food freshness

[Jennifer Hughes]

Does anyone have problems keeping their dry dog food fresh? Tanna eats well when we open a new bag of food and then her interest peters out about half-way through. I started buying smaller bags and sealing the food in a tupperware container, which has helped to a small degree.

Any suggestions? Anyone else experience this?

[Amber]

My mom bought two glass containers for Precious' and Sally's food, since they are different Nutro lines. We don't have the space to have tupperware containers in our house. Both of them go through their 5-lb. bags of food within a month, so the food isn't sitting for too long, but they don't seem to mind.

[Grace Erick]

I think it can help to refrigerate the food to keep it fresh. Put half in the refrigerator since the first half will be eaten more quickly and not need to be refrigerated.

Dog foods can go back and become moldy and get your dog real sick or kill the dog from mold. Some foods come being old and moldy already. Check the pkg date too when you buy it.

Bye, Grace

[Chris Smith]

I buy the 44 lb. kibble bags (saves a lot of $$) and use a combination of large tupperware containers for storing it and put smaller amounts in large zip-locs for the daily use. So far, Nalu doesn't seem to notice if it is fresh or not although I have noticed a slight difference in color and crispness from a brand new bag versus one that's been open for awhile.

Also, make sure to check the exp. date on the bag before you buy it.

[Jill Ramsey]

I had heard that plastic containers will absorb the nutrients out of the food. We leave the food in the bag in the basement, but fill one of those large round popcorn tins with food for upstairs.

[Summer Magic]

Hi Jennifer

I usually keep the food in it's original bag and put that bag in a clean garbage bag twisted closed and clipped with a wooden pinch type clothes pin and then put it in a large container that seals down tight. It's a hassle to keep closing all of those bags but the food stays fresher. I'm not sure but I think that the last quarter of the bag still loses some of its taste because she is much more picky at the end of the bag than she is at the beginning. But it's not as bad as it used to be.

Judy and Magic

[Rachel Webb]

Jill,

Do you happen to recall where you heard that - I would like to do some research as I have been storing my pups' food in plastic containers since the get go... now I am thinking that may not be the best choice of storage.


Thanks,
Rachel

[heathea]

because this is just how I am, I just spent 10 minutes on the web looking up plastics, pet food, leaching, etc. and the only things I was able to come up with was that plastics tend to leach chemicals (definately not good ones) into food and water. So, the general consenses seems to be that food should not be stored in plastic and food/water bowls should be metal or glass. Cheap ceramic dog dishes made in other countries could still contain lead in the glaze, which is not a good thing, so those should probably be avoided as well.
We free feed our dogs (I am just lucky, they are perfectly healthy and don't overeat) so I am now in the process of looking for a metal food hopper. We already use a metal water bowl. This should be fun... :rolleyes:
-Heather

[Jill Ramsey]

I can't remember where I heard it, someone might have mentioned it to me. We just use the large metal popcorn tin for Finn's food. Right now, Fischer's is in a large coffee can.

[Sarah Moore]

Argh. Just when you think you know all the important stuff... So, I have been planning on splurging and buying 2 really "good" dog food containers for the 2 types of dog food I feed my dogs, so I research, and these seem to be the best (and most expensive) there is:

http://petco.com/product_info.asp?fam ilyid=9799&sku=6939714340&tab=1&dept_id=135&c1=125&c2=135&c3=&ct1=Bowls+%26+Feedin g+Supplies&ct2=Food+Storage&ct3=

BUT, now that I am reading this thread, you are supposed to stay away from plastic?? Storing in the original bag is not an option as the cats tend to get into it... Ginger will claw her way through any bag if she smells food, ants are HUGE problem down here, etc. Does anyone have a suggestion for a non-plastic storage bin that can hold approximatley 40 lbs of food? I like the stackable feature, but not nessecary.

[heathea]

Sarah,
I was sitting here trying to think of a solution for you and about to give up...

And then I had an idea! What about those galvanized lidded trash cans you can get from the hardware store, they are not huge, kind of pretty, would hold 40 lbs easily and are not plastic. They are definately less than $40 too.

It is just an idea and I will not be offended if you don't like it.

I have no proof plastic is bad, but it is made with some pretty toxic stuff...it does make sense that it would eventually leach into dog food. It is a personal choice. No one will think less of you if you store in plastic.
Good luck!
-Heather

[Rachel Webb]

While searching online for options, I found a couple galvanized cans on the Container Store website. For those of you who don't have the luxury of a Container Store near your... it is an organizer's dream come true. I am an organizing freak so I love ANY reason to go there.

http://www.containerstore.c om/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID= 245&PRODID=62327

[Grace Erick]

If you have too much food to refrigerate it, then I would suggest storing the extra food somewhere in the house where it's cool. Hot temps do make food go rancid. I feed canned, but my parrot who eats hard food, his pkg says to keep the food stored in a cool dry place.

Bye, Grace

[Jill Ramsey]

While searching online for options, I found a couple galvanized cans on the Container Store website. For those of you who don't have the luxury of a Container Store near your... it is an organizer's dream come true. I am an organizing freak so I love ANY reason to go there.

http://www.containerstore.c om/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID= 245&PRODID=62327

I think those galvanized cans would work great. I'm going to look into one for Finns food and switch Fischer to the large popcorn can.

[heathea]

The container store rocks! I didn't even think of there. I am glad the galvanized can idea wasn't too off the wall, I have been keeping mine in the original bag (we go through food pretty fast), but may buy one of these.
-Take care,
Heather

[Jennifer Hughes]

I keep the food in the bag in the plastic container. Airtightness + no plastic in contact with the food. Would a galvanized container be sealed when you close it?

[Mary Hinchman]

We free feed our dogs (I am just lucky, they are perfectly healthy and don't overeat) so I am now in the process of looking for a metal food hopper. We already use a metal water bowl. This should be fun... :rolleyes:
-Heather[/QUOTE]


Look for deer feeders...they have metal hoppers :wink:

[Grace Erick]

Hi,

I guess I found this info out after I posted my info on refrigerating opened food.

I called Natura that makes Innova and other dog foods. They say to either put the entire bag in a plastic container or you can empty it or put the whole bag in a glass jar and refrigerate it to make it last longer than the 3 months that it's supposed to stay fresh once opened.

Natura said storing kibble directly in plastic can rob the food of vitamins. They also suggest you keep it dry and cool and not stored on a cement floor.

Bye, Grace

[Lesly Stevens]

I have big dogs, but buy the smaller bags of dry food, keep in the original bags, and store them in the 'fridge. Plastic is bad news. It may seem less expensive to buy larger bags, but if it goes bad and the dog won't eat it, or gets sick, then it isn't worth the so-called "savings."

Lesly, Maddy, & Bo