FRESHPET BECOMES FIRST DOG FOOD TO EARN CLEAN LABEL PROJECT CERTIFICATION

Rhea-AI Summary

Freshpet (NASDAQ: FRPT) announced that its entire U.S. and Canadian product portfolio earned the Clean Label Project Purity Award on Feb 12, 2026. Freshpet is the first and only pet food brand with full-line certification, following recipe testing that began in early 2025.

The nonprofit certification tests for more than 100 environmental and industrial contaminants including heavy metals, bisphenols, phthalates, acrylamide, and pesticides. Clean Label Project data showed fresh/frozen dog foods had the lowest heavy metal levels versus dry foods and human-consumable benchmarks.

Positive

• Full-portfolio Purity Award across U.S. and Canada
• First and only pet food brand with full-line Clean Label Project certification
• Products tested for 100+ contaminants including lead, arsenic, mercury, and DEHP
• Independent study: fresh/frozen dog foods had the lowest heavy metal levels among segments

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction

-0.92%

1 alert

-0.92% News Effect

On the day this news was published, FRPT declined 0.92%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Certification start year: early 2025 Dog foods studied: 79 products Individual tests: more than 11,000 +5 more

8 metrics

Certification start year early 2025 Certification of Freshpet recipes began in early 2025

Dog foods studied 79 products Study of 79 top-selling dog foods

Individual tests more than 11,000 More than 11,000 individual tests in the dog food study

Contaminant panel more than 100 contaminants Testing panel for environmental and industrial contaminants

Arsenic multiple 13.3 times more arsenic Traditional dry dog food vs fresh dog food in study

Lead and mercury multiple 20 times more Traditional dry dog food vs fresh dog food in study

Quality and safety tests 20+ tests Freshpet’s strict safety checks per product

Years in development 20 years Freshpet’s two-decade focus on different kind of pet food

Market Reality Check

Price: $67.72 Vol: Volume 935,264 is below t...

normal vol

$67.72 Last Close

Volume Volume 935,264 is below the 20-day average of 1,267,502, suggesting a relatively muted reaction to the news. normal

Technical Price at $68.52 is trading above the 200-day MA of $64.54, indicating a pre-existing upward bias before this announcement.

Peers on Argus

FRPT was down 1.24% while peers were mixed: SMPL up 0.86%, FLO, CENT, CENTA, and...

FRPT was down 1.24% while peers were mixed: SMPL up 0.86%, FLO, CENT, CENTA, and NOMD modestly negative. With no peers in momentum scanners and only one peer headline (NOMD earnings date), the move appears stock-specific rather than sector-driven.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 09 (Neutral)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 09	CFO inducement grant	Neutral	-0.8%	Inducement RSU grant tied to new CFO’s appointment and future service.
Feb 04	Leadership changes	Positive	-1.0%	New CFO and SVP Supply Chain appointments with 2025 outlook reaffirmed.
Feb 02	Earnings date set	Neutral	+0.4%	Scheduled Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings release and conference call.
Nov 18	Investor conference	Neutral	+0.2%	Participation in Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference.
Nov 05	Investor forum	Neutral	+2.5%	Participation in J.P. Morgan U.S. Opportunities Forum with fireside chat.

Pattern Detected

Recent news—mainly leadership and event updates—has often seen small, mixed price reactions, with one notable divergence on positive leadership news.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Freshpet has focused on leadership transitions, investor outreach, and earnings communications. In October 2025, the company reported stronger Q3 results and engaged investors via conference appearances. In early February 2026, Freshpet announced a new CFO and other senior hires, plus an inducement equity grant, with modestly negative next-day moves. Today’s product-quality certification fits into a broader narrative of scaling operations while emphasizing brand and governance stability.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Freshpet’s full U.S. and Canadian portfolio earning Clean Label Project...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Freshpet’s full U.S. and Canadian portfolio earning Clean Label Project’s Purity Award, following extensive testing for more than 100 contaminants. It reinforces a long-term focus on minimally processed, fresh ingredients and independent safety validation. In context of recent leadership changes and upcoming earnings, investors may watch how this certification supports brand differentiation, pricing power, and category share, as well as any future disclosures linking these quality credentials to demand trends.

Key Terms

bisphenols, bpa, bps, phthalates, +2 more

6 terms

bisphenols medical

"including heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury), bisphenols (BPA, BPS), phthalates"

Bisphenols are a family of industrial chemicals widely used to make plastics and coatings found in items like bottles, food-can linings and receipt paper. They matter to investors because health and environmental concerns have led to regulatory limits, product reformulations, recalls and shifting consumer preferences—similar to finding a contaminant in a common ingredient that forces manufacturers to change recipes, which can affect costs, sales and legal risk.

bpa medical

"including heavy metals..., bisphenols (BPA, BPS), phthalates (CBP and DEHP), acrylamide"

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make hard plastics and the lining of metal cans—think of it as a glue that helps form many everyday containers. It matters to investors because health concerns and government limits can lead to product recalls, reformulation costs, shifts in consumer demand, or regulatory fines, all of which can affect sales, profit margins and the reputation of companies that make or use plastic packaging.

bps medical

"including heavy metals..., bisphenols (BPA, BPS), phthalates (CBP and DEHP), acrylamide"

bps stands for "basis points," a unit equal to one hundredth of a percentage point (0.01%). Investors and analysts use bps to describe small changes in interest rates, yields, fees, or margins without confusing decimals — for example, a 50 bps move means a 0.50% change. Using bps makes it easier to compare and communicate tiny but meaningful shifts that can significantly affect bond prices, loan costs, or investment returns.

phthalates medical

"bisphenols (BPA, BPS), phthalates (CBP and DEHP), acrylamide, pesticides, and more"

Phthalates are a family of chemical additives used to make plastics and coatings softer and more flexible, found in products from packaging and flooring to toys and medical devices — think of them as a ‘softener’ mixed into plastic. They matter to investors because health concerns and regulatory limits can force product redesigns, trigger recalls or fines, raise manufacturing costs, and shift consumer demand, all of which can affect a company’s sales and liability exposure.

dehp medical

"more than 3,280 human consumable products... across arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, acrylamide, and DEHP"

DEHP is a chemical added to plastics to make them flexible—think of it as the oil that keeps a hinge moving smoothly. Regulators and health authorities often restrict or monitor its use because it can leach out and pose health risks, so companies that make, use or sell plastic products may face recalls, redesign costs, regulatory fines or market restrictions. Investors watch DEHP-related rules and liabilities because they can affect manufacturing costs, product demand and legal risk.

acrylamide medical

"dramatically higher levels of DEHP and acrylamide (a chemical that can form in foods..."

Acrylamide is a small industrial chemical used to make plastics, paper and wastewater treatment products that can also form naturally when starchy foods are cooked at high temperatures (for example frying, baking or roasting). It matters to investors because health authorities classify it as a probable human carcinogen, so companies in food production, packaging and chemicals may face testing requirements, reformulation costs, labeling rules, recalls or liability — like a hidden defect that can raise expenses and damage sales.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Only pet food brand to earn certification of their Purity award across entire U.S. & Canadian portfolio

BEDMINSTER, N.J., Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Freshpet, Inc. ("Freshpet" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FRPT), the leader in fresh food for pets, today announced that its entire U.S. and Canadian product line has earned Clean Label Project™'s Purity Award for ingredient quality and safety. This certification is awarded by the nonprofit Clean Label Project™, that tests products for contaminants consumers will not see on a label, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and environmental contaminants, to evaluate ingredient quality and safety. Certification of Freshpet recipes began in early 2025, and today its full portfolio meets the Clean Label Project's stringent thresholds for heavy metals, industrial and environmental toxins.

Freshpet is the first and only pet food brand to be Clean Label Project Certified and have its entire product line recognized with the organization's Purity Award, a distinction reserved for the top third of performers in a product category. This third-party validation underscores the Company's longstanding commitment to premium quality, food safety, sustainability, and minimally processed, fresh ingredients.

To earn the Clean Label Project™ Certification, products must undergo extensive independent lab testing that tests for more than 100 environmental and industrial contaminants, including heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury), bisphenols (BPA, BPS), phthalates (CBP and DEHP), acrylamide, pesticides, and more. These chemicals are known for their potential health risks for humans - and pets.

"Twenty years ago, we set out to create a fundamentally different kind of pet food, made from real, simple ingredients and prepared in our own kitchens," said Scott Morris, Co-founder and President of Freshpet. "We believed that by doing things differently, we could deliver cleaner, higher-quality nutrition for pets. Clean Label Project's Purity Award validates that belief and reinforces our commitment to raising the standard for pet food."

The announcement follows the release of Clean Label Project's new Dog Food Category Report, which found that many popular dry dog foods contain significantly higher levels of heavy metals and industrial contaminants than both fresh and frozen dog foods, as well as higher levels than more than 3,280 human consumable products tested over the past decade. By contrast, the Clean Label Project found that fresh and frozen dog food products, including all Freshpet recipes, had the lowest heavy metal levels of any segment tested and were lower on average than the organization's benchmark for human consumables across arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, acrylamide, and DEHP, an industrial plasticizer.

In the study of 79 top-selling dog foods with more than 11,000 individual tests, traditional dry dog food averaged 13.3 times more arsenic, 20 times more lead and mercury, as well dramatically higher levels of DEHP and acrylamide (a chemical that can form in foods during high-heat cooking and is classified as a probable human carcinogen) than fresh dog food.

"Most pet owners assume the food they buy for their dogs is held to the same safety standards as human food, but that's simply not true," said Molly Hamilton, Executive Director of Clean Label Project. "Our findings show that many dry dog foods contain significantly higher levels of toxic heavy metals than fresh or frozen dog food and the average human-consumable product. Given that dogs often eat the same food every day, this raises important questions about long-term exposure and the need for greater transparency and stronger safety standards."

Freshpet's fresh, refrigerated recipes are formulated around real, gently cooked ingredients prepared in Freshpet-owned kitchens with:

• Fresh, recognizable ingredients like real chicken, beef, salmon, vegetables, and whole grains, without rendered meat meals or fillers.
• Gentle steam-cooking methods that help preserve nutrients and ingredient integrity rather than being extruded at high temperatures, a process that can contribute to acrylamide formation in many traditional dog foods.
• Strict safety checks at every step, including 20+ quality and safety tests.

"Contaminants like heavy metals and industrial chemicals do not show up on a traditional ingredient list, yet they are what many health-conscious pet parents worry about for themselves and their pets," added Dr. Lisa Weeth, Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist and Head of Veterinary Research and Communications at Freshpet. "Independent verification from the Clean Label Project gives veterinarians and families data to help them make informed decisions when choosing a fresh diet over conventional options."

About the Clean Label Project
The Clean Label Project is a nonprofit organization on a mission to reveal what labels do not show by testing consumer products for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, plasticizers, and industrial chemicals. Using independent, ISO 17025–accredited analytical laboratories, the Clean Label Project evaluates product safety and ingredient quality, recognizing leading brands through its Certification and Purity Award programs and advocating for stronger standards across industries.

About Freshpet
Freshpet is the leading fresh food for dogs and cats, feeding fresh to over 15 million pet households. For the last 20 years, Freshpet has been on a mission to transform the lives of dogs and cats through the power of fresh, nutritious food, while pushing the boundaries of sustainable practices. The recipes are developed by Veterinarian Nutritionists and made with natural whole ingredients, like fresh meats, vegetables and fruits, which are cooked in small batches at lower temperatures to preserve their natural goodness. Made in the United States, Freshpet foods and treats are kept refrigerated until they arrive at Freshpet fridges in local markets or are delivered directly to consumers. 

Freshpet is available in a growing number of mainstream grocery, natural food, club, and pet specialty retailers across the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as online in the U.S. From the care taken in partnering with farmers whose values align with theirs, to how each recipe is made, Freshpet's commitment to integrity, transparency and social responsibility is a point of pride.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freshpet-becomes-first-dog-food-to-earn-clean-label-project-certification-302686631.html

SOURCE Freshpet

FAQ

What did Freshpet (FRPT) announce on February 12, 2026 about Clean Label Project certification?

Freshpet said its entire U.S. and Canadian product line earned the Clean Label Project Purity Award. According to the company, certification began in early 2025 and the full portfolio met stringent contaminant thresholds.

What does the Clean Label Project Purity Award mean for Freshpet (FRPT) products?

The Purity Award indicates recipes met strict contaminant limits across many tests. According to the company, products passed independent lab testing for over 100 environmental and industrial contaminants.

How do Freshpet (FRPT) heavy metal levels compare to dry dog food in the Clean Label Project report?

Freshpet recipes were in the lowest segment for heavy metals compared with dry foods. According to the company, fresh/frozen dog foods averaged lower arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, acrylamide, and DEHP levels.

What contaminants are tested for Clean Label Project certification of Freshpet (FRPT)?

Certification tests include heavy metals, bisphenols, phthalates, acrylamide, pesticides, and other industrial toxins. According to the company, the program covers more than 100 environmental and industrial contaminants.

When did Freshpet (FRPT) begin its Clean Label Project certification process?

Freshpet began certifying recipes in early 2025 and announced full-portfolio recognition on Feb 12, 2026. According to the company, testing progressed until the entire U.S. and Canadian line met thresholds.

How extensive was the Clean Label Project study cited by Freshpet (FRPT)?

The report studied 79 top-selling dog foods with over 11,000 individual tests, comparing segments and human-consumable benchmarks. According to the company, results showed dry foods had substantially higher contaminant levels.