Shelf-Stable Doesn’t Equal Species-Appropriate
The Real History of Kibble (And Why It Still Matters)
Most dog parents assume kibble was created by veterinarians and backed by decades of nutritional science. But the real story? It’s rooted in marketing, manufacturing, and convenience — not biology, not nourishment.
The First "Dog Food": A Salesman with a Strategy
In the 1860s, James Spratt, an American salesman living in London, noticed stray dogs scavenging for leftover ship biscuits along the docks. Inspired, he created the first commercial dog food: a baked biscuit made of wheat meal, vegetable scraps, and beef blood.
He marketed it as a luxury item for elite dog owners. It was easy to store, simple to manufacture, and wildly profitable, but it wasn’t designed with biological appropriateness in mind. To be fair, his idea wasn’t inherently harmful. It just wasn’t nutrition-forward.
Canned Food and the Rise of Meat-Based Meals
By the 1920s and '30s, canned dog food had taken over. Made largely from cheap horse meat, it was advertised as hearty and nourishing. By the 1940s, it dominated 90% of the commercial pet food market.
But in 1952, a Life Magazine exposé revealed that slaughtered wild horses were being used in pet food sparking public outrage. Horse meat became a national controversy. Emotional backlash forced pet food companies to pivot, fast.
World War II Changes Everything
At the same time, WWII brought strict rationing of both meat and metal — essential ingredients in canned pet food production. Companies needed a new model that didn’t rely on tin or controversial meat.
Enter Ralston Purina, which borrowed extrusion technology from the breakfast cereal industry. This process used high heat and pressure to cook starches and mold them into dry, uniform pellets. The result? A lightweight, low-moisture product that was easy to ship, store & scale.
But there was a tradeoff: heat destroyed many natural nutrients, so manufacturers added synthetic vitamins and minerals and sprayed fats and flavorings on afterward to boost the taste.
The “complete and balanced” label soon followed — and was officially defined by AAFCO in 1969.
Just like that, modern kibble was born — a product of wartime necessity, industrial innovation, and marketing strategy.
Marketing Takes Over
With a mass-producible product in hand, brands launched aggressive campaigns to reshape public perception. Kibble was marketed as scientific, convenient, and modern — even superior to real food.
As regulatory definitions solidified, “complete and balanced” became a selling point even though most formulas relied on synthetic nutrients to meet the bare minimum.
Then came the industry spinoffs: prescription diets, breed-specific formulas, age-targeted blends, all with trendy buzzwords and flashy packaging.
But none of it was rooted in ancestral nutrition or individualized wellness. It was all built for mass appeal, convenience & the bottom line.
As regulatory definitions solidified, “complete and balanced” became a selling point even though most formulas relied on synthetic nutrients to meet the bare minimum.
Then came the industry spinoffs: prescription diets, breed-specific formulas, age-targeted blends, all with trendy buzzwords and flashy packaging.
But none of it was rooted in ancestral nutrition or individualized wellness. It was all built for mass appeal, convenience — and the bottom line.
So, Has Anything Changed?
Despite fancier bags and trendy ingredients, the process hasn’t evolved much. Most kibble is still made using high-heat extrusion, still reliant on synthetic additives, and still based around a base of starches, rendered meat meals, and preservatives. Even the most expensive brands often follow the same playbook — just with better marketing.
Why It Matters Today
This isn’t about fear. It’s about context. Kibble isn’t “evil,” but it wasn’t designed with health in mind. It was designed to last on shelves, scale in production, and make companies money.
When you understand its history, you can make better choices:
Question what “complete & balanced” really means
Eliminate unnecessary additives
Add fresh, whole food toppers
Whether you feed raw, home-cooked, or simply rotate in real food toppers, it makes a difference. And that’s what matters.
