That is a hard question to give a simple answer. In general if you’re feeding a balanced raw diet without HPP, then you probably don’t want to move to an HPP product. However, if you’re feeding a highly heat-processed option like kibble, then an HPP product would definitely be a better choice. And if you’re already feeding a raw diet that’s been HPP, no worries. While it’s not the absolute best, HPP is still a good option overall.

The main concern with HPP is it denatures the protein, appears to increase fat oxidation, and has shown some vitamin deterioration of 20%. The amount of pressure used is insanely high. Using such intense pressure means that any toxins in the containers used in the process will be leached into the food.

Thoughts from Brian Brandfas:
Let’s share our experiences. As a fellow pet owner, I’ve encountered the same challenges that many of you might be familiar with. The sheer volume of information available on pet care these days is overwhelming. From grooming to training to feeding, there’s a vast array of knowledge at our disposal. It’s a tool that our predecessors didn’t have, but I can’t help but ponder if they were indeed at a disadvantage not having access to this wealth of information.

The internet has opened up a world of information for us. However, it has also led to a decline in our critical thinking skills. Many of us turn to the internet for quick solutions, product recommendations, or ‘magic pills’ that promise to solve our pets’ problems. But we must remember that numerous sellers online are ready to peddle these ‘magic pills’ or supplements, and they are part of the problem. It’s up to us to think critically and make informed decisions for our pets.

It’s alarming that pet owners don’t find it concerning that a complete stranger can diagnose their pet without any knowledge about the pet’s specifics, such as their environment, history, or anything beyond age and breed. They readily accept the recommendation for product XYZ and invest in it. When it fails, they write a negative review, return to the internet, and repeat the cycle with a new product recommendation. This cycle can lead to two potential outcomes. The pet owner dismisses ‘natural healing’ as ineffective and reverts to pharmaceuticals and Western medicine, or they spend so much on supplements that they start lamenting their inability to afford nutritious food, which is the cornerstone of all improvement.

I’ve been bothered lately by how quickly the internet finds fault with real food. While there are serious issues with our food supply, it’s hard to believe that a low-quality real animal product from the store is worse than a bag of processed ingredients so toxic that landfills won’t even agree to dispose of them. The same goes for HPP. Pet parents have found a food or brand that works for them, but then the internet comes with a hit piece on HPP or someone telling them not to feed brand X because they use HPP. HPP is not my favorite, but I’d rather feed it than kibble. Finding a brand that doesn’t use HPP but costs 2.5 times more per pound is not a practical alternative. Let’s talk about critical thinking. Do people ever look at the author of these HPP hit pieces and see if they happen to own or work at a company that does not use HPP? We’d undoubtedly look critically at someone who sold HPP food, telling us it’s not that bad of a process. So why is the same scrutiny not applied to someone trying to criticize the process?

It seems easier for pet parents to tell other pet parents why they shouldn’t feed real food than to find them telling the truth about kibble. If you are on a page dedicated to helping people do better for their pets, but all you can do is discourage them, maybe you should scroll past the comment box. I’m starting to think we have a bunch of Hill’s and Purina employees pretending to be pet parents.

I don’t have any solutions because the internet is not going anywhere, and with AI, it’s only going to get worse for consumers to figure out what is what. However, we need to stop the in-fighting within our community. Hill’s is potentially in hot water with this DCM lawsuit, and I have yet to see one of their competitors try to take advantage of that and kick them while they are down. Meanwhile, every day in our community, someone is trying to bring someone else down. Things like HPP, gently cooked vs. raw, or mushroom tinctures vs. powders. None of it helps pets, and there are more than enough sick pets for everyone to help without taking out those around them.

We love our “know better, do better” slogan around here, but we must also walk that talk and do better by each other.