What Instinct Pet Food does

Instinct Pet Food (legal entity M.I. Industries, Incorporated; formerly Nature's Variety) is a U.S.-based raw pet food manufacturer founded in 2002 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with company-owned production facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company manufactures minimally processed raw and raw-enhanced nutrition for dogs and cats across multiple formats — fresh frozen raw (FreshRaw Meals), frozen raw (Bites, Patties, Medallions), freeze-dried raw (FreshDried), raw-coated and raw-boosted kibble, toppers/mixers, wet food, and limited-ingredient and ultimate-protein lines. Its core technical differentiator is High Pressure Processing (HPP) — a USDA-recognized, cold-pressure pathogen reduction technology validated over 10+ years and used to eliminate Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli 0157:H7 in raw products, supplemented by dual SQF Food Safety and Quality certification and an on-staff Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist.

The company sells direct to consumers through its e-commerce site (with a loyalty program, product recommender, and feeding calculator), distributes through Amazon, Chewy, and Instacart, and is stocked in local pet retail. Internationally, it operates through dedicated legal entities in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan, plus distributors across Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Its go-to-market blends DTC, omnichannel retail, a veterinary professional engagement portal with free CE courses, content marketing, and earned media. Revenue derives almost entirely from one-time product sales across the price ladder from premium kibble to fresh raw; no subscription model is documented. Instinct sponsors the DogRisk research program at the University of Helsinki — the only North American raw pet food sponsor — providing an evidence base from 16,000 dogs that supports clinical and consumer messaging. The company is privately held under M.I. Industries with no disclosed venture or growth equity rounds.

Name

Instinct Pet Food

Legal name

M.I. Industries, Incorporated

Website

https://instinctpetfood.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Instinct Pet Food is a U.S. raw pet food manufacturer (Lincoln, NE facilities; St. Louis HQ) producing fresh frozen, freeze-dried, and raw-enhanced nutrition for dogs and cats, sold via DTC, Amazon, Chewy, Instacart, and international distributors across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Raw Pet Food

NAICS

Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw & Fresh Pet Food (Refrigerated/Frozen) (AFADAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated Pet Food (AFADAFAD), Natural/Organic & Limited-Ingredient Diets (CRADAFAH), Pet Treats & Chews (AFADAFAF)

Keywords

• Raw pet food
• Freeze-dried dog food
• Frozen raw meals
• Pet nutrition products
• Raw coated kibble

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Instinct generates revenue through direct sales of raw pet food products including FreshRaw Meals, Frozen Raw Meals, FreshDried, Boosted Kibble, Raw Toppers, Kibble, and Wet food across dog and cat categories. Products sold through e-commerce, retail stores, and veterinary channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Instinct Pet Food manufactures and sells minimally processed, raw and raw-enhanced pet food for dogs and cats across multiple formats: FreshRaw Meals, Frozen Raw Meals, FreshDried (freeze-dried raw), Boosted Kibble, Raw Coated Kibble, RawBoost Mixers/Toppers, Wet Food, and Ultimate Protein Kibble. The company uses High Pressure Processing (HPP) for pathogen reduction at its company-owned Lincoln, Nebraska facilities and sells directly to pet parents through its own e-commerce site, Amazon, Chewy, Instacart, local pet retailers, and a global distributor network.

Product overview

Instinct Pet Food is a raw pet food company offering multiple product formats centered on raw nutrition. The core product lines include FreshRaw Meals (fresh frozen raw), Frozen Raw Meals, FreshDried (freeze-dried raw), Boosted Kibble (raw + kibble combinations), RawBoost Toppers/Mixers, Raw Coated Kibble, and Wet Food. Products are available for both dogs and cats with various protein options (chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, duck, rabbit, salmon, pollock, venison, cod, tuna). The company emphasizes minimally processed, never-cooked raw nutrition with High Pressure Processing (HPP) for safety, and provides complementary tools including a Product Recommender quiz and Feeding Calculator. Instinct was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FreshRaw Meals: Fresh, never-cooked raw meals for dogs and cats
• Raw Longevity
• Raw Boost
• Original
• Limited Ingredient Diet
• Be Natural
• Ultimate Protein
• Healthy Cravings

