Our Update on Farmina

If you have been with House of Paws for a while, you know this about us. We watch every brand we bring in with the same level of care and scrutiny that we put into our own pets’ bowls. We do not set it and forget it. Ingredients change. Manufacturing changes. Ownership changes. Standards change. And when they do, we pay attention.

Recently, we had a meeting with Farmina about the potential changes they announced to their food. I wanted to share this with you because transparency is at the heart of who we are and because you trust us to make sure the food on our shelves always meets the highest standards for your furry family. When food, ingredients, or standards change and not for the better, we do not hang onto the brand just because people buy it. We look for better alternatives to ensure you can shop with confidence knowing everything we stock is the best of the best. If it changes and it is no longer a premium brand, it is no longer in our store.

Farmina just opened a manufacturing plant in the USA and recipes with their new ingredient panels have already started landing on retailer shelves in the states. This is my first concern, as I specifically asked prior to bringing Farmina in if the recipes would change when the US plant opened and I was assured nothing would change. It is disappointing to see a premium food make changes that do not positively impact the animals who eat it but more importantly it comes down to trust. You have likely heard us say it before, we need to trust the people who make our pet’s food, their lives literally depend on it. When we lose trust in the manufacturer, we do not keep them in our store.

I met with the entire Canadian team to discuss the changes Farmina assured us were not going to happen. At this point, our distributor believes they have approximately three months of the original recipes. However, I was clear with the Farmina team I met with. If they proceed with their proposed changes in Canada, we will no longer carry the brand. Here is what we are looking at.

If you would rather listen to this blog, you can listen by clicking the link below and enjoy it anywhere you love listening to podcasts. Look for S1E9 When Farmina Made Changes to Their Recipes. 👉 Click here to listen.

What Farmina originally proposed

When the new US plant was announced, I asked whether the recipes would change. I was told they would not. When the proposed formulas were released, we saw several changes that were not for the better.

Originally, Farmina planned to:

• Add chicken to several grain free recipes that previously did not contain chicken

• Add pork across almost every grain free recipe

• Introduce beet pulp as a new fibre source (by-product)

• Add hydrolyzed fish to most recipes

• Use wheat in their grain inclusive lines (filler) 

• Shift some of the whole food carbohydrates (sweet potato) to processed starches (pea starch)

Farmina has always positioned itself as a premium, single protein, clean ingredient food. These proposed changes were concerning and in truth they move Farmina from a premium food to a "typical kibble". Premium manufacturers do not use fillers and by-products. We have never carried food that contains fillers, by-products, controversial or harmful ingredients and we are not about to start now.

What has changed after retailers pushed back

To their credit, Farmina listened and met with retailers who carry their food. I will give them props for that because other manufacturers who made changes we opposed did not care and pushed ahead anyway. We were not the only ones who voiced concern. Retailers across Canada and the US pushed back and Farmina responded. They have already agreed to adjust some of their plans.

They shared the following updates with us:

• They will not add chicken to their grain free recipes

• They will switch wheat to barley in the grain inclusive line

• They remain open to reviewing retailer concerns about maintaining premium positioning

This is more than some brands do. Many quietly change formulas with no communication to retailers or pet parents. The fact that Farmina is engaging in conversation is a positive sign.

Unfortunately they are not prepared to roll back all of the changes. Barley in place of wheat is still a filler and does not offer nutritional value to the animal. In our meeting my first question was, “How will these changes positively impact the health of the animals?” The response was that their research showed the changes would increase digestibility and palatability. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the changes appear cost driven which I shared with them and I also asked why the cost of the food was not changing if the ingredients were. I was assured these changes are not being made to cut costs.

The part that is still concerning

Farmina does still plan to include pork and beet pulp in their grain free recipes.

Let’s talk about beet pulp for a moment because this is where the biggest concern lies.

Beet pulp is a by-product of sugar beet processing. After the sugar is removed, what remains is a dried fibre. While it does provide stool firmness, it is not a whole food ingredient and it is not something we expect to see in a truly premium diet. There are many higher quality fibre sources that offer the same function without being a by-product.

At House of Paws, our standards are clear. We do not carry foods that contain controversial ingredients or by-products of any kind. Even if it is used in a small amount, it goes against the promise we make to you and the pets we serve.

The question I asked Farmina directly

During our meeting I asked:

“How can I, or any retailer, continue to position Farmina as a premium brand if the new formulas contain by-products and fillers?”

This is a question they are taking back to their formulating team. To be fair, European food standards are higher than here in North America and ingredients like barley or beet pulp are not viewed the same way overseas. But our standards at House of Paws are based on what we believe is best for pets and they have not changed. Wheat or barley do not provide any nutritional value to the animal eating the food, so regardless of food standards, the change being made is not making the food better, it's cutting costs for the manufacturer.

Why this matters for trust

Before we brought Farmina into House of Paws, I asked whether the recipes would change once US manufacturing began. I was assured they would not. Now that changes are happening as the plant opens, it does erode trust.

As I mentioned earlier, I also shared my concern that these changes feel cost driven, especially because the price of the food is not being reduced. Farmina assured me this is not about cutting costs and that their manufacturing standards will remain the same, but changes like this usually happen for financial reasons. My spidey senses are tingling.

Where things stand today

All Farmina bags currently in our store are the original Italian made formulas. In Canada, we expect about a three month supply of the original recipes before the new versions begin arriving.

During this time we will continue meeting with Farmina and gathering updates. We will also taste test (figuratively), research, and evaluate every change with the same scrutiny we apply to every product we carry.

And here is our promise to you.

If Farmina decides to move forward with beet pulp or any ingredient that does not align with our standards, we will remove the brand from our shelves. It is that simple. When a brand no longer represents the quality we expect for your pets, we make changes too. We are also proactively researching a replacement brand so that if Farmina’s changes move ahead, there will be a high quality alternative ready that meets our strict standards. You will never be left without a premium option.

Our commitment remains the same

We opened House of Paws with a clear mission to extend the lives of pets through nutrition. It is a promise we take very seriously. You trust us to make sure everything in our store reflects that mission and you can count on us to always watch, question, and protect the health of the animals you care about most.

We expect a lot from our brands because your pets deserve nothing less. Thank you for trusting us and for being part of this community that cares so deeply about doing better for our furry family. As we receive more information, we will share it with you.