Fresh Pet Food: 10 Ways to Guarantee It

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Purchasing Smaller Quantities
 Assures Fresher Food

I hope you had the good fortune to join us for the recent #Gamma2Fresh Twitter Party. We enjoyed some silly Gamma2 G-Men video questions and generally had a great time. But we also got serious about keeping our pet food fresh. Here are some of the tips we shared in the party that many said were new information or just plain helpful. I hope you find a gem in here too!

1. Save money on dog food by keeping it in an airtight pet food container like a Gamma2 VittlesVault to prevent spoilage and pest access. No bugs means healthier pets.
2. Before you purchase pet food, check to make sure you've selected the product you intended, and always check the Expiration Date. No date=no purchase!
3. Store pet food inside your home. Pests can find their way into a garage and eat right thru an unopened bag of pet food.
4. Only use food grade, BPA-Free plastic containers, as dyes and BPA can leach into food.
5. ALWAYS wash your pet food container in between refills to remove oils that may become rancid. These fats will contaminate new food placed in the container, potentially making your pet sick.
6. Rancid oils increases the risk of mites, mold, and bacteria, all of which may lead to food poisoning, vomiting or diarrhea. Cool, dry storage and an airtight container are your only tools to avoid these problems.
7. Greener Earth Tip: Wash your pet food container with hot water and biodegradable dish soap for a healthier Earth.
8. When you empty a new bag into your pet food container, ALWAYS save the product label with the name, bar code, batch code, production code, and Best by date, in case of recall.
9. Always store food in a cool, dry location indoors, under 80 degrees F.
10. Households with multiple pets on different foods may buy food in small bags and store all with bags inside 1 large pet food container.

I'll bring more of the fresh food tips to you next week. Meanwhile, feel free to Tweet your favorite tip from the list. @AllThingsDog would love to help get the work out. Thanks for joining me today.