Products and services

• FreshRaw Meals Fresh frozen raw meals for dogs made with responsibly sourced meats (grass-fed beef, cage-free chicken, cage-free turkey, grass-fed lamb), non-GMO vegetables and fruits, never cooked to preserve nutrients and flavor. Available in 8 oz and 16 oz packages.
• Frozen Raw Meals Minimally processed, complete and balanced raw meals frozen for freshness. Available in Bites, Patties, and Medallions forms for dogs and cats. Made with real meat, fruit, and vegetables without cooking.
• FreshDried (Freeze-Dried Raw Meals) Shelf-stable version of frozen raw meals, freeze-dried for convenience. Can be stored in pantry and served like kibble. Available for both dogs and cats.
• Boosted Kibble High-protein kibble combined with freeze-dried raw pieces in the same bag. Combines traditional kibble with raw nutrition. Available in Original (grain-free) and Whole Grain varieties. Includes probiotic boost and higher omegas.
• RawBoost Mixers and Toppers Freeze-dried raw toppers to add to any existing pet food for extra protein, taste, and nutrition. Available in various proteins and functional ingredients including multivitamin options with 27 guaranteed nutrients.
• Raw Coated Kibble Kibble coated with freeze-dried raw for simple raw nutrition. Includes varieties like Original (grain-free, 70% real animal ingredients), Be Natural (grain-inclusive), and Limited Ingredient Diet (grain-free, single protein source).
• Wet Food Wet food in cans and pouches with real meat first, fruits, and vegetables. Includes Original recipes, Limited Ingredient Diet options, and Healthy Cravings pouches. Available in loaf, pâté, flaked, and minced textures.
• Ultimate Protein Kibble Grain-free cat kibble with the highest levels of protein from real meat and unmatched digestibility compared to other premium natural cat food brands. Available in chicken and duck proteins.

Quantifiable outcome

• Puppies fed raw have 182% lower likelihood of environmental allergies as adults compared to puppies fed kibble (statistically significant, puppies 1-2 months of age)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of Helsinki - DogRisk Research ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiyear research agreement with Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman and the DogRisk independent research program at the University of Helsinki. Instinct is the only raw pet food company in North America to sponsor this study. The research quantifies the impact of raw pet food on dogs' health, studying over 16,000 dogs. Published research shows puppies fed raw have lower likelihood of environmental allergies and reduced risk of IBD.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stella & Chewy's: U.S. raw and freeze-dried raw pet food brand offering patties, dinner patties and frozen raw meals for dogs and cats. Closest head-to-head competitor with Instinct across raw formats, premium pricing, and natural/limited-ingredient positioning, sold through Chewy, Amazon and independent pet retail.
• Primal Pet Foods: Premium raw and freeze-dried raw pet food maker (frozen nuggets, patties and freeze-dried formulas) for dogs and cats. Direct overlap with Instinct's FreshRaw, Frozen Raw and FreshDried lines, similar ingredient philosophy (grass-fed, organic produce), and similar distribution through specialty retail and e-commerce.
• Vital Essentials: Raw and freeze-dried pet food brand offering frozen raw entrees, patties, freeze-dried morsels and toppers for dogs and cats. Competes directly with Instinct in the same retail aisles and on the same e-commerce platforms, with comparable raw/freeze-dried format portfolio.
• Northwest Naturals: Family-owned raw pet food manufacturer producing frozen raw diets, freeze-dried raw, and raw bones for dogs and cats. Smaller scale than Instinct but same raw-first positioning, sold through independent pet retailers and select e-commerce — a direct competitor in the specialty/raw channel.

Emerging players

• Open Farm: Premium, ethically-sourced pet food brand offering kibble, freeze-dried raw, raw meals and toppers with strong sustainability positioning. Emerging direct competitor to Instinct across Boosted Kibble, Raw Boost Toppers and FreshDried, with overlapping target consumer and growing DTC presence.
• Smallbatch Pets: Boutique raw and freeze-dried raw pet food maker focused on small-batch, USDA-inspected recipes for dogs and cats. Smaller/niche player that competes in the same specialty raw retail channel with overlapping frozen raw and freeze-dried SKUs.
• The Farmer's Dog: Fresh, gently-cooked (not raw) dog food delivered via DTC subscription. Competes with Instinct for the same 'fresh-not-kibble' premium dollar and is now expanding into adjacent categories, threatening Instinct's positioning as the premium, minimally-processed choice.

Broad incumbents

• Orijen / Champion Petfoods: Premium kibble brand (including ACANA) known for 'Biologically Appropriate' raw-inclusion formulas with high fresh-meat content. Broader portfolio than Instinct but directly competes in the premium, meat-forward, raw-inclusive segment and shares the same specialty and DTC retail channels.
• Nestlé Purina PetCare: Largest global pet care conglomerate; has aggressively expanded into raw/fresh categories (e.g., Beyond, Pro Plan, recent raw/fresh launches and M&A). Represents the principal threat from a deep-pocketed incumbent entering Instinct's fresh/raw core with superior retail leverage.
• Mars Petcare: Owner of Royal Canin, Pedigree, Whiskas, and acquired fresh/raw brands (e.g., Natura, Champion discussion history). A wide-portfolio incumbent whose strategic moves directly shape retailer shelf space and pricing dynamics for Instinct across every channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/INSTINCT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instinctpetfood
• Instagraminstagram.com/instinctpetfood
• TikToktiktok.com/@instinctpetfood
• Xx.com/instinctpetfood

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Instinct Pet Food