Key Takeaways 💡
Which brand has the strongest clinical research? JustFoodForDogs leads with six peer-reviewed published studies, including digestibility research at the University of Illinois showing their food is up to 40% more digestible than kibble and produces up to 66% less fecal output. The Farmer’s Dog recently invested $660,000 in a year-long Cornell University study and conducted a multi-year feeding study surpassing standard AAFCO trial requirements. Freshpet has no independently published clinical studies of comparable scope.
Is “human-grade” actually meaningful? Yes, but only legally when the manufacturing facility meets FDA human food standards. The Farmer’s Dog and JustFoodForDogs both manufacture in facilities that meet USDA/FDA human food requirements. Freshpet uses high-quality ingredients but does not carry the human-grade designation for its core product lines.
Which is cheapest? Freshpet wins on price by a significant margin — roughly $30 per week for a 35-pound dog through retail channels, compared to $54 per week for The Farmer’s Dog and varying costs for JustFoodForDogs depending on format.
Has any of these brands been recalled? Freshpet has had three voluntary recalls for potential Salmonella contamination (2021, 2022, and 2025), all limited to single lots with no reported illnesses. Neither The Farmer’s Dog nor JustFoodForDogs has been recalled for their primary meal products.
Which one do dogs actually prefer eating? This varies wildly by individual dog. Multiple independent tests show dogs tend to enthusiastically eat all three brands compared to kibble, though some dogs show clear preferences for chunkier textures (Freshpet) versus pâté-style consistency (The Farmer’s Dog).
—
🔬 1. JustFoodForDogs Has More Published Science Than the Other Two Combined — and That Should Matter to You
This is the section most comparison articles gloss over because published research isn’t as photogenic as a dewy chicken breast. But if you’re spending premium money on fresh food because you believe it’s genuinely better for your dog’s health, the evidence trail matters enormously.
JustFoodForDogs partnered with the University of Illinois Department of Animal Sciences under Dr. Kelly Swanson, a respected professor of animal and nutritional sciences. The results, published in the peer-reviewed journals Translational Animal Science and Journal of Animal Science, showed that dogs eating JustFoodForDogs fresh food absorbed significantly more nutrients and produced up to 66% less fecal output than when eating premium kibble, and up to 41% less than when eating a feed-grade fresh processed brand. They also commissioned what they call the largest-scale humane feeding trial ever conducted by a pet food company at an independent university — testing 30 dogs over a full year with complete blood counts and full organ chemistry panels, far exceeding the AAFCO minimum of six dogs, four blood markers, and six months.
Additionally, researchers at Western University of Health Sciences and UC Davis found in a study published in Toxicology Communications that 75% of dry kibble tested contained mycotoxin profiles — accumulations from moldy grains used in manufacturing. JustFoodForDogs products contained zero mycotoxins, whether grain-inclusive or grain-free.
The Farmer’s Dog invested $660,000 in a year-long feeding study at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, published in the journal Metabolites. The study tracked 22 geriatric Alaskan sled dogs, with half eating The Farmer’s Dog chicken recipe and the other half eating kibble. Fresh-fed dogs showed increased markers of muscle and brain energy metabolism, higher levels of branched-chain amino acids and creatine, improved antioxidant levels, and lower levels of pro-aging compounds. The Farmer’s Dog also conducted a separate multi-year feeding study (up to six years) with dogs living in family homes, overseen by board-certified veterinary nutritionists Dr. Joe Wakshlag and Dr. John Loftus at Cornell, with all dogs remaining healthy throughout.
Freshpet references internal quality testing and their Freshpet Nutrition Council of board-certified veterinarians, but they have not published independently peer-reviewed clinical feeding studies of the same caliber. A 2025 Consumer Reports analysis found Freshpet food safe to consume, but safety is a baseline — not a demonstration of superior nutritional outcomes.
| 🔬 Research Category | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer-reviewed published studies | 6+ (Illinois, Western U, UC Davis) | 1 major (Cornell) + multi-year feeding study | None independently published |
| Digestibility data proven | Yes — up to 40% more digestible than kibble | Not independently published | No published data |
| Mycotoxin testing published | Yes — zero mycotoxins found | Not published | Not published |
| Feeding trial scale | 30 dogs, 1 year, full blood panels | 22 dogs (Cornell), multi-year with family dogs | Standard internal testing |
| AAFCO compliance method | Exceeds AAFCO standards, humane university trials | Formulation + AAFCO feeding trials on multiple recipes + Cornell study | Meets AAFCO standards by formulation |
💡 Critical insight: JustFoodForDogs has the deepest published research library. The Farmer’s Dog has the most compelling recent longevity-adjacent data from Cornell. Freshpet has the weakest publicly available science — which doesn’t mean the food is bad, but it means you’re trusting marketing more than data.
