How The Honest Kitchen Became the First Human Grade Pet Food

 We spoke with Lucy Postins, founder of The Honest Kitchen, to hear how her quest to feed her dog better food led to something much bigger: the creation of the first human grade pet food brand.

Lucy shared that it all began when she couldn’t ignore what was in conventional pet food any longer. Most products were overly processed, filled with vague ingredients and far from what she considered real food. As a pet parent, that reality didn’t sit right with her.

She began cooking for her dog in her own kitchen, using the same kinds of ingredients she’d eat herself. That seemingly simple decision sparked a much larger idea: What if pets could eat food that met the same safety and quality standards as human food?

This was the seed that would grow into The Honest Kitchen: the first-ever human grade pet food  company.

Here’s how it all began.

Lucy described the company’s origins as “rooted in love and necessity.” In 2000, she brought home her first pet — a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Mosi. But not long after, he began experiencing chronic ear infections that wouldn’t go away, even after repeated treatments with antibiotics, flushing and steroids.

With experience in the pet food industry (she was working for a pet food brand at the time), Lucy had insight into the makeup of traditional kibble. She knew it was ultraprocessed and often high in sugar. Since sugar feeds yeast, she realized it could be linked to Mosi’s recurring infections.

After researching, she decided to try a change in diet. She began developing homemade, whole food blends for Mosi using ingredients like cranberries, oats, and sprouts. Over time, the infections began to subside — fewer flare-ups, fewer vet visits.

Seeing those results inspired her to think bigger: If Mosi benefited from better food, perhaps other pets could, too?

Understanding the value of human grade, whole foods, Lucy started making larger batches of pet food using ingredients sourced from local farmers’ markets. As demand grew, she partnered with human food manufacturers to help scale production.

She began selling her products locally and expanded into several states — until she ran into a problem in New Mexico. The state’s Department of Agriculture denied her application because her packaging included the term “human grade,” which was not permitted without FDA approval.

But Lucy didn’t let that stop her. She decided to pursue a No Objection Letter (NOL) from the FDA — a move that would allow New Mexico to approve her application and enable broader distribution of her products.

Securing the “ human grade ” label was anything but easy. The designation implies that all ingredients are high quality and that the food is manufactured in facilities that meet human food safety standards — standards The Honest Kitchen had already met. But no other pet food brand had attempted to prove it.

Lucy recalled being the first person to write directly to the FDA’s veterinary office to request this designation. While the idea was new to the agency, they were receptive and asked for extensive documentation — labels, manufacturing protocols, supply chain records, shipping details, and more.

She expected a response within 12 weeks. Instead, the back-and-forth stretched out for nearly a year. The FDA asked question after question, scrutinizing every detail of the product and packaging.

Lucy remembers the frustrating process. “At some point, we even had to change the size of the font we had expressed the net weight statement in because it was too small!” After multiple adjustments, The Honest Kitchen finally received its approval letter. With it, Lucy was able to register the company’s human grade pet food products not only in New Mexico, but in many other states as well.

Then came Ohio.

Ohio rejected The Honest Kitchen’s application, arguing that it would be difficult for people to distinguish between dog food and human food if both were labeled as “human grade.” The state went as far as to issue a stop-sale order on our products, completely refusing to accept human grade pet food.

But instead of giving up, Lucy decided to take the regulator to court. The judge ruled in her favor, citing that The Honest Kitchen had “a right to truthful commercial free speech.”

And that was that: The Honest Kitchen was ready for sale in Ohio.

Because of The Honest Kitchen, pet parents now have options like “lightly cooked,” “sous vide,” “freeze dried” and “air dried” foods from many brands. These new product types retain most of the nutritional value of their ingredients and can, therefore, enhance pets’ well-being.

The human grade revolution has also seen bodies like the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)  provide clearer regulations, which is a win for the whole industry.

Despite the growing interest and investment in higher-quality pet food, The Honest Kitchen remains the gold standard for human grade food and the pet food industry in general. Here’s why:

• All produce is human-edible and 100% non-GMO.

• No artificial preservatives.

• 88% of Whole Food Clusters and 75% of dehydrated ingredients are sourced from North America.

• Ingredients are sourced from verified suppliers with documented safety practices.

• Suppliers must provide Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for all incoming ingredients.

• 60% of packaging is made from renewable materials.

• All packaging is fully recyclable.

• Products are manufactured, handled, and stored according to CFR 110, the FDA’s standard for human food safety.

• Regular internal and random third-party testing ensures consistent quality.

• The company became a Certified B Corporation in 2022, demonstrating its commitment to social and environmental standards.

• Continuous innovation drives new, nutrition-rich products.

The Honest Kitchen has come a long way since its introduction in the early 2000s. What started as a solution for Lucy’s dog’s ear infection evolved into a human grade pet food brand, redefining standards in the pet food industry.

From a personal solution in her kitchen to an industry-wide shift in expectations, The Honest Kitchen has come a long way. Today, it continues to lead with transparency, nutritional integrity, and a pet-first mindset, ensuring every animal gets the same quality of food their humans do.

Shop our human grade pet food today.