While, dogs are great companions, they have lifespans of only a few years –it’s a sad fact, especially for pet parents, but it’s true. Though it’s impossible to have our beloved pets live with us forever, there are certainly ways to prolong their lives. Healthy foods play a vital role in extending the lives of your dogs. In addition to satisfying the high standards of today’s pet owners, maintaining freshness throughout a product’s shelf life also helps to avoid illnesses. It all starts with high-quality ingredients, which must then be skillfully prepared and packaged to suit distribution requirements for shelf life as well as pet owner preferences. Preserving pet food is an essential thing to save food from spoilage. Here are the details about preservatives in dog food:
Types of preservatives in dog food
While talking about preservatives in dog and cat food, there are 2 types:
Natural preservatives
The name of the preservative type itself would easily attract users. Manufacturers of commercial dog treats and food are increasingly using natural preservatives. Keep in mind that natural preservatives have a shorter shelf life if you decide to use them instead of artificial ones. There are some top natural preservatives used in pet food and they are listed below:
Rosemary
Especially for oils and fats, rosemary’s natural anti-oxidant and anti-degradant characteristics help retain freshness for much longer than usual. It is a fun ingredient to use while cooking and smells heavenly too!
Vitamin E
Tocopherols, a type of antioxidant similar to vitamin E, are used to preserve food. Additionally essential to canine health, vitamin E is also required for a healthy coat, heart, eyes, and other organs.
Citric acid
Citrus fruits include the naturally occurring food preservative known as citric acid, which is frequently utilised in both human and canine food. As a result, your food will stay fresher for a longer period due to its strong acidity.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as “ascorbic acid,” acts as an antioxidant that helps maintain fat and stop meals from becoming rancid. It is an excellent natural preservative for dog food and is also a required component for your dog.
Artificial or synthetic preservatives
Chemicals called “synthetic preservatives” are used to prevent food from spoilage and to increase their shelf life. Long shelf lives for items enable retailers to keep inventory on hand for longer periods and suppliers to make and ship less frequently. Even though it is the very opposite of fresh, it is almost always less expensive. With natural preservatives, there are some artificial preservatives found in pet food online and these are listed below:
BHT/BHA/TBHQ
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHA) are the synthetic antioxidant used to stop lipids from going rancid. In pet diets, cereals, meats, and oils, they can be used in quantities up to 0.02% without causing any harm.
Ascorbates
Antioxidants called ascorbates are utilised to keep proteins and carbohydrates from deteriorating. Ascorbic acid is one of them. Vitamin C is represented by this chemically. It is employed to stop items from browning when they are exposed to the air, particularly meat and fruit.
Ethoxyquin
Although many pet owners have begun looking for natural substitutes, ethoxyquin is one of the most widely used artificial preservatives for dry animal food.
List of natural preservative methods
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is perhaps the most essential and popular way to keep goods fresh for longer periods. The food doesn’t become contaminated by bacteria because of the cold’s inherent ability to keep the ingredients steady.
Freeze
Even longer than keeping them in the fridge, snacks can be frozen. Although they can be maintained for up to 6 months, after around 4 months their flavour may change or deteriorate.
Vacuum seal
Treats can be vacuum sealed to preserve their freshness for a longer period since the lack of air inhibits the growth of bacteria, mould, and deterioration of the treats’ fats and oils.
Wrapping it up:
Of course, choosing the right food for dogs involves more considerations than just the sort of preservatives used in it. The only thing that cannot be negotiated is the use of a blend of premium components that together offer balanced nutrition.
