'Why must we freeze your meals!?' we're often asked. Well, the reason is relatively simple! When it comes to fresh dog food, not all 'fresh' is made equal. There are two main ways to cook food - pasteurisation or sterilisation.
✅ Pasteurised dog food (e.g., fresh frozen like Tuggs):
Is cooked to relatively low temperatures (around 90 degree internal)
Better preserves heat-sensitive nutrients, especially water-soluble vitamins like B-complex and vitamin C
Maintains the integrity of amino acids and fat quality much better than sterilised products
Has a higher digestibility, meaning your dog absorbs more of those retained nutrients
⚠️ Sterilised Dog Food (e.g., Cartons (Tetra-Pak)/Canned/Kibble):
Cooked at much higher temperatures (often 120°C internal) for longer periods with the sole aim of achieve a longer shelf life
This leads to greater nutrient degradation, especially:
B-vitamins (e.g., B1, B6, B12
Omega-3 fatty acids
This ultimately means that the end product has a lower nutritional value and is less digestible.
Tuggs is all about feeding your dog the optimal diet to let your dog thrive, and pasteurised food retains the nutritional value of food much better, particularly in terms of fragile vitamins, fats, and protein digestibility. This is why Tuggs meals must be frozen.
Nutrient Category | Pasteurised (Fresh Dog Food) | Sterilised (Canned/Kibble Dog Food) |
Proteins | High retention | Moderate retention (heat can denature proteins) |
Vitamins (esp. B & C) | Moderate to high retention | Low retention (significantly degraded by high heat) |
Fatty Acids (e.g., Omega-3) | Better preserved | Often oxidised or destroyed during sterilisation |
Minerals | Mostly retained | Mostly retained (but bioavailability may be reduced) |
Amino Acids | High retention | Some degradation of heat-sensitive aminos (e.g., lysine) |
Digestibility | High | Lower, depending on processing method |