Is Merrick ethical and cruelty-free?
Not really — Merrick fails 3 of the 4 ethics signals we track, including its animal-testing position, and holds no third-party certification we can verify.
Merrick is a premium pet food brand owned by Nestlé Purina, known for high-protein, grain-free recipes and a strong commitment to sourcing from trusted suppliers. While it holds no major certifications for cruelty-free or organic standards, it maintains a moderate sustainability focus through ingredient sourcing and packaging innovations.
The evidence, signal by signal
Cruelty-freeflagged
No formal animal-testing policy disclosed beyond standard quality assurance for pet food.
Vegan optionsunverified
No vegan pet food products offered.
Sells in mainland Chinaflagged
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
Third-party certifiedflagged
No independent certifications recorded on the products we track.
Public pledges: Uses recyclable packaging and recycled paperboard; member of Pet Sustainability Coalition; sources beef from sustainable ranches.
Scored with our public methodology. Profile last updated 2026-09-26.
More on Merrick
Is Merrick ethical? FAQs
Is Merrick cruelty-free?+
No formal animal-testing policy disclosed beyond standard quality assurance for pet food.
Does Merrick have vegan products?+
No vegan pet food products offered.
Does Merrick sell in mainland China?+
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
What is Merrick's ethics score?+
Merrick averages —/100 across 0 products we score on certifications, sourcing, labour, packaging and transparency.
What are the best alternatives to Merrick?+
See our full list of ethical alternatives to Merrick for better-scoring options in the same categories.