Last Updated: 12/02/2026
Ethical & Sustainable Pet Food in Australia
Want to align your values with your pet's bowl? Explore the best ethical and sustainable pet food brands in Australia. Our expert vets break down how to find transparent sourcing and humane welfare standards without compromising on balanced nutrition.
Author: Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 6 minutes - short read
Many of us are becoming more mindful of what we pop into our own grocery trolleys, from free-range eggs to sustainably caught fish. It’s only natural that we want the same high standards for our furry family members! However, navigating the world of "eco-friendly" pet food can be a bit of a tail-chaser. While many brands talk the talk regarding green values, as vets, our priority is ensuring those values don't come at the cost of "complete and balanced" nutrition. The good news? You don't have to choose between a healthy planet and a healthy pet. Let’s look at how to spot a truly ethical brand that keeps your pet's tail wagging and your conscience clear.
Key points:
- Balance is non-negotiable: While ethical values are important, your pet's health depends on "complete and balanced" nutrition. Always ensure an ethical brand meets AAFCO standards to avoid long-term health issues.
- Transparency is a green flag: Look for brands that avoid "and/or" ingredient labels. High-quality, ethical foods use specific meat names and offer traceability tools so you can see exactly which farm the ingredients came from.
- Prioritise humane welfare: Choose brands with third-party certifications like 'Certified Humane'. This ensures the farm animals involved were raised with adequate space, shelter, and without unnecessary antibiotics.
- Fish for sustainability: To protect our oceans, opt for brands that source their seafood in accordance with Seafood Watch or Ocean Wise standards, which focus on abundant species rather than threatened ones.
- Eco-friendly packaging matters: Sustainability goes beyond the food itself. Look for brands that partner with programs like TerraCycle to provide recycling options for their packaging, reducing the environmental footprint of your pet's meals.
What defines "complete and balanced" nutrition?
Let's first talk about what constitutes a good and trustworthy pet food in general. If you can learn to assess whether a pet food is good quality, you can judge for yourself whether a diet will be safe to feed to your pet.
How to identify high-quality ingredients on a pet food label
Many pet owners will look first at the ingredient list to assess the quality of a pet food. While ingredients listings don't provide us with a measure of the nutrient content of the food, they can provide some insight into its potential quality and are a good place to start.
- Look for specific protein names: High-quality brands list exactly which meats are used (e.g., "Beef" or "Chicken"). Avoid generic terms like "meat and meat by-products."
- Watch out for "and/or" labels: This is a common cost-cutting tactic. If a label says "Beef, Poultry and/or Lamb," the recipe can change batch-to-batch based on what is cheapest at the time. This lack of consistency can be particularly risky for pets with food allergies.
- Check the ingredient order: Ingredients are listed by weight before cooking, in descending order. The first few ingredients make up the bulk of the meal.
- Prioritise expert formulation: While the order of ingredients is helpful, it doesn't tell the whole story regarding digestibility or nutrient bioavailability. The most reliable diets are those formulated by veterinary nutritionists and undergo rigorous testing to ensure the final product is nutritionally complete.
Learn more about How to Read Pet Food Labels.
Essential nutrition: Meeting AAFCO standards for pet health
While ingredients are the source, nutrients - like proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals - are the essential building blocks your pet’s body actually uses. To ensure your pet's diet is truly supporting their health, look for these three markers of quality:
- AAFCO compliance: Check the label for a statement confirming the food meets AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) standards. This ensures the recipe contains the minimum essential nutrients for your pet's specific life stage.
- Rigorous testing: Premium brands often go beyond the bare minimums. They use laboratory analysis and feeding trials to determine optimum nutrient levels and perform regular batch testing to ensure every bag is safe and consistent.
- Qualified formulation: A reputable brand should be transparent about who creates their recipes. Look for diets formulated by experts with a PhD in animal nutrition or board-certification from the ACVN or ECVCN.
Production animal welfare: Finding humane meat sources
As animal lovers, many of us look for free-range or humanely raised options for our own meals. Extending these values to our pets’ bowls is a powerful way to support animal welfare and the environment. To find a truly ethical brand, look for these key pillars:
High production animal welfare
Ethical brands prioritise meat from animals raised under humane standards. This includes sourcing free-range, grass-fed, or "free-run" proteins where animals have:
- Adequate space
- Adequate shelter
- Ability to engage in natural behaviours
- No use of growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics
Sustainable fishing practices
While fish provides excellent Omega fatty acids for skin and coat health, overfishing is a major environmental concern. Look for brands that source "catch of the season" fish in alignment with third-party standards like Ocean Wise or Seafood Watch, ensuring fish species are sourced responsibly based on their abundance.
Third-party certifications
Trustworthy brands often undergo external audits. Look for labels that mention certifications from non-profit organisations dedicated to humane farming and sustainable resource management.
Traceable sourcing: From the farm to your pet's plate
Beyond just knowing where the food is manufactured, top-tier ethical brands offer "paddock to plate" transparency. This allows you to trace individual ingredients back to their regional farms, ensuring every component of the recipe meets high ethical and safety standards.
Top ethical pet food brands for Australian pets
Open Farm
This brand ensures all animal products meet Certified Humane Standards, with every partner farm individually audited by independent non-profit organisations. They also lead the way in transparency with an online traceability tool, allowing you to enter your bag's lot code to see exactly where every ingredient was sourced.
Orijen
This brand uses only free-run poultry and humanely raised meats, paired with fresh wholefood ingredients. They offer full transparency by showcasing the individual farms behind their proteins, vegetables, and botanicals directly on their website.
K9 & Feline Natural
These excellent NZ brand uses only free range, grass fed and grass finished lamb and beef, and all meats are free from antibiotics and hormones. All wholefood ingredients are sourced in New Zealand, are of human-grade quality and can be traced from the farm if requested.
Ziwi Peak
Sourced from New Zealand farms adhering to year-round, free-pasture, grass-feeding. Approved farms don't use antibiotics, growth promotants or hormones. They only source from humane, ethical and sustainably managed local farms that exceed the strict New Zealand government regulatory standards.
FAQs
Choosing an ethical pet food is a wonderful way to support animal welfare and the planet while still providing your best friend with a delicious, nutritious meal. By looking for transparency in sourcing and third-party certifications, you can feel confident that your pet is thriving on a diet that is as kind as it is healthy. If you're unsure which recipe is right for your pet's specific needs, our vet team is always here to help you navigate the menu!
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 12 Feb 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Carla graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and worked for a number of years in small animal clinics across South East Queensland. While Carla enjoys most facets of clinical veterinary work, she holds a special passion for feline medicine, pocket pets, and nutrition.
