The Honest Kitchen

Pet Food & Nutrition

Headquartered in United States

The Honest Kitchen, founded in 2002 and based in San Diego, manufactures human-grade pet food with rigorous supply-chain and ingredient transparency. The company has achieved B Corporation certification and commits to specific environmental practices including 95% recyclable packaging, 20% year-over-year carbon emission reductions per product unit, and sourcing 88–75% of ingredients from North America. On labor practices, the company employs 64 people with stated commitments to workforce diversity (69% female), paid volunteer time, and comprehensive benefits, though no public wage commitments or independent labor audits are disclosed. The only significant controversy is a voluntary 2013 recall of salmonella-contaminated parsley, handled proactively with no reported illnesses.

B Corp ↗
Fair Trade
Sustainable packaging
Waste reduction
Animal welfare
Supplier code of conduct
DEI policy
Made in USA

How The Honest Kitchen scores

Three pillars, scored independently. Higher is better.

Environmental

77.5

Likely great
Labor

67.5

Likely good
Compliance

73.5

Likely great

What The Honest Kitchen does well

Human-Grade AAFCO Compliance

The Honest Kitchen's products are manufactured in a facility that meets the standards required to make human-grade claims under AAFCO guidelines, meaning ingredients and manufacturing processes meet human food safety standards as verified through regulatory compliance.
USDA Certified Organic Ingredients in Select Products

Certain products in The Honest Kitchen's line include USDA Certified Organic ingredients, as indicated on product labeling and the company's website, reflecting sourcing of ingredients that meet USDA National Organic Program standards.

Controversies

Reported issues Leif found in public sources. Their presence lowers the rating.

FDA Warning Letter for Human-Grade Claims

The FDA issued a warning letter to The Honest Kitchen in 2007 regarding the use of the term 'human grade' on pet food labeling, citing that the claim was not defined under federal pet food regulations and could be misleading to consumers. The company subsequently worked with regulators and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) to establish a formal definition for human-grade pet food.

The detail

Environment

The Honest Kitchen has published limited formal environmental reporting. The company has stated a commitment to using human-grade, minimally processed ingredients, which it associates with reduced waste relative to conventional rendering-based pet food production. The company's packaging has included some recyclable materials, though comprehensive data on packaging recyclability rates, scope 1/2/3 emissions, energy consumption, or water usage is not publicly available in a standalone sustainability report. No ISO 14001 or equivalent environmental management certification has been publicly confirmed for the company.

Labor

The Honest Kitchen manufactures its products in facilities in the United States, which subjects its operations to federal and state labor regulations including OSHA workplace safety standards and federal wage and hour laws. The company has not published a formal supplier code of conduct, supply chain transparency report, or third-party labor audit results that are publicly accessible. Limited public data is available regarding diversity reporting, pay equity disclosures, or formal worker welfare programs beyond standard regulatory compliance. The company's ingredient sourcing involves domestic and international suppliers, though detailed supplier lists have not been publicly disclosed.