Feeding your dog a fresh, raw diet comes with wonderful health benefits—shinier coats, healthier digestion, and happy mealtimes. But with raw feeding, there’s also a responsibility to handle and store your dog’s food safely. After all, it’s raw meat, and like any perishable food, it needs proper care to keep it safe and nutritious.
At Poppy’s Picnic, we take food safety seriously. Our meals are made with fresh, British meat and frozen immediately after preparation to lock in nutrients and freshness. Here’s everything you need to know about safely handling and storing your dog’s raw meals—from our kitchen to yours.
Why Safe Handling Matters
Raw feeding is completely safe when done correctly. The key is treating your dog’s food with the same care you’d give raw meat in your own kitchen. Proper hygiene and storage protect both your dog and your household from any risk of bacteria such as salmonella or listeria.
How Our Meals Arrive
All Poppy’s Picnic raw meals are delivered frozen, in secure packaging, straight to your door. Our eco-friendly insulation and speedy couriers ensure everything stays safely chilled in transit.
Once it arrives, you should:
• Open your delivery as soon as possible.
• Check everything is frozen or partially frozen.
• Place it into your freezer immediately for long-term storage.
Our meals come in convenient, portion-friendly packs—from tubs of RAW POWER Mince to easy-serve POWER BALLS—so you can defrost only what you need.
Freezing and Defrosting Tips
Storage:
• Store raw meals in your freezer at -18°C or below.
• Keep meals in a dedicated section to avoid cross-contamination with human food.
• Label meals if you like to keep track of rotation or protein variety.
Defrosting:
• Defrost meals in your fridge (0–4°C) for 12–24 hours before serving.
• Never defrost raw dog food on the kitchen counter.
• If you’re in a rush, you can defrost sealed packs in a bowl of cold water.
• Once defrosted, food should be used within 2–3 days and kept in the fridge.
Safe Serving Practices
• Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw dog food.
• Use separate utensils and bowls for your dog’s meals.
• Wash your dog’s bowl after every meal with hot, soapy water.
• Clean surfaces that come into contact with raw food promptly and thoroughly.
If your dog doesn’t finish their food straight away, cover the bowl and store it in the fridge. Discard any uneaten raw food after 24 hours.
Can You Refreeze Raw Dog Food?
We don’t recommend refreezing raw meals once they’ve thawed, as it can affect texture and nutrient content. However, if the food is still partially frozen and has remained at fridge temperature, refreezing is generally safe. When in doubt—don’t risk it.
Travelling with Raw Dog Food
Going away with your pup? Take a cooler box or travel freezer bag with ice packs to keep food chilled. If you’re staying somewhere with a fridge or freezer, bring enough portions to cover your trip and defrost daily as needed. Our POWER BALLS are especially travel-friendly and easy to portion.
Our Commitment to Quality and Safety
At Poppy’s Picnic, we prepare all our meals in a DEFRA-approved facility under strict hygiene standards. Every batch is made with love and carefully frozen to preserve safety and freshness.
We do the hard work so you can focus on the fun part—feeding your dog wholesome, natural meals that are bursting with flavour and goodness.
Ready to Feed with Confidence?
Browse our full range of raw dog food and start feeding fresh the safe and simple way: Shop Poppy’s Picnic Raw Meals
