When purchasing dog or cat food, we want it to be as fresh as possible for our pets. One of the ways to help maintain freshness is by storing the food properly when we get it home.
Check out these six tips from the FDA on properly storing your pet food:
1. Keep It High and Dry
Keep all your pet food and treats in a secure place away from them. Pantries and laundry rooms are great places for storing food, if the rooms remain at a consistent temperature. Dry pet food should be stored at room temperature where it does not reach above 80 degrees. Heat and moisture may cause your food to degrade.
2. Hang Onto the Bag
Always keep your kibble and treats in their original packaging. This allows you to have important information handy, such as expiration dates, bar codes and lot numbers, should you need them. If your pet food doesn’t come in a resealable bag, you can use large clips to close the bag or place the bag in a container with a lid.
3. Seal It Up
If you want to use another container, use a storage container with a tight seal. The FDA recommends keeping your kibble in its original packaging and placing the bag in the other container. Your container should be airtight and have a tight seal.
4. Take Notes
If you want to pour the kibble directly in your storage container, keep a journal handy with the expiration date, lot number and bar code. Or you could tape this information to the container if you remember to update it with each new bag. Before adding another bag of kibbles, remember to thoroughly wash and dry the container when it is empty.
5. Refrigerate Wet Leftovers
Put leftover wet food in the refrigerator. Your wet food contains meat and other products that will spoil, so it’s important you put all uneaten food in the refrigerator for safekeeping (you can safely bring it back to room temperature to make it more appealing the second time around).
When storing in the refrigerator, put the food in a new container with a tight seal. Glass containers work very well. This helps pet food retain its flavor. Also consider labeling the container as “pet food” to avoid any confusion with fridge grazers!
6. Wash Up Daily
Remember to frequently wash your dog’s food bowls and scooping utensils with hot water and soap.
If you follow these simple rules, your dog or cat food should remain fresh. Looking for the right pet food for your dog or cat? Learn more about our pet food brands and products.