—
🏭 2. “Human-Grade” Is a Real Legal Distinction — and Only Two of These Brands Actually Qualify
The term “human-grade” gets thrown around loosely in pet food marketing, but it has a specific legal meaning that the FDA and AAFCO recognize. For a pet food to be legitimately labeled human-grade, every single ingredient must be human-edible, and the food must be manufactured, processed, and handled in facilities that meet the same FDA and USDA standards required for human food production. That means federal inspections, sanitation protocols, and quality controls identical to what governs the food you eat.
The Farmer’s Dog manufactures all its recipes in facilities that comply with FDA human food regulations and USDA kitchen standards. Every ingredient is sourced as human-grade. Their food has never been frozen (a distinction they emphasize) and ships fresh.
JustFoodForDogs was a pioneer of the human-grade claim in pet food. They use only USDA-certified, FDA-approved ingredients fit for human consumption and cook in open-to-the-public kitchens in California, New York, Illinois, and Washington. Their white paper argues that the USDA certification and inspection program represents the highest quality food production standard in the United States, and that it’s the only way to ensure adequate quality control against contaminants like melamine — the industrial chemical that killed at least 70 pets during the 2007 recalls and that is still not a legally required test for standard pet food manufacturers.
Freshpet uses high-quality, natural ingredients — US farm-raised meats, real vegetables and fruits — but does not carry the human-grade designation for its core product lines. Their ingredients are described as “natural” and free from preservatives, by-products, and meat meals, but the manufacturing facilities operate under standard pet food regulations, not human food standards. About 96% of their ingredients are sourced from the U.S. or Canada, and the food is steam-cooked at their Freshpet Kitchens facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
| 🏷️ Quality Marker | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human-grade certified | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| USDA-inspected facility | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Standard pet food facility |
| Open-to-public kitchens | ✅ Yes (multiple locations) | ❌ No (but transparent sourcing) | ❌ No |
| Preservative-free | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| By-products or meat meals | ❌ None | ❌ None | ❌ None |
| Contains “natural flavor” or pea fiber | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Some recipes |
💡 Critical insight: Human-grade isn’t just a marketing buzzword — it means the food was manufactured under stricter federal oversight. If this distinction matters to you (and for dogs with compromised immune systems or chronic illness, it absolutely should), JustFoodForDogs and The Farmer’s Dog have a verifiable edge that Freshpet cannot currently match.
—
⚠️ 3. Freshpet Has Been Recalled Three Times Since 2021 — the Other Two Haven’t Been Recalled at All
Let’s be fair about this: food recalls happen across the entire industry, and Freshpet’s recalls were all voluntary, limited to single lots, and resulted in zero reported illnesses or deaths. The FDA terminated all three recalls as completed. But the pattern is worth noting, because it reveals something about the difference between human-grade manufacturing and standard pet food manufacturing.
In June 2021, Freshpet recalled one lot of Select Small Dog Bite Size Beef & Egg Recipe due to potential Salmonella contamination. The lot had been designated for destruction but was accidentally shipped to retailers in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Southern California.
In June 2022, one lot of Freshpet Select Fresh From the Kitchen Home Cooked Chicken Recipe (4.5 lb bags) was recalled, again for potential Salmonella, after being inadvertently shipped to Walmart and Target stores across multiple states.
In February 2025, the same Home Cooked Chicken Recipe was recalled again for the same reason — another single lot destined for destruction that was accidentally shipped to limited retailers.
The repeated pattern of “designated for destruction but accidentally shipped” raises legitimate questions about internal quality control processes at scale.
