Most dog foods are produced using a process called extrusion where the food is cooked very quickly (about 3 minutes) using steam, then extruded under high pressure through a metal die. The result is a food that:

• is puffed with air as a result of the extrusion process
• contains hard to digest starches
• is still considered 'raw' requiring the addition of chemical preservatives to keep it from spoiling
• requires a spray-on fat mixture to provide an enticing taste and aroma

Flint River Ranch's oven baking process involves slowly cooking the food in small 2-inch size biscuits under carefully controlled conditions and temperatures. Once the food is cooked, it is broken into irregular kibble ranging in size from tiny morsels to 1/2-inch chunks. The result is a food that:

• is more nutritious and easier to digest
• is more economical
• does not contain harmful chemical preservatives
• tastes better

The smaller pieces of kibble digest quickly in your dog's system providing immediate energy and nutrients. The larger, crunchy pieces help keep the teeth clean and help exercise the gums. Oven baking also changes the hard to digest starches into easy to digest dextrins. This means that your dog's system doesn't have to work nearly as hard to access the nutrients in the food.

Extrusion creates a food that is puffed with air. Since the air is trapped in the food itself, you need to feed your dog a higher volume of food to compensate for that air space. Flint River Ranch food is dense with little air in the food itself. That means that you'll be feeding about 20% less in volume and saving money.

Air is free. Why should you pay the pet food manufacturer for it??

The oven baked food is fully cooked and does not need the additional chemical preservatives that the leading dog foods use. There is no BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin added to the food which can be harmful to your dog. The only preservatives in Flint River Ranch foods are Vitamins E and C which are all-natural preservatives and necessary in a well-balanced diet.

The extrusion processed food is not enticing to dogs without a sprayed-on fat mixture which adds little, if any, nutritional value to the food. Flint River Ranch foods, through the oven baking process, do not need anything added or sprayed-on to entice dogs to eat it. It tastes and smells great right out of the oven. Try the taste test yourself.