Our Core Brand at Number 1
The Ziwi brand was established in 2002 and since that time, Ziwi has grown to become the global leader in air-dried pet nutrition, and the leading exported pet food brand from New Zealand.
Today Ziwi is exported to over 20 countries around the world and has a growing portfolio of air-dried, canned, freeze-dried foods, rewards, and oral chews offerings. Yet every product is produced, packed and quality checked in our own facilities in New Zealand.
Ziwi has production facilities in the coastal town of Mount Maunganui in the North Island of New Zealand as well as in Christchurch in the South Island.
Ziwi works closely with only the best New Zealand farmers to ensure all ingredients meet the highest standards and follow ethical and sustainable farming and fishing practices. All meat is sourced from free range farms where the animals are grass fed all year round, and the fish are wild caught from around New Zealand.
What's in ZIWI?
ZIWI recipes contain:
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Raw muscle meat, organs (heart, lung, kidney, liver, green tripe, spleen, gizzard) cartilage & bone from free range, grass fed animals and seafood
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a minimum of 10% superfood ingredients:
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3% New Zealand green-lipped mussel
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7% cold washed unbleached green tripe in most Ziwi Peak recipes. More than 40% tripe is used in the Lamb and Tripe recipe
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Organic kelp
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What's NOT in ZIWI?
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No rendered meat or meat meals/fish meals
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No antibiotics or growth promotants
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No added carbohydrates or sugars – no grains, potatoes, rice, cereals, or glycerines
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No added fillers
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No artificial gelling agents in canned products
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No BPA or carrageenan in cans
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No BHA, BHT, TSP or any preservatives
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No GMO ingredients
All recipes comply with the AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced daily diet for all breeds and life stages including puppies and kittens
All meat and seafood is processed through strict Export Grade Facilities which meet and exceed all international quality standards (AAFCO, USFDA, EU, Japan, Australia, etc).
Recipe range for dogs & cats
Air-dried food
Canned wet food
Freeze-dried boosters
ZIWI PEAK ORIGINALS
Most ZIWI Peak original recipes are Limited Ingredient diets, containing protein, bone, cartilage and organ meat from a single animal, with the addition of 3% green lipped mussel. Proteins are:
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Beef
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Chicken
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Lamb
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Mackerel & Lamb contains 3 protein sources (mackerel, lamb & green lipped mussel).
Read more about limited ingredient diets here.
ZIWI PEAK PROVENANCE RANGE
Each recipe in the Provenance range includes 5 meats and fish, regional to New Zealand.
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East Cape: mutton, goat, whole kahawai, whole white trevally, whole mackerel, green lipped mussel
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Otago Valley: beef, venison, lamb, southern blue whiting, hoki, green lipped mussel
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Hauraki Plains: chicken, duck, whole kahawai, egg, turkey, green lipped mussel
ZIWI FREEZE-DRIED BOOSTER RANGE
ZIWI's freeze-dried booster range includes recipes that can be used as a nutritious topper on to boost the nutrition of a variety of diets fed to dogs and cats.
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Venison
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Beef
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Lamb
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Skin and Coat Health Booster
Contains marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E from whole mackerel, hoki, whole southern blue whiting, NZ green lipped mussel, Blackfoot Abalone, fish broth, marine microalgae oil and dried organic kelp. Also contains herbal extracts (dandelion greens, rosehips, green tea leaf, elderflower, dried chicory root, parsley, rosemary extract) and probiotics (dried Bacillus subtilis).
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Gut and Immune Health Booster
Contains goat meat, bone, organ meat and milk, marine ingredients (whole mackerel, hoki oil, marine microalgae oil, dried organic kelp), organic kiwi fruit, pumpkin, herbal extracts and probiotics (dried Bacillus subtilis).
Herbal extracts are lavender, dandelion greens, rosehip, peppermint, dried chicory root, rosemary extract.
How can I incorporate ZIWI into a dog or cat's diet?
For owners
ZIWI is a versatile food that can be used in many ways to suit a variety of needs and budgets.
A Complete and Balanced food
ZIWI can be fed as the primary diet. All recipes comply with the AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced daily diet for all breeds and life stages including puppies and kittens.
A Topper
ZIWI can be used as a topper to add highly nutritious variety to any dog or cat’s diet.
A Nutritional Booster
ZIWI’s freeze-dried range includes a Skin & Coat Booster and a Gut & Immune booster.
Chews, treat, rewards
ZIWI offers a range of oral chews for dental health and mental stimulation.
ZIWI recipes can be used as a high reward training tool
In the vet clinic
ZIWI air-dried and canned recipes come in very handy in the consultation room for both dogs and cats. Using a high reward, highly palatable, tasty treat in the vet clinic can help create a positive experience for dogs and cats visiting the vet clinic.
To read more ideas, see our page “using ZIWI in the consult room”.
ZIWI - the "safe" alternative to raw?
Some veterinarians hesitate to recommend a raw food diet for dogs and cats due to concerns about contamination of food with pathogenic bacteria.
ZIWI’s unique dual-stage Z-TWINTECH® air drying technology uses a twin stage air-drying process which eliminates pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella and listeria. The natural nutrition of the ingredients is protected in the air drying process by using a slow and gentle low temperature over many hours, to a point where there isn’t enough moisture to allow harmful microorganisms to grow on the product. It is then processed at a high enough temperature to eliminate any parasites, if any are present.
ZIWI have very strict QA controls in place around their drying process to ensure the safety and quality of their pet food. ZIWI does routine testing for total bacterial count, yeasts and moulds to meet stringent international food safety regulations. Random, representative sampling is conducted on a weekly basis and sent to an accredited, independent laboratory to conduct the tests. ZIWI offers a way for owners to give their animals a natural, unprocessed diet without the need to handle and process raw meat, bones and organs, which introduces the risk of contamination by improper or inadequate hygiene practices.
ZIWI recipes are shelf stable, and require minimal handling, thus reducing the risk of contamination.
What is the issue with grain free pet food? Is there a link between grain-free dog food and DCM?
In 2018, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) alerted pet owners and veterinarians about reports of Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legumes or potatoes as the top 5 ingredients. The FDA launched an investigation, which concluded in 2019. Various reports were published. For a summary of the FDA's findings and discussion of the issue, click below to read more.
Is there any research about natural diets for dogs and cats vs kibble?
Scientific studies into the benefits of fresh food, natural diets for dogs and cats are increasing over the last two decades. These studies offer important findings which can help to inform the decision making of veterinarians in clinical practice and provide some insights into the benefits of a natural diet.