Meanwhile, JustFoodForDogs had a minor incident involving green beans (not the food itself) that led to a temporary formulation adjustment, and the FDA terminated the matter. The Farmer’s Dog has maintained a clean recall record since launching.
| ⚠️ Safety Record | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total recalls (2020-2025) | 0 for primary meals | 0 | 3 (2021, 2022, 2025) |
| Reported illnesses from recalls | N/A | N/A | 0 reported |
| Recall cause | N/A | N/A | Salmonella (all 3) |
| Root cause pattern | N/A | N/A | Lots meant for destruction accidentally shipped |
| Manufacturing standard | Human food (USDA/FDA) | Human food (USDA/FDA) | Standard pet food |
💡 Critical insight: Zero illnesses is genuinely reassuring, and Freshpet’s transparency in voluntarily initiating recalls is commendable. But three incidents involving the same contamination type in four years — all caused by process failures rather than ingredient failures — suggests that manufacturing at scale under standard pet food regulations may carry inherent risks that human-grade facilities are structurally designed to prevent.
—
💰 4. The Price Gap Is Staggering — and Here’s Exactly What You’re Paying More For
This is where most dog owners actually make their decision, so let’s be brutally specific. For a standard 35-pound moderately active adult dog, here’s what each brand will cost you:
Freshpet through retail channels (Chewy, Walmart, Target, Petco) runs approximately $25 to $35 per week depending on the product line. Their Vital Rolls are the most affordable option — under $30 per week for a 38-pound dog on Chewy. Their newer Freshpet Delivery subscription starts at roughly $3 per day.
The Farmer’s Dog subscription plans start at approximately $2 per day according to their marketing, but real-world costs for a 35-pound dog land closer to $54 per week ($7.70 per day) for a full meal plan. One reviewer with two small Alaskan Klee Kai reported paying just over $190 per month.
JustFoodForDogs offers the widest price range because they sell multiple formats. Their Fresh Frozen meals are comparable to The Farmer’s Dog pricing. But their Pantry Fresh shelf-stable pouches and JustFresh line offer more affordable entry points — their JustFresh Chicken 12oz 7-Pack is frequently cited as the best budget fresh option available. Their DIY Nutrient Blends (where you buy the blend and cook with your own store-bought ingredients) cost dramatically less and make approximately 30 pounds of food per bag.
| 💰 Cost Factor | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approx. weekly cost (35 lb dog, full meals) | $45–$65 (Fresh Frozen) | $50–$60 | $25–$35 |
| Budget option available? | ✅ Pantry Fresh, JustFresh, DIY kits | ❌ No budget tier | ✅ Vital Rolls are very affordable |
| Trial/starter offer? | Varies by retailer | ✅ Discounted trial box | ❌ No trial (can buy small sizes) |
| Shelf-stable option? | ✅ Pantry Fresh (2-year shelf life) | ❌ No | ❌ No (refrigerated only) |
| DIY home cooking support? | ✅ Nutrient Blend kits with recipes | ✅ DIY plan option | ❌ No |
💡 Critical insight: If budget is your primary constraint, Freshpet through retail is the clear winner. If you want human-grade food at the lowest possible price, JustFoodForDogs’ DIY Nutrient Blends or Pantry Fresh line offer a middle ground that neither Freshpet nor The Farmer’s Dog can match. If money is no object and you want maximum convenience with pre-portioned human-grade meals delivered to your door, The Farmer’s Dog is the most seamless experience.
—
🐕 5. The Farmer’s Dog Wins on Personalization — and That Matters More Than You Think
Here’s something that gets overlooked in ingredient-focused comparisons: how the food is portioned and customized to your specific dog may matter as much as what’s inside the food. The AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement guarantees the food is complete and balanced — but it says nothing about whether your individual dog is eating the right amount.
Pet obesity affects over 50% of the U.S. dog population, according to veterinary research published in PLoS One. Overfeeding a nutritionally perfect food still makes your dog fat. And most pet owners are terrible at estimating portions.
The Farmer’s Dog has the most thorough personalization process of the three. Their sign-up questionnaire collects your dog’s breed, age, weight, body condition, activity level, health concerns (up to 15 conditions), and eating habits. Board-certified nutritionists then calculate the exact daily calorie need. The food arrives pre-portioned in individually labeled packs with your dog’s name — you literally just cut and squeeze. No measuring, no guessing.
JustFoodForDogs provides a feeding calculator and detailed calorie information per recipe, but the portioning responsibility falls on you when buying Fresh Frozen or Pantry Fresh products. Their in-store nutritional consultations (available at their open-kitchen locations and some Petco stores) add a human expert layer that the other brands can’t replicate.
Freshpet offers the least personalization for its core retail products — you buy a roll or bag, portion it yourself based on the feeding guide on the package, and hope you’re getting it right. Their newer Freshpet Delivery subscription has a quiz and recommends Full or Half plans, but the questionnaire only allows three health concerns compared to The Farmer’s Dog’s fifteen.
| 🎯 Personalization | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom calorie calculation | ✅ Calculator + in-store consults | ✅ Thorough questionnaire | ⚠️ Basic (Delivery quiz) |
| Pre-portioned meals | ❌ Self-portioned | ✅ Individually labeled packs | ❌ Self-portioned (retail) |
| Health condition screening | In-store consultation | ✅ Up to 15 conditions | ⚠️ Up to 3 conditions |
| Adjusts for weight goals | ✅ Via consultation | ✅ Automatic with plan updates | ⚠️ Limited |
| Multiple dogs supported | ✅ Separate recommendations | ✅ Individual profiles per dog | ⚠️ No multi-dog customization |
💡 Critical insight: If you have a dog that needs to lose weight, has multiple health conditions, or if you simply don’t trust yourself to portion accurately, The Farmer’s Dog eliminates the most common feeding error — overfeeding — by removing human judgment from the equation entirely.
—
🍗 6. Recipe Variety and Special Diet Options: JustFoodForDogs Destroys the Competition
If your dog has a chronic condition requiring a specific therapeutic diet, or if you have a picky eater who needs regular rotation to stay interested, the recipe catalog size matters enormously.
JustFoodForDogs offers the largest selection by far: six Fresh Frozen daily recipes, multiple Pantry Fresh shelf-stable options, JustFresh pouches, and — critically — veterinary support recipes including formulas for renal support, hepatic support, critical care, and sensitive stomachs. They also sell DIY Nutrient Blend kits with complete recipes for home cooking, and even offer custom meal formulations through veterinary consultation. Both grain-inclusive and grain-free options are available.
The Farmer’s Dog keeps it focused with four core recipes (beef, chicken, turkey, pork) plus a newer DIY plan option. All recipes are grain-inclusive (using ingredients like lentils, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes as carb sources). The simplicity is intentional — fewer recipes mean tighter quality control and more research investment per formula. However, if your dog needs a therapeutic diet for a specific disease, The Farmer’s Dog does not currently offer veterinary prescription-equivalent formulas.
Freshpet has the broadest product portfolio in terms of format variety — roughly 50 different products across food rolls, vital cuts, loaves, shredded meals, bite-size options, and treats. They also offer formulas targeting different life stages, breed sizes, and some health conditions, plus grain-free and even plant-based protein lines. However, their Freshpet Delivery subscription narrows this to about four main recipes.
| 🍽️ Variety Factor | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily recipe count | 6+ Fresh Frozen + shelf-stable | 4 core recipes | ~50 products (4 via Delivery) |
| Veterinary/therapeutic diets | ✅ Renal, hepatic, critical care, more | ❌ Not offered | ❌ Not offered |
| Grain-inclusive options | ✅ Yes | ✅ All recipes | ✅ Most recipes |
| Grain-free options | ✅ Yes | ❌ (recently added grain options, most are legume-based) | ✅ Select recipes |
| DIY/home cooking support | ✅ Nutrient Blend kits | ✅ DIY plan | ❌ Not offered |
| Treats available | ✅ Dehydrated treats | ✅ Members-only treats | ✅ Fresh treat line |
| Custom formulations | ✅ Through vet consultation | ❌ | ❌ |
💡 Critical insight: If your dog has kidney disease, liver problems, or needs a medically specialized fresh diet, JustFoodForDogs is your only option among these three without going the prescription route. Their veterinary support line fills a gap that neither The Farmer’s Dog nor Freshpet even attempts to address.
—
📦 7. Convenience and Accessibility: Pick Your Trade-Off
How you get the food, store it, and serve it shapes your daily experience more than any nutritional analysis ever will. Each brand forces you into a different lifestyle trade-off.
Freshpet is the most accessible. You’ll find it in refrigerated cases at Walmart, Target, Petco, PetSmart, Costco, grocery stores, and online retailers across the country. You can grab it during your regular shopping trip. No subscription required, no waiting for delivery, no sign-up quiz. The downside: it requires consistent refrigeration, has a shorter shelf life once opened, and you’re responsible for portioning.
