By: Marcy Paulson

As adorable as fluffy puppies and purring kittens may be, they are still carnivores that have evolved to thrive on a diet of raw meat and bones. Discerning pet parents know that raw foods rich in high-quality proteins, beneficial fats, vitamins, and minerals offer their four-legged friends the optimal balance of nutrients. The problem is that hunting this diet down in the modern age is neither convenient nor affordable.

For over five years, ZIWI has been on a mission to make a raw pet diet of lean proteins and functional produce accessible to pet parents everywhere. Jessica Krueger, the company’s Senior Marketing Manager, recently unveiled the brand’s groundbreaking all-new Z-MicroSteam method. 

“We are proud to announce that our innovative process is unlike anything on the market,” Krueger notes. “It allows us to uphold our commitment to premium pet nutrition while satisfying consumer demand for price and convenience.”

ZIWI: a brand built on innovation

ZIWI’s new Steam & Dried process is not the brand’s first innovation. Two long years of meticulous testing went into the launch of their ZIWI Peak® air-dried recipes.

“When we saw pet food manufacturers mixing low-grade fillers with our high-quality New Zealand meats and ethically-sourced seafood, we knew we had to act,” Krueger recalls. “Their labels claimed to offer pets the highest-quality ingredients, yet the processed kibble inside the bags provided pets with very little in the way of nutrition.” 

In answer, ZIWI set out to deliver a product combining the health benefits of New Zealand’s premium raw ingredients with the ease of scoop-and-serve pet food. It developed an air-drying process that locked in the freshness of raw products and ensured that every bowl contained the highest quality nourishment.

Since that first success, ZIWI never stopped testing and innovating. Its new Steam & Dried range of products is just one more example of how the brand continues to set itself apart through innovation.

ZIWI’s new Z-MicroSteam process makes high-quality raw ingredients accessible to pets

Just like the recipes in ZIWI’s best-selling air-dried line, the brand’s all-new Steam & Dried recipes begin with a foundation of the industry’s best ethically-sourced New Zealand meat, organs, and bone. Next, ZIWI’s team blends in an optimal mix of high-fiber fruits and vegetables for dogs and whole fish for cats, offering the building blocks they need for healthy muscles, skin, and fur.

The three new ZIWI Peak Steam & Dried recipes for dogs include grass-fed beef with pumpkin, grass-fed lamb with green vegetables, and cage-free chicken with orchard fruits. Dogs require a protein-rich diet, and the new recipes all incorporate at least 85% premium animal ingredients.

Since ZIWI knows that canines and humans alike reap the health benefits of certain superfoods, they included vegetables such as pumpkin, spinach, kale, green beans, and beet greens in the new Steam & Dried line. Fruits like kiwis, persimmons, blueberries, apples, and pears are also featured in the new recipes, packing a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K.

“Fruits and vegetables are a great way to provide your dog the fiber they need for healthy digestion,” says Krueger. “We also include chicory root, a natural prebiotic to encourage the growth of good bacteria in your pet’s gut.”

The new ZIWI Peak Steam & Dried recipes for cats are wild South Pacific fish, grass-fed beef with southern blue whiting, and cage-free chicken with whole mackerel. All of the brand’s new options for cats contain 87-90% of the highest-quality animal protein and ethically-sourced seafood from the waters off New Zealand’s coast. These recipes are loaded with omega-3 and fish oils known for giving cats healthy skin and glossy coats.

The revolutionary Z-MicroSteam method locks in freshness and nutrition at a lower price point

With a minimum of 96% meat, organs, bones, and New Zealand green-lipped mussels, ZIWI’s air-dried range of products is still the pinnacle of pet nutrition. However, the new Steam & Dried range is a more affordable option thanks to slightly lower amounts of premium proteins and a groundbreaking, scalable procedure.

ZIWI’s Steam & Dried method incorporates groundbreaking micro-steaming into the brand’s tried-and-true Z-TWINTECH process. The new two-step procedure has the advantage of making the freshness of premium raw New Zealand products available to pet parents at a lower price point.

ZIWI’s New Zealand kitchens start with delicate micro-steaming. After this, they air-dry the food to preserve the freshness of ZIWI’s premium raw products.

“Combining innovative micro-steaming with our signature air-drying process allows us to offer many pet parents their first affordable entry to the alternative-to-raw market,” says Krueger. “You now have access to a shelf-stable product with all the nutrition of New Zealand’s ethically-sourced lamb, beef, poultry, and seafood. If you are looking for a complete and balanced meal for your pet that is healthier than kibble and requires no preparation, then your search ends with ZIWI.”

Published by: Nelly Chavez