If you buy your pup dry dog nutrient , it likely comes in a bag and you stash away it in your kitchen for weeks or even months depending on the size of it . And with consumers spending one thousand million of dollars on pet food each yr , that equates to a whole lot of kibble sitting around in cabinets and cupboards for prolonged periods of time .
“ teetotal frankfurter food for thought is processed to get a long shelf life . It ’s ironical kernel byproducts , powdered veg , crude oil , etc . that are ledge stable at way temperature for up to 18 months , ” saysDr . Oscar Chavez , veterinarian and former spark advance of the Canine Nutrition Team at JustFoodforDogs . “ No nutrient that we eat is designed to last that long — but kibble is . ”
agree to Dr. Chavez , wry dog food is make in a similar way to package cereal . It ’s made through a cognitive operation call rendering and expulsion , which dehydrates the food to about 10 percentage wet , while also add together preservatives .
Kibble is normally purchased in weenie intellectual nourishment udder , and some favourite parent opt to transfer the grub to another container or holder for convenience or more succinct storage . But the original packaging is n’t just a useless report or plastic suitcase . In fact , you might want to regard celebrate your dog ’s food in the original packaging for a myriad of reasons .
Reasons to Save Your Dog Food Bag
Holding onto your dog nutrient bag can gain you and your whelp in many style . Here are a few important grounds to keep your dog food bag .
Reason 1: You’ll Be Prepared for Recalls.
TheFood & Drug Administration regulates the industry of ( most ) dog intellectual nourishment , and also managespet food recalls . And having your udder will not only help identify if your pet ’s food is part of the callback , but it will also serve inform other pet parent of possible subject with the favored food they ’ve buy .
“ Pet food bags bear worthful detail including its quite a little number and production stack info , ” enounce Dr. Chavez . “ Saving the traveling bag can help oneself you identify whether or not your particular bag of food has been necessitate in a recollection . In the case that your deary may be among the first cases of a recall , the bag can help your veterinary surgeon report the potential issue through the FDA portal . They will ask for this selective information when the news report is fill out . ”
Reason 2: It Preserves Shelf Life and Slows Spoiling.
consider it or not , the lining of kibble bags is n’t a useless part of the packaging . It really helps to preserve the food inside .
“ Dry preferent food companies bank on the liner of the pet food grip as the final layer of defence , which is specifically designed to prolong the shelf life of the content , “ says Dr. Chavez . “ Heat , air , and sunshine can accelerate the spoiling process , and some oestrus or unaccented sensitive nutrients can devolve . ”
Reason 3: It Decreases Risk for Contamination.
By observe your dog ’s solid food in its original bag , you could also be reducing the risk of taint .
“ By leaving the food for thought in the traveling bag to get with , you reduce the chance of introducing contamination through treatment , ” says Dr. Chavez . “ Per the FDA , some preferred solid food can already be contaminated , and by move it out of the bag , you may risk pollute other surface . It ’s right to keep the pet food in its original bag until you feed it . ”
Reason 4: It Helps You Stay on Top of Best-By Dates
Let ’s face it , when you bribe gravid bags of dog intellectual nourishment or you have multiple pets in your home , it can be tough to keep track of departure dates . But all bags of kibble have best - by dates printed directly on them , which produce it well-off to see and think of when you require to use or throw out excess food .
Reason 5: It Keeps Pests Out of the Food.
Depending on where you stack away your dog food , the publicity can help keep critter out .
“ If you keep your bag of food in the garage or outside , pests will either masticate through the bag or go up in through the top ( ants ) , ” says Dr. Chavez . “ However , if you keep the bag in a cool , dry cupboard inside the menage or another consecrate container , then you will dramatically reduce the probability of pestilence or storage mites . ”
If you ’re disturbed about pestis getting into the bag and would rather use an air - tight hot dog food storage container , merely retrieve a container that will accommodate the whole bag . identify the bag of nutrient in the container for an extra level of security .
Dog Food Bag Tips and Tricks
Here are a few things to keep in mind when it come to maximizing the ledge life of your puppy ’s food .
Always assume food for thought is last bad before the date print on the recording label . “This is because most kibble is sprayed with oils and fat , as well as vitamin E , to keep up the fat from heat oxidation ( spoiling ) , ” tell Dr. Chavez . But he explains that the vitamin Es is used up over time as it protect the fat — especially in the mien of heating system , moisture , and melody . ”
put in it in a cool , dry place . Heat and humidity of warmer calendar month or certain climate can be a major contribute factor to your dog food spoiling faster .
“ A large bag of kibble that has been opened and stored in the service department during a hot summer is unbelievable to last to its sell by date . feign it will go bad in days or weeks , ” say Dr. Chavez . “ Keep the food indoors in a dry , nerveless home . ” ( Here are7 mistakes to quash when storing dog food . )
indue in an airwave - tight container . Preventing air from riddle your hot dog ’s food will aid it last longer . “Keep the bagful in an airtight container ( but still in its original packaging ) , ” says Dr. Chavez .
Buy smaller food software . If your darling and circumstance allow , consider buy smaller sizes of dog intellectual nourishment .
“ Often masses buy dry favorite food in large bulk sizes , ” says Dr. Chavez . “ This might work fine if you have five Rottweilers and they go through it quickly , but if you have one Yorkie , then you should n’t do this . ”
Consider buying saucy pet food . If you want to feed your dog the fresh pet food , view pass over kibble altogether . Fresh pet foods are typically pasteurize , similar to Milk River . This avoids many of the risks associated with in the raw nutrient , while still provide a fresh alternative to kibble . Read food label cautiously to ensure that the intellectual nourishment you are select is nutritionally balanced and design to conform to the want of your dog ’s life stage .
“ Kibble ( dry food ) is not fresh . It is processed meat and other ingredients in a bag that is shelf stable for up to 2 long time . That ’s the opposite of impudent , ” says Dr. Chavez . “ If you want fresh nutrient , buy refrigerate or frozen favored food and keep it in the fridge or freezer as aim by the packaging . ” ( Here ’s everything you need to get it on about frozen weenie food . )
