How we curate, verify, and decide what belongs on Animal Base.
Our Standards
Animal Base is built on an animal-based lifestyle.
Animal Base exists to support a way of living rooted in human biology, evolutionary context, and real-world outcomes — not trends or institutional narratives.
That foundation informs everything you’ll find here: how products are evaluated, how research is interpreted, and how tradeoffs are weighed.
This page explains how those principles translate into concrete standards.
If you want to understand why we start here, begin with the animal-based framework itself.
OUR NON-NEGOTIABLES
These are the lines we don’t cross.
If a product, ingredient, or material fails here, it doesn’t belong on Animal Base — regardless of brand, popularity, or demand.
- No Seed Oils or Seed Oil-Derived Ingredients
- No Endocrine Disruptors (EDCs) or Forever Chemicals (PFAS).
- No Preservatives
- No Artificial Ingredients or Sweeteners
- No Gums or Emulsifiers
- Non-GMO Ingredients Only
- Ethically Sourced Ingredients and Materials
OUR CURATION PROCESS
How products earn a spot on Animal Base
Before anything appears on Animal Base, it passes through a clear, deliberate process. Every product is evaluated with rigor, context, and real-world use.
1. Ingredient & Material Validation
Every product is first reviewed against our non-negotiables as a strict eliminative step. If an ingredient, material, or formulation violates our baseline standards, the product stops here with no tradeoffs or exceptions.
2. Context & Judgment
Beyond baseline compliance, we evaluate how a product is actually sourced, formulated, manufactured, and intended to be used, recognizing that some decisions require judgment informed by context, tradeoffs, and real-world alignment.
3. Real-World Testing & Use
The Animal Base team purchases and uses every product we offer, evaluating how it fits into our daily lives. If we’re not comfortable using it ourselves, we wouldn’t be comfortable listing it in our marketplace.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Some products deliver additional quality guarantees
Beyond our non-negotiables, some products meet additional standards related to sourcing, testing, ingredients, materials, or packaging practices.
These are not requirements to appear on Animal Base — but when a product goes further, we document it clearly. These attributes help provide additional transparency and allow you to filter and compare based on what matters most to you.
Not every product will meet every quality guarantee. That’s intentional - and we’ve designed our marketplace to allow you to filter your shopping experience using each of the quality guarantees outlined below.
Sourcing Quality Guarantees
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_100__Grass_Fed.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
100% Grass-Fed
From animals grazed solely on grass for their full lives, never grain, yielding nutrient-dense meats for optimal metabolic health.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_USA_made.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Made in the USA
Proudly manufactured in the United States of America, supporting domestic production and sourcing.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Soy_Free.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Soy Free
Free from soy ingredients, reducing exposure to common allergens and endocrine-disruptive compounds found in soy.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Corn_Free.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Corn Free
Produced without corn or corn-derived ingredients, avoiding common inflammatory inputs tied to modern food systems.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Antibiotic_and_Hormone_Free_af91b360-dd1e-45cb-8657-1e44e6eddb08.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Antibiotic & Hormone Free
Sourced from animals raised without routine antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_A2_Diary_514dd83a-62d4-460b-a064-6bab190bc32f.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
A2/A2 Dairy
Sourced from cows producing A2/A2-only beta-casein proteins in milk for easier digestion and reduced inflammation.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Regeneratevely_Raised_f97de68a-768e-41ef-bb40-0374081d61bc.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Regeneratively Raised
Sourced from regenerative systems that restore soil health and biodiversity, delivering meat that's richer in nutrients.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Glyphosate_Free.png?v=1767036535&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Glyphosate Free
Lab-tested or extensively screened to confirm absence of glyphosate residues linked to metabolic and gut disruption.
Ingredients Quality Guarantees
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_ZERO_SUGAR.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Zero Sugar
Formulated with absolutely no sugars or sweeteners, supporting stable energy and metabolic health.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Seed_oil_Free.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
No Oils
Beyond seed oils, these products have no oils of any kind, focusing on minimal ingredients and inputs.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_3_ingredients.png?v=1767632999&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
3 Ingredients or Less
Made with three ingredients or fewer to minimize processing complexity and reduce unnecessary additives.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Sweetened_with_honey.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Sweetened Only With Honey
Sweetened exclusively with honey, avoiding refined sugars and artificial sweeteners while aligning with ancestral carbohydrate sources.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_No_spices_0c2da50a-cf3f-495c-ba63-dd47c25e9ddc.png?v=1767632999&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
No Flavorings or Spices
Contains no added flavorings or spices, avoiding hidden compounds that can irritate digestion or immunity.
Materials Quality Guarantees
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Plastic-Free_materials.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Plastic-Free Materials
Made without plastic materials, lowering exposure to synthetic compounds that can disrupt biological systems.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Dye_Free.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Dye-Free
Produced without synthetic dyes, reducing skin exposure to unnecessary chemicals and irritants.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_100__Organic_Cotton.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
100% Organic Cotton
Crafted from certified organic cotton grown without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or industrial treatments.
Testing & Verification Quality Guarantees
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Mycotoxin_tested.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Mycotoxin Tested
Tested to confirm absence of harmful mold toxins that can disrupt immunity, metabolism, and neurological function.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Heavy_Metal_Tested.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Heavy Metal Tested
Verified through testing to ensure heavy metals remain below detectable thresholds that could be harmful and accumulate in the body.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Microplastic_Tested.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Microplastic Tested
Tested to confirm absence of microplastics that can accumulate in tissues and interfere with cellular health.
Packaging Quality Guarantees
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_Glass_Packaging.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
Glass Packaging
Packaged in glass to prevent chemical leaching and preserve product purity from production through storage.
![[object Object] icon](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/0070/0294/files/Quality_Guarantees_-_Complete_Icons_No_plastic_contact.png?v=1767374806&width=40&height=40&crop=center)
No Plastic Contact
Handled and packaged without plastic contact to reduce microplastic exposure and chemical contamination.