Why does True Carnivores carry Grand Cru?
You might be wondering why after 26 years, a dedicated raw food purveyor might carry a kibble. Have we sold out? After all, feeding kibble goes against our stated values that the healthiest diet for your pet is one made from fresh, whole-foods. The great thing about Grand Cru is that it starts as a raw diet made with real, unprocessed ingredients right off the line. It is then slowly dehydrated which makes it cleverly disguised as a kibble!
                    
How Grand Cru is made:
All of their recipes start with whole, unprocessed, human-grade ingredients which are produced in Canada, and they only use muscle meat, not trim or scraps. Their factory meets the same standards as those used to produce human food, and they use an external laboratory for quality testing.
Grand Cru recipes start out with 70% whole chunks of meat and 30% consisting of  fruits and vegetables that are then,  finely minced. The peas, legumes and other fresh . This mixture is then formed and slowly dehydrated over several hours at low temperatures. This process allows the nutrients to be preserved, while killing bacteria and pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli.
Once dehydrated, the formula contains 2-5% moisture in comparison to the 8-12% in conventional kibble, further reducing the risk of pathogenic bacteria and mold growth. This makes GrandCru a great option for those who are concerned about exposure to bacteria and pathogens.
How Grand Cru benefits your pets:
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Maintains a healthy acidity level in your pet’s stomach.
Because this is a dehydrated raw diet, rather than a cooked and extruded kibble, it does not have the same alkalizing effect that dry food does. Dogs and cats naturally have a highly acidic stomach, with a pH of 2 or lower. This allows their body to breakdown and digest raw meat and bones. This low pH is also highly effective at killing bacteria, to protect your pet and keep them healthy.
When pets are fed a high-carbohydrate kibble diet, the pH of their stomach can rise to 4 or higher. This negatively impacts their body’s ability to breakdown and digest proteins, which can lead to intolerances and allergies. This higher pH is also less effective at killing bacteria, exposing your pet to more harmful pathogens.
This acidic property also makes Grand Cru safe and suitable to mix with a fresh or frozen raw diet.
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Cleaner teeth and fresher breath
The lower carbohydrate content in this diet compared to other kibbles is beneficial to your pet’s dental health. This is because the body converts carbs into sugars for use as quick energy. Bacteria love to feed on sugars, and because kibble-fed dogs have a reduced acidity, their body is less able to fight off the bacteria. Over time this will lead to plaque growth and tartar formation.
The low-carb, raw nature of Grand Cru works in two ways to keep your pet’s mouth clean and healthy. There is less sugars for bacteria to feed on, and their mouths are more acidic which makes it difficult for bacteria populate and produce.
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Improved digestion and healthier bowel movements
Grand Cru has a whopping  20-40% more calories per kilogram than other premium kibbles, so your pet will need to eat less of Grand Cru than they would a processed kibble because it is nutrient-rich and has no fillers.  This makes it easier for the body to digest, and leaves you with smaller, firmer, less smelly stools to pick up.
You’ll also benefit from fewer burnt spots in your lawn. Excessive nitrates in your dog’s urine are what cause those telltale brown spots in your lawn. Nitrates are caused by inadequately digested proteins. Because Grand Cru uses fresh meats which aren’t broken down by high heat processing, your dog’s body can use these proteins much more effectively. They have also added cranberries and elderberries for urinary health.
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A softer, shinier coat and healthier skin
The low temperatures used to dehydrate Grand Cru help to preserve the oils, fats, and fatty acids naturally occurring in the ingredients, which are crucial to your pet’s skin and coat health. Human grade proteins provide all the amino acids that help grow and maintain a healthy fur coat, ground flax seeds, eggs and sunflower oil provide omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and antioxidants to eliminate free radicals.
Who is Grand Cru good for?
Grand Cru is a great option for many different circumstances, as it allows you to give your pets the benefit of a raw, whole-food diet while maintaining the ease and convenience of kibble.
- If you’re travelling or in any situation without access to a fridge or freezer for frozen raw food.
- If you’re especially concerned about bacteria and pathogens, such as immunocompromised pets or family members, or post surgery or illness.
- As a transition step from a traditional kibble to a raw diet, or for those not ready to make the leap into fresh or frozen food yet.
- As a backup for emergency kits, or when you’ve just forgotten to thaw food for the next meal!
- Those wanting to feed a kibble in combination with a fresh or frozen raw diet. Processed kibbles are not suitable to mix, as they have an alkalizing effect which can cause digestive upsets.
If Grand Cru sounds like the food for you, please check out our cat and dog selections.