Why it's Important - 'Best By' Date on Pet Foods
Susan Thixton
A recent article posted on The Consumerist website brings up a very good point (and lesson) that pet owners should take note ofThe article comes from a pet owner whose Yorkie became ill, and after a couple of days in the vet's office, the owner looked at her Eukanuba canned food and realized it had expired 3 years ago. When she checked the cupboard she discovered several other cans of dog food - all recently purchased at PetCo - had expiration dates from 2004. Here is the link to the story - http://consumerist.com/consumer/complaints/petco-sells-dog-food-that-expired-3-years-ago-312921.php
What happened to this pet owner (and pet) can easily happen to anyone. How many times have you purchased something and never looked at the expiration date?
With pet foods and treats, usually on the side or back of the bag or can, you will find a 'Best by' date stamped on the product. Most pet food manufacturers that I have spoken with tell me that this date does NOT mean the pet food will expire - it means that the most optimal nutrition of the food or treat has expired.
Pet food shelf life is one of the questions I ask manufacturers and provide in Petsumer Report. It varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The shelf life of dry dog food or cat food can vary from four months to three years. Canned or pouched dog food or cat food can vary from one to five years. Dog and cat treats usually have the same shelf life as dry food. The 'Best by' date provided on the pet food or treat does not tell you how old the product is. The 'Best by' date does not tell you when the food was manufactured. Again, it only tells you the date that particular pet food manufacturer determined the food will no longer provide optimal nutrition.
Optimal for your pet would be a pet food that is naturally preserved. However, the drawback of naturally preserved pet foods - the only drawback - is that they lose their nutritional value quickly. The challenge to pet owners is to find a food and treat that is very fresh.
Here is how you can be assured you are feeding your pet only fresh food. Call the pet food manufacturer and ask what the shelf life is for their dry and canned foods. As an example, ABC Pet Food tells you the shelf life of their Premium ABC Dry food is 18 months and the shelf life of Premium ABC Canned food is 2 years. With that information, check the 'Best by' date on the pet food. Let's say the 'Best by' date on the dry food you are considering says June 2008 - knowing that ABC Pet Food told you 18 months is the shelf life - you would know the food was made in January 2007 (Shelf life 18 months minus from June 2008 equals Jan. 2007). If 'today' is October 20, 2007 - you would know this pet food is now 10 months old.
With a canned food - the ABC canned cat food best by date is also June 2008. This would tell you that this can was made in June 2006 and thus it would be 14 months old in October 2007.
Using my above example, I would not purchase a pet food that is already ten months old. Ideally, a dry pet food should be less than four months old when you purchase it - and you should use the food within two months. Again, with a naturally preserved pet food, the nutritional value begins to deteriorate quickly. The fresher the food - the better. Try to purchase and use the food within six months of manufacturing. Store your pet's food in a air tight container, in a dark, cool pantry. With canned pet foods, the quality of nutrition is protected by the canning process. Any unused portion of the can must be covered, stored in the refrigerator, and used within a couple of days.
Call the pet food manufacturer and ask the shelf life of the dry and canned foods. Yes, it's a small chore - but it's very important. You want what you pay for, and your pet deserves the best nutrition. Get yourself into the habit of looking at the 'Best by' date before you make the purchase. This little effort will not only provide your pet with better nutrition, but it could also save you from the experience of a sick pet.
Before you purchase another bag or can of pet food, read more of Susan's secrets to healthy pet foods. Also, register for the Truth About Pet Food free newsletter. http://www.TruthAboutPetFood.com/ shelf life, pet food, dog food, cat food
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