The Farmer’s Dog is the most convenient for busy people who hate making decisions. You complete one questionnaire, and pre-portioned meals show up at your door on a recurring schedule. You thaw overnight in the fridge, cut the pack, squeeze into a bowl, and done. No measuring, no store trips. The downside: you’re locked into a subscription, there’s a 4-day shipping wait for your first box, and if you run out between deliveries, you can’t run to a store for a backup.
JustFoodForDogs is the most versatile. You can buy Fresh Frozen at their kitchens, inside select Petco stores, or online. Pantry Fresh pouches have a two-year shelf life and need no refrigeration until opened. Same-day delivery is available in some markets through DoorDash. You can even visit their open kitchens and watch the food being made. The downside: the sheer number of options can be overwhelming, and availability varies significantly by location.
| 📦 Convenience Factor | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available in stores | ✅ Petco, own kitchens | ❌ Online/subscription only | ✅ Walmart, Target, Petco, grocery |
| Home delivery | ✅ Online + DoorDash in select areas | ✅ Subscription auto-delivery | ⚠️ Freshpet Delivery (limited areas) |
| Shelf-stable option | ✅ Pantry Fresh (2 years) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Requires refrigeration | Fresh Frozen: Yes / Pantry Fresh: No | ✅ Yes, always | ✅ Yes, always |
| Pre-portioned | ❌ Self-serve | ✅ Individually packed | ❌ Self-serve |
| Subscription required | ❌ Optional | ✅ Yes | ❌ Optional |
💡 Critical insight: For travel, emergencies, or dogs who split time between two homes, JustFoodForDogs’ Pantry Fresh shelf-stable pouches are a game-changer that neither competitor offers. Two-year shelf life, no refrigeration, same human-grade ingredients. If your life is unpredictable, this flexibility alone might tip the scales.
—
🏆 8. So Who Actually Wins? It Depends on Which Problem You’re Solving
There is no single best fresh dog food brand. There is only the best brand for your specific situation, budget, and dog. Here’s the honest breakdown:
Choose Freshpet if you want to feed fresh food without spending fresh food prices. Your dog is generally healthy, you don’t mind self-portioning, and you value being able to grab food during a regular grocery run. You accept that the food is high-quality but not human-grade, and you’re comfortable with a brand that has had minor recall incidents but has been transparent about addressing them. Freshpet reported nearly $975 million in net sales for 2024, making them the largest fresh pet food company by revenue — that scale brings affordability but also manufacturing complexity.
Choose The Farmer’s Dog if you want the most hands-off, foolproof fresh feeding experience possible. Your dog benefits from precise calorie control (overweight, multiple conditions, senior). You value human-grade ingredients, pre-portioned convenience, and you’re willing to pay more for a service that removes all guesswork. The Cornell University study data on aging biomarkers gives this brand the most compelling longevity-adjacent science.
Choose JustFoodForDogs if you have a dog with a medical condition requiring a therapeutic diet, you value published peer-reviewed research above marketing, you want the widest variety of formats and recipes, or you’re a hands-on pet parent who might want to cook at home with proper nutritional guidance. Their six published studies, open-kitchen transparency, and veterinary support line make them the most scientifically credible and medically versatile option in this comparison.
| 🏆 Final Verdict | JustFoodForDogs | The Farmer’s Dog | Freshpet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for medical conditions | ✅ Winner | ❌ | ❌ |
| Best published science | ✅ Winner | 🥈 Strong runner-up | ❌ |
| Best personalization | 🥈 Good (in-store) | ✅ Winner | ❌ |
| Best price | 🥈 (Pantry Fresh/DIY) | ❌ Premium | ✅ Winner |
| Best convenience | 🥈 Most versatile | ✅ Most effortless | 🥈 Most accessible |
| Best for picky eaters | ✅ Most variety | 🥈 Good acceptance | ✅ Chunky textures popular |
| Best recall record | ✅ Clean | ✅ Clean | ⚠️ 3 voluntary recalls |
—
The Real Bottom Line
All three of these brands are dramatically better than feeding your dog bargain-bin kibble made with rendered by-products and corn gluten. That baseline improvement is the most important decision you can make, regardless of which brand you choose.
But the differences between them are real, measurable, and consequential. JustFoodForDogs has the science. The Farmer’s Dog has the service. Freshpet has the price. Your dog doesn’t care about any of that — they care about whether dinner smells good and whether you’re paying attention to how they feel after eating it.
Pay attention. That’s the best nutrition advice money can’t buy.