Last Updated on October 10, 2022 by Pets Feed
Ready-to-eat foods are divided into dry and moist (canned) foods