Hi Aimee,
I have no idea where you found this information regarding ANY company which produces freeze dried for dogs is EVER microwaved. They DO use HPP in some brands which I”m fine with. Vital Essentials I believe do not use HPP. Handling raw food for your meals off course would require you to wash all counters well and your hands. Same as non HPP raw food.
Prior to entering the vessel, all products are between 0-38 degrees F. Once the product is inside, the vessel fills with water at 36-40 degrees F. When the vessel is pressurized, the water temperature never exceeds 70 degrees F. The product temperature never increases more than 2-3 degrees F. The product is held in the vessel for two to three minutes at pressures up to 72K psi. When the pressure and water are evacuated from the vessel, product temperature is virtually the same as when it entered the vessel. Because of this, HPP is a non-thermal process that is beneficial for heat-sensitive products, like meats, fruits, and vegetables.
Hope this helps in understanding . Kibble is only fed for owners convenience. Remember growing up and being brain washed into thinking human food is BAD for dogs. How silly now that we didn’t realize this was to keep public ignornant and keep feeding their product. Don’t know how dogs would have survived if kibble wasn’t invented. lol
