OC Raw: Small-Batch Raw Food with Big Nutritional Integrity
Company Origins and Mission
OC Raw was founded in Southern California by the Howland family, who began making raw food in their own kitchen to help pets suffering from chronic allergies and health problems. The company grew organically through word of mouth before expanding into wider distribution.
OC Raw remains family-owned and operated, and their small-batch production is handled in-house at their own California facility. Their mission is to provide safe, healthy, whole-food raw diets made from ethically sourced ingredients—without fillers, synthetic additives, or excessive processing.
Core values:
- Transparency – Open about sourcing and ingredients
- Quality – Whole food ingredients from trusted suppliers
- Integrity – No shortcuts, no synthetic additives, no fillers
What Makes OC Raw Unique?
1. Whole Food Ingredients You Can Recognize
OC Raw doesn’t use vitamin packs or synthetic additives. Instead, they rely on real, whole foods—including meat, organ, bone, and fresh produce—to deliver complete and balanced nutrition. You’ll see ingredients like apples, parsley, spinach, and kelp on the label, not isolated vitamins or lab-made powders.
2. Ethically and Sustainably Sourced Proteins
OC Raw partners with small family farms and USDA-inspected facilities to source proteins like chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, rabbit, and fish. All meats are free from added hormones and antibiotics, and they avoid using any 3D/4D meats (animals that are dead, dying, diseased, or down).
3. Small-Batch Production in Their Own Facility
Every batch is made in their own California facility, allowing OC Raw to control every step of the process—from sourcing and grinding to packaging and cold storage. This reduces the risk of contamination and ensures consistency from bag to bag.
4. Safety-First Approach with Targeted Use of HPP
Historically, OC Raw was known for avoiding High Pressure Processing (HPP) in favor of strict sourcing, sanitation, and in-house pathogen testing. In response to growing FDA and distributor pressure, the company has begun using HPP selectively—primarily on poultry formulas and products distributed to certain regions.
While this marks a shift from their original stance, OC Raw remains transparent about where and when HPP is used and continues to produce in small batches at their California facility. Their commitment to minimally processed, whole-food raw diets remains unchanged.
5. Variety of Formats and Proteins
OC Raw offers:
- Frozen Patties and Meaty Rox – Complete and balanced raw meals
- Freeze-Dried Treats – Single-ingredient, protein-rich snacks
- Raw Marrow Bones and Goat Milk – Nutrient-dense raw extras
Their wide variety of proteins and formats makes it easy to rotate foods, address sensitivities, and customize your pet’s raw diet.
Is OC Raw Right for Your Pets?
OC Raw is a great fit for pet parents who:
- Want whole-food, biologically appropriate diets
- Avoid synthetic vitamin packs and prefer nutrition from real ingredients
- Prefer non-HPP raw food with rigorous safety testing
- Have pets with food sensitivities or chronic health concerns
- Value small-batch production and family-owned integrity
Feeding Cost
At time of publication:
Cost for a 50lb dog starts at about $5/day: 18lb chicken formula: feed 1 x patties, 18/box $92.99
Cost for a 10lb cat starts at about $3/day: 2lb Fish & Chicken $16.99, feed 5.5oz/day