November 26, 2010

The winner is the chef who takes the same ingredients as everyone else and produces the best results.

Favorite Things > Freeze-dried or Dehydrated Raw Dog Food

SOJOS by Sojourner Farms
1723 Adams Street NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
1.888.867.6567

SOJOS Complete (blue bag)
Ingredients: sweet potatoes, USDA turkey, whole egg, broccoli, celery, apples, flax meal, pecans, tricalcium phosphate, pumpkin, cranberries, basil, dried alfalfa, ginger root, dried kelp, zinc sulfate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin D2 Guaranteed Analysis: crude protein 22.0% min., crude fat 8.0% min., crude fiber 5.1% max., moisture 12.3% max. Calories: per cup = 480.8 Kcals Note: This is considered a complete and balanced meal.


SOJOS Grain-Free (green bag)
Ingredients: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Celery, Apples, Whole Egg, Flax Meal, Parsley Leaf, Tricalcium Phosphate, Carob Powder, Kelp Powder, Alfalfa, Ginger Root, Garlic, Vitamin D3 Guaranteed Analysis: crude protein 14.7% min., crude fat 6.5% min., crude fiber 15.4% max., moisture 7.0% max. Calories: No information. Note: This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. To use this food daily feeding, you must follow the instructions and add the proper amount of meat.


Bottom Line:  SOJOS' chunky home-style texture, high palatability and price point make it our favorite dehydrated raw food. We prefer it over The Honest Kitchen. The border collies have eaten SOJOS as toppers and meals and there were no tummy issues. The Complete mix includes meat so it is also perfect for traveling (they ate it for Thanksgiving dinner!). Pair the Grain-free mix with SmallBatch or K9 Kraving raw blend (meat, bone and organ) - well, it's so easy to prep & serve! I feel confident about feeding the border collies SOJOS because it suits our variety & rotation method. It's Josey & Lucas approved too!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM SOJOS E-NEWSLETTER June 2009:

"Since introducing SOJOS COMPLETE last year (ie. the one with the meat already in the bag), many have wondered what the distinction is between our food and other dehydrated mixes on the market. The most important distinction in our opinion is that SOJOS

Why freeze-dried? Air-drying is a simple, gentle method of moisture removal that works well with fruits and vegetables. However it is not ideal for the dehydration of meat. The reason is that air-dried meat must be cooked first (typically at temperatures of 230 degrees F and up) before it is air-dried to destroy bacteria. However, freeze-dried meat can be dehydrated RAW, which our meat is.

Freeze-drying is a process that completely removes water from a material, while leaving the basic structure and composition of the material intact. This is done without exposing the material to temperatures high enough to destroy enzymes and nutrients. Freeze-drying locks in the taste, smell, and nutritional content of food, while preserving it for a longer period of time. Since most savvy pet owners are looking for raw meat for their pets, freeze-dried meat represents the best option for people that want the convenience of a dry food combined with the bountiful nutrition of raw. We still have SOJOS ORIGINAL and SOJOS GRAIN-FREE for people that want to use fresh, raw meat for their pets. SOJOS COMPLETE simply gives you the added convenience of having the meat already in the bag.

The only disadvantage of freeze-dried meat is the cost, as it usually costs up to three times as much as air-dried meat. In our case, because we manufacture our own food, we're able to include freeze-dried meat in our food and still offer our products at a reasonable price that people can afford. How much do our foods cost to feed? Here's an approximation, based on feeding a 25-50 lb. dog our foods:
  • SOJOS ORIGINAL (with ground beef @ $2.50 per lb.) - $0.95 per day SOJOS GRAIN-FREE (with ground beef) - $2.26 per day
  • COMPLETE is made with freeze-dried RAW turkey.
  • SOJOS COMPLETE - $2.28 per day"

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