Knowing how to store dry dog food long term helps preserve its nutritional value and flavor.
Also, properly storing the kibble will help it last a longer lifespan and give your pet delicious meals for good health and happiness.
Yet, choosing the right methods to extend the kibble’s lifespan is not easy. You must consider what to do and what to avoid to keep the food longer.
This article suggests the most useful ways for long kibble storage with detailed instructions.
Besides, you can also understand more about the importance of dry food storage to your pet’s meals and health.
Keep reading for further information!
How to Store Dry Dog Food Long Term?
First, separate the old kibble from the new one. Then, put dry food properly in its original bag or a prepared container for complete packaging.
Next, seal the food bag and put it inside a bucket in a dry and cool place.
Choose and Separate the Old with New Dry Dog Food
How do you store dry kibble long-term? You must select the dog’s kibble with good quality and nutrition and separate it from the old one to ensure the best storage.
Combining the old dry dog’s food with the new one may help you save your budget, but it will cause contamination, moisture, mold, or harmful bacteria.
It’s better to remove the old kibble that may be a potential risk to health and dangerous germs. Also, put the good-quality dry food in a clean, new bag for long storage.
Whenever you want to feed your pet, open this bag and close it immediately to keep it perfectly sealed, and the kibble will always stay fresh.
Prepare the Original Bag or Container For Packaging Food
An original bag or container is ideal to help the food storage easier and better.
Yet, you must consider seeking and choosing the container or bag with the right material.
Some of them may reduce the dry food’s freshness or quality and harm your puppy’s health.
Stainless steel and plastic are suitable and durable to keep the kibble airtight and fresh.
It’s best you use the stainless container or bag, which most pet owners favor, as it will exist longer and is simple to clean.
Another common material for container or bag production is plastic. But is it safe to store dry dog food in plastic container? No, it is.
Keeping the kibble in a low-quality plastic packaging bag or container is not secure, as the food’s oil might accumulate inside the bag and cause dry food spoilage.
In addition, using the original container or bag allows you to take note of more essential details, including UPCs, expiration dates, or lot numbers, to solve food issues.
Yet, note that preparation of the original container or bag to store the pet’s dry food must also meet the storage standards, such as quality or safety.
Put The Dry Food In Your Bag or Container
Place the kibble properly inside the prepared bag or container. Yet, does dry dog food need to be kept airtight?
The answer is yes. Keeping it airtight will prevent it from meeting the air and increase its lifespan. So remember to squeeze out the air before sealing the bag.
Use Oxygen Absorbers
Adding oxygen absorbers to the original packaging bags is beneficial to protect the kibble from oxygen and moisture, preserving the quality and nutrition of the food.
You may seek and purchase these oxygen-absorber bags to keep dry food fresher and longer, according to the product’s instructions.
But remember that the amount of oxygen absorbers will depend on the packaging bag’s size.
Thus, you should choose the proper size to create the best storage conditions for the pet’s dry food.
Packing the kibble inside the bag with the presence of oxygen absorbers will remove the air and ensure its long shelf life.
Make sure your dog doesn’t get their hands on these oxygen absorbers as swallowing them might bring some problems to the dog’s stomach.
Seal the Dog Food Bag
This is an important step to complete the kibble storage and extend its shelf life. Thus, you must implement it carefully and double-check once completed.
If you skip this step or ignore it, harmful bacteria, dangerous germs, or contaminated agents may penetrate inside and spoil the dry food.
So seal the kibble container or bag after feeding your dog to avoid boosting the food spoilage due to exposure to oxygen and humidity.
Sealing the food container or bag is easy by rolling down the sides or using a clip to close the bag’s opening.
But, it also requires your carefulness to avoid ruining the bag’s opening and allowing the air to penetrate inside to degrade the food.
Put the Packaging Bag In a Bucket With a Lid
This step is necessary to protect the food bag from the attack of harmful pests, such as rodents or cockroaches. Preparing a bucket with a firm lid to cover the packaged food bag.
You can also divide many portions in different storage bags and put all of them inside this bucket for quicker feeding.
You may use anything as a sturdy lid to cover the kibble, such as plastic or silicone wrap.
Keep It In A Cool & Dry Place
Choosing a clean, dry, and cool place for the packaged food is the best way to store dog food long term.
You may keep the preserved kibble in several popular locations, such as the cellar, cupboard, cabinet, or pantry.
Using the counters or shelves to store the dry food is not advisable because the food is prone to high humidity or direct sunlight.
This also makes the dog food ingredients quickly spoil and cause health problems for your pet.
Thus, always remember to store the dry food in a ventilated, clean place to keep it mold-free and fresh, regardless of the environmental conditions, temperature changes, or moisture fluctuations.
How Long Can Dry Dog Food Be Stored?
It can be good to use for about 12 to 18 months. Yet, the specific time of storing dry food depends on various storages.
Also, based on the product’s contents, the recommended preserved time varies.
Determining the product’s original packaging time is the best way to know how long kibble may be stored.
Besides, the time for a dog’s kibble stored in an oxygen-absorber bag or a 5-gallon food-grade bucket may last up to 25 years.
What Should You Avoid When Storing Dry Dog Food?
When storing the kibble, consider some common mistakes to avoid and help the storage get the best results.
First, don’t keep dry food inside the garage, even if your home lacks storage space.
The garage is not always clean and dry to keep the dog’s kibble away from the high humidity and excessive heat.
Plus, the kibble will be prone to the risks from harmful rodents or insects and lose vital nutrients and oils.
Second, unsealing the kibble bag after feeding your dog is a common and serious mistake.
This allows the oxygen to damage the food’s fat, causing diseases for your pet and taking a toll on the food’s taste and texture.
Another mistake is taking all the kibble out of its container or original packaging bag. This is why bacteria or harmful germs may penetrate the dry food, ruin its texture, and spoil it.
In addition, ignoring the expiration date is also one of the popular blunders you should sidestep.
If you don’t check the kibble’s best-by date, you may give your pup spoiled food that gives rise to dangerous diseases.
FAQs
Why Is Dog Food Storage Necessary?
Proper dog food storage helps retain beneficial nutrition and ensures good flavor to give your pet happy and healthy meals.
This method protects your puppy’s kibble from harmful agents like bacteria, mold, or contamination.
Plus, applying the right ways to preserve dry food will extend its lifespan and keep it fresh and tasty for your dog.
Thanks to food storage, you may provide your dog with food of good quality and texture for a long time without spending too much on new bags of kibble.
This is also why it is important to ensure the quality and lifespan of dry dog food.
Thus, if you purchase new kibble for your pup to eat for a long time, don’t forget to apply the proper storage, such as using the bag or container and keeping it in a cool and dry place to preserve it best.
How Long Will Dry Dog Food Last If Vacuum Sealed?
It can last from 12 to 24 months once vacuum sealed. The vacuum seal is a superior method to increase the dry food’s lifespan and keep it from the attack of pests.
Thus, you can vacuum seal the dry dog’s food and store it in a cool, dry, and clean place to help it last longer.
What Is the Best Way to Preserve Dry Dog Food?
Storing the unopened or packaged kibble in a clean, dry, and ventilated place is the best way to preserve it for its freshness and safety.
Yet, you must take some conditions into account for the location you choose for the kibble preservation, such as the humidity, light, heat, or temperature.
Keep your pet’s dry food in place without direct sunlight, high humidity, and excessive heat.
Also, the temperature must be below 80 °F to avoid degrading the dry food’s quality and nutritional value.
Conclusion
The above is a useful guide that instructs you on how to store dry dog food long term without difficulty.
The first important thing is choosing and separating the new kibble from the old one and packing it in the original container or bag.
Also, it’s best to keep the kibble away from direct sunlight, oxygen, high humidity, and excessive heat by preserving it in a cool, dry, and clean place.
This proper storage keeps the kibble from being perishable and maintains its nutritional value with its delicious taste.
