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By Steve Brown and Beth Taylor
Would you keep a loaf of bread open in your kitchen for 39 days?
We hope not. That's how long an open bag of dog food typically
lasts. This lengthy storage time and poor storage conditions often
lead to nutrient degradation, oxidation of fats and infestation
by molds, mites and other food spoilers.
Another set of numbers, as a dog owner, you want to be concerned
about: One in three dogs dies of cancer. We believe improper storage
at home is a major contributing factor to that mortality rate.
Dry dog foods usually have a one-year shelf life. That means the
food is good for up to one year after the manufacturing date. Many
dry foods stamp a best if used by date on the package. This
applies only to unopened bags, however. High-quality dog food companies
use bags that provide protection from oxygen and moisture. If the
bag is intact, not enough oxygen and moisture can migrate into the
food in one year to cause significant oxidation or microbial growth
problems.
Though there are problems that can occur between the food manufacturer
and the customer opening the bag, it's what happens after
the bag is opened that we are most concerned with in this article.
Here's a short list of goodies, among
others, that enter the bag after it's opened:
- Oxygen
- Moisture
- Light
- Mold spores
- Storage mites
Oxidation of fats: As Dr. Mercola has shown, oxidized fats
may cause cancer and contribute to many chronic health problems
in humans. The same is true for dogs.
Dog food companies use antioxidants -- sometimes vitamin E and
other natural sources -- to slow down oxidation. Every time the
bag is opened, however, oxygen enters. Eventually, the antioxidants
are all oxidized (used up) and some of the fats are damaged, starting
with the more fragile omega-3 fatty acids that better pet food companies
now add to their foods.
Degradation of all micronutrients: Vitamins particularly
susceptible to oxidation and damage due to long-term room temperature
storage include vitamin A, thiamin, most forms of folate, some forms
of vitamin B6 (pyridoxal), vitamin C and pantothenic acid. The nutritional
value of the food at the bottom of a bag left open 39 days will
be considerably less than the food you remove when you first open
the bag. Simply put, the fresher the better.
Molds and mycotoxins: Storing open bags of dry dog food
for 39 days in warm, humid areas (most kitchens) promotes the growth
of mold. Some of the waste products of this mold (mycotoxins) are
increasingly being linked to long-term causes of cancer and other
health problems in humans, poultry, pigs and other animals. Dogs
are particularly susceptible to these toxins.(1)
When dry dog foods absorb moisture from the surrounding air, the
antimicrobials used by most manufacturers to delay mold growth can
be overwhelmed,(2) and mold can grow. The molds that consume dry
pet foods include the Aspergillus flavus mold, which produces Aflatoxin
B1, the most potent naturally occurring carcinogenic substance known.(3)
People don't see low levels of mold, and most dogs can't taste
it.(4) In fact, many dogs have died shortly after eating mycotoxin-contaminated
foods.(5) Mycotoxins kill most dogs slowly by suppressing the immune
system and creating long-term health problems in all organs of the
body.(6)
Infestation: Bugs, storage mites, mice, and other unpleasant
invaders thrive on dry dog food. Recent research has shown that
allergic dogs are frequently allergic to the carcasses of storage
mites, which may infest grains, especially those grains used in
low cost dry dog foods.
Our Recommendations
- Keep food in its original bag, even if you use a container.
Plastics can leach vitamin C out of the food and the components
of the plastics themselves may leach into the food. Rancid fat
lodges in the pores of plastics that are not food-grade and will
contaminate new batches of food.
- Buy small, fresh bags of food, enough to last seven days. Look
for manufacturing or best if used by dates on the bag. If you
don't see one, or can't understand the code, write the manufacturer
and ask where it is or how to interpret their codes.
- Keep food dry. If the food looks moist, throw it away.
- Keep larger bags in the freezer. This is the only way we believe
large quantities of food may be kept safely.
- If the food is off-color, throw it away.
- If the food smells rancid or like paint, throw the food away.
- If your dog says no, do not force her to eat it.
- Don't buy bags that are torn.
Follow these simple recommendations and you will radically reduce
the deadly toxins your dog encounters. Read more in See
Spot Live Longer.
May your Spot live a long, healthy life!
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