You may have noticed our recipes carry two different labels: Complete and Balanced for Adult (or Puppy) Maintenance and Intended for Supplemental or Intermittent Feeding.
Let’s dig into what each means — and why they matter:
Two Labels, One Mission
Recipes labeled Complete and Balanced contain stand-alone ingredients and supplements that are nutritionally sound enough to feed long-term. We base this on rigorous testing, nutritional analysis, and comparison against AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles , while keeping a close eye on avoiding excessive supplementation (think: copper or zinc overload).
Recipes labeled Intermittent Feeding are designed to be fed as toppers, treats, or rotated with other formulas. They're not meant to be your dog's sole diet. But, they're perfect for variety and additional nutrition.
Fresh Food Standards
The nutritional standards for fresh food were originally compiled by the National Research Council. In some cases, NRC requirements for certain nutrients are actually lower than what AAFCO publishes today — and for good reason.
Fresh whole foods are more bioavailable than highly processed kibble or canned food. High heat, high pressure, and phytate content in processed foods can make nutrients harder for your pet's body to absorb. Fresh food just works better.
AAFCO was originally created to establish standards, definitions, and regulations for manufacturing, labeling, and distributing animal feeds. Their guidelines started with the NRC's fresh whole food framework, then adapted to accommodate processed commercial foods like kibble and canned options — essentially adding more supplementation to compensate for what processing strips away.
At SHINE, we lean toward the NRC perspective for our recipes. It's more applicable to what we do: real, fresh, whole food.
15 Years of Wagging Tails and Empty Bowls
Our core recipes have stood the test of time. Over the years, we've made slight adjustments — adding targeted supplementation to reflect modern life and modern stressors — but the foundation remains the same.
Fifteen years humming along. A stellar reputation. Pets thriving on our food from puppyhood to their golden years.
That barks volumes.
Beyond the Requirements
At SHINE, we've voluntarily performed extensive nutritional testing that goes far beyond what's required for pet food production and labeling. In recent years, we've pushed even further — standing our recipes up against AAFCO Nutrient Profiles with impressive results that truly reflect the quality of our ingredients.
We add a very small amount of chelated minerals and vitamins to meet your pet's needs without the toxicity that comes from excess. And because fresh food isn't subjected to the high heat that degrades or alters nutrients, what's in the bowl is what your pet actually gets.
Common Sense. Careful Craft. Confident Feeding.
We're proud of our approach and hope it gives you confidence in feeding SHINE to your furry friends.
Balanced is the baseline. We aim higher.
