigger allergies in dogs and can be responsible for various illnesses.

3. The can or coating can release toxic substances into the feed
Cans are mainly made of aluminium or tinplate (thin sheet steel with a chrome or tin coating). The acid contained in the dog food can cause metal components to dissolve, which can then be found in the food. The industry is aware of this problem, which is why cans are often coated with plastic based on epoxy resins, polyester or organosols. These substances can be transferred to the contents during cooking. The frequent consumption of tinned food contaminated with BPA, which has an oestrogen-like effect, is associated with an increased risk of numerous diseases. These include diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and breast and testicular cancer. The same applies to cardiovascular diseases, obesity and dysfunctions of the immune system. This is just as true for humans as it is for our dogs.

For these reasons, Fidelis believes fresh food offers a healthier alternative to canned food.

Our cooked and then frozen menus all consist of high-quality, fresh ingredients from food production: pure muscle meat and healthy offal, fresh vegetables and fruit, selected oils and herbs, in a carefully balanced ratio, gently cooked - without high temperatures, without high pressure, and without artificial additives, preservatives, flavour enhancers and attractants.

However, as many customers have no refrigeration facilities, whether for space reasons or on holiday, considered alternative preservation methods to freezing. It quickly became clear that sterilisation in a tin can was out of the question for us. Nobody would think of offering their child food from tin cans, so why should it be any different for our dogs. And just because all manufacturers offer tinned food doesn't necessarily mean it's good.

The fact that the meat in our fresh menus is pre-cooked using gentle steam cooking means that sterilisation can take place at significantly lower temperatures and with significantly reduced dwell times in the jar. Due to the prior steaming, significantly less water escapes during sterilisation, which means that the addition of artificial binding agents, which are used by almost all other can manufacturers, is no longer necessary. The binders used, which do not have to be declared according to the Feedstuffs Ordinance, are potential triggers for allergies or other illnesses.

By using only fresh raw materials without binding agents, our fresh food in a jar smells fresh and delicious and no longer has the typical unpleasant "tinned food" odour. The gentle preparation also means that nutrients from the healthy original ingredients are retained a significantly healthier option and the addition of artificial vitamins is not necessary when feeding a varied diet.

Our fresh menus in jars have even more advantages over tinned food. When using glass, no metal parts or coating residues can come loose and settle in the food. The residues from tin cans in the food can cause cancer and many other diseases. Glass does not leave any residues. It is not for nothing that baby food is only available in glass jars. The jars are also resealable and bad odours from opened cans in the fridge are a thing of the past.

The Result: fresh-smelling, healthy, wholesome menus for a species-appropriate, varied and digestible diet for your dog that is just as practical as tinned food, only much better.