BIXBI says 13 products earned Clean Label Project certification
Bottom line
BIXBI Pet said 13 of its products have earned Clean Label Project certification, a third-party designation tied to testing for contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides, plasticizers, bisphenols, and acrylamide. The company said the milestone makes it the first pet food brand to certify kibble products under the program, and it paired the announcement with the launch of ProteinBlend, a new format that combines freeze-dried-coated kibble with air-dried jerky bites and freeze-dried pieces. Clean Label Project says certified products must meet its code of practice, which for pet food includes contaminant screening and AAFCO-related requirements. (cleanlabelproject.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the announcement taps into a growing conversation about contaminant exposure in pet diets and the expanding use of third-party certification as a trust signal for pet parents. Clean Label Project has recently pushed that conversation further with category testing in dog food, reporting higher average contaminant levels in some dry products versus fresh formats, though certification and category rankings are distinct programs and not direct measures of nutritional adequacy. That distinction matters in clinic conversations, where safety, complete-and-balanced formulation, life-stage appropriateness, and evidence behind the diet all still need to be weighed together. (cleanlabelproject.org)
What to watch: Watch for whether more dry-food brands pursue similar certification, and whether BIXBI discloses which 13 products qualified and how ProteinBlend is positioned in veterinary and specialty retail channels. (cleanlabelproject.org)
BIXBI Pet has added a new third-party validation point to its portfolio, announcing that 13 products have earned Clean Label Project certification. According to the company’s announcement as reported by Pet Food Processing, BIXBI says it is the first pet food company to certify kibble products under the program, which focuses on contaminant testing and ingredient integrity. The company also used the moment to introduce ProteinBlend, a product format that mixes freeze-dried-coated kibble with air-dried jerky bites and freeze-dried inclusions. (cleanlabelproject.org)
The backdrop is a broader industry push around transparency, sourcing, and product testing. Clean Label Project, a nonprofit that evaluates consumer products, has expanded its visibility in pet food through certification, purity awards, and category-wide testing. Its certification framework says products are purchased at retail and tested for substances such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, plasticizers, and bisphenols, and pet products are evaluated under a code of practice that also references AAFCO requirements. (cleanlabelproject.org)
That matters because contaminant testing has become a sharper point of discussion this year. In a 2026 dog food category study, Clean Label Project said it analyzed 79 top-selling dry, air-dried, freeze-dried, and fresh/frozen dog foods and generated more than 11,000 data points. The group reported that, on average, traditional dry dog foods in that sample showed higher levels of certain contaminants than fresh products. At the same time, Clean Label Project distinguishes between its category rankings, its “Clean 16” list, and formal certification, meaning a certified product is not the same thing as a top-ranked product in a category comparison. (cleanlabelproject.org)
BIXBI has been building its messaging around that kind of quality-and-safety positioning for some time. On its website, the company says it tests beyond standard protocols, works to verify safety and label accuracy, and formulates foods to meet AAFCO guidelines for complete and balanced nutrition. Its “purity” messaging also emphasizes screening for heavy metals and other toxins, suggesting the Clean Label Project announcement is part of a longer-running transparency strategy rather than a one-off marketing claim. (bixbipet.com)
The competitive context is also worth noting. Earlier in 2026, Freshpet announced that its U.S. and Canadian product line had earned Clean Label Project certification and Purity Award recognition, with Pet Food Processing describing it as the first pet food brand to receive that certification across its full line. That appears different from BIXBI’s narrower claim about being first to certify kibble products specifically, rather than first in pet food overall. Based on the available sources, the distinction is important for accurately framing the milestone. (petfoodprocessing.net)
Why it matters: For veterinarians and practice teams, this is less about endorsing a label at face value and more about understanding how pet parents may interpret it. Third-party contaminant testing can be a meaningful differentiator in a market where clients are increasingly focused on transparency and food safety. But certification does not replace core clinical questions: whether the diet is complete and balanced, appropriate for the patient’s life stage and medical needs, supported by sound formulation practices, and realistic for long-term feeding. In other words, a cleaner contaminant profile may become part of the nutrition conversation, but it shouldn’t become the whole conversation. (cleanlabelproject.org)
There’s also a retail and product-development angle. ProteinBlend reflects continued premiumization in dry food, with brands layering multiple processing formats into one bag to signal palatability and perceived nutritional value. For clinics, that could translate into more questions from pet parents comparing conventional kibble, coated kibble, freeze-dried products, and fresh diets, especially as outside certifications become more visible on packaging and online listings. (bixbipet.com)
What to watch: The next step is whether BIXBI or Clean Label Project publishes a full list of the 13 certified products and whether additional dry-food manufacturers follow with similar claims. It will also be worth watching whether veterinary nutrition stakeholders, retailers, or regulators weigh in on how contaminant-focused certifications should be interpreted alongside nutritional adequacy and broader quality standards. (cleanlabelproject.org)
Common questions
What did BIXBI Pet announce about Clean Label Project certification?
BIXBI Pet said 13 of its products earned Clean Label Project certification, and it said this makes it the first pet food company to certify kibble products under the program.What does Clean Label Project certification test for?
The program screens products for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticide residues, plasticizers, bisphenols, and acrylamide, and pet products are evaluated under a code of practice that also references AAFCO requirements.What is ProteinBlend?
ProteinBlend is a new BIXBI format that combines freeze-dried-coated kibble with air-dried jerky bites and freeze-dried inclusions.Is Clean Label Project certification the same as being top-ranked in a category study?
No. Clean Label Project says certification is distinct from its category rankings and Clean 16 list, so a certified product is not the same as a top-ranked product in a category comparison.