FAQ – Mama Shawna™

Mama Shawna's "Stew'd" recipes are "Stew'd" in the USA with 100% Human-Grade Ingredients, Certified USDA Organic, Certified Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO. Our tasty recipes are stew'd according to FDA human food regulations using the same quality ingredients that we would eat ourselves. Although our stews are intended for your pet to eat (not you), they contain no animal feed grade ingredients and are made in an FDA & USDA Organic Certified inspected facility. So not only can your fur babies taste the Mama Shawna difference, but you can feel great about feeding them our food. As the saying goes, Mama knows best!

100% Human Grade refers to a finished product that is deemed legally suitable, safe, and FDA-approved for consumption by a human.

Feed Grade refers to the quality of a finished product which is not suitable for consumption by humans according to FDA standards. It is only legally allowed to be served to animals because of the ingredients it contains or how it has been processed. Further, it may include by-products, chemicals, fillers, and parts from “4D” meats: animals which are dying, diseased, disabled, or deceased. (re-read that last sentence very carefully. Did you shudder as we did?)

Summary: In order to label a pet food as “100% Human-Grade,” all ingredients must be edible for humans, and the food itself must meet federal manufacturing and packaging regulations.

Quite the dose of reality, isn’t it?

Because we are pet parents that care about providing the highest quality real food for pets. We do not want our ingredients produced with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial agents. USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. As for organic meat, regulations require that animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones. As with all organic foods, none of it is grown or handled using genetically modified organisms, which the organic standards expressly prohibit. Becoming familiar with the USDA organic label and understanding its claims empower consumers to make informed decisions about the food they purchase. While there are many marketing claims that add value to foods, consumers can be assured that USDA organic products are verified organic at all steps between the farm and the store.

Yes, our products and ingredients are traceable. Traceability is the ability to track a product or ingredient from its source to its final destination. In the food industry, an ingredient or other product is traceable when it can be followed from its source through its production, processing, distribution, and sale. We are able to trace each ingredient of a product through the entire supply chain.

Because who wants genetically modified food, not us! We only use the best quality organic ingredients, and strongly believe in avoiding GMO foods. According to the Non-GMO Project, “More than 80% of all genetically modified crops grown worldwide have been engineered for herbicide tolerance. As a result, the use of toxic herbicides, such as Roundup, has increased fifteenfold since GMO's were first introduced.” GMO crops are also responsible for the emergence of superweed and superbugs that can only be killed with increasingly toxic poisons. GMO's are intrinsically tied to the herbicide glyphosate, which the World Health Organization has deemed a probable carcinogen (cancer-causing substance). GMO's solely benefit massive chemical companies and their agricultural extensions, putting many family farmers out of business. Organic is always Non-GMO because the use of GMO’s is prohibited in organic production.

Yes, "Organic is always Non-GMO." According to the USDA’s very vigorous standards, all foods labeled organic are inherently also Non-GMO. This means organic foods have not been genetically modified in anyway. In the example of Organic meat, this means an organic cow was not fed any feed that was genetically modified either.

The USDA states, “The use of genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), is prohibited in Organic products. This means an Organic farmer can't plant GMO seeds, an Organic cow can't eat GMO alfalfa or corn, and an Organic soup produced can't use any GMO ingredients.”

That being said, certain foods are at a higher risk for being genetically engineered or modified in some way, so if you’re looking to only eat or feed your pet Non-GMO, you might want to only foods that are specifically labeled “Organic” or “Non-GMO.”

The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) is a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), a 501c3 non-profit empowering the gluten-free community since 1974. Unlike other certifications which only audit recordkeeping, GFCO reviews the manufacturer’s products and ingredients, and individually tailors testing requirements based on risk. GFCO operates an independent, third-party certification program for gluten-free products. The program does not enforce federal regulations, and is not a requirement for gluten-free product labeling. Rather, GFCO has set a higher standard for gluten-free certification, based on its alignment with GIG, a consumer support organization. GFCO’s focus on consumer safety has made it the most widely used and trusted gluten-free certification mark. The GFCO Certification Body is accredited to ISO 17065, and all GFCO auditing services are accredited to ISO 17021 or 17065, ensuring that every step of certification is performed according to international best-practices for auditing and product certification. 100% of revenue from GFCO’s food safety programs is invested into GIG’s programs that support and educate the gluten-free community. Since the first certification in 2005, GFCO has expanded to having tens of thousands of products carry its certification mark worldwide. Products certified by GFCO abroad must meet their local authority regulations as well as the established GFCO standards. Gluten-Free certification is a process designed for products to meet strict standards for gluten-free safety.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines and establishes regulations for the pet food industry, and sets standards for nutritional adequacy. They are a voluntary membership association of local, state, and federal agencies charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feed. They protect not just consumers, but safeguard the health of the animals we love. Yes, our food meets AAFCO’s guidelines.

USDA Organic means products must be produced in accordance with the organic regulations, and without the use of prohibited substances or excluded methods like sewage sludge, irradiation, or genetic engineering. The USDA Organic Seal indicates that a product has been grown and processed according to the organic regulations. Organic products often have a number of labels on them, but the USDA Organic label is the only one that's federally certified by accredited agents. The USDA organic seal is commonplace in stores and a broad range of media used to promote organic products. All labels and marketing materials that use the USDA organic seal in association with certified products must be reviewed and approved by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before being used in the marketplace.

BRCGS was formerly known as BRC (British Retail Consortium). BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) is a leading brand and consumer protection organization, used by over 29,000 certificated suppliers over 130 countries, with certification issued through a global network of accredited certification bodies. The BRCGS provides a framework to manage product safety, integrity, legality and quality, and the operational controls for these criteria in the food and food ingredient manufacturing, processing and packing industry for both human grade food and pet food. Although the BRCGS food safety standard began in the UK, it is now recognized as a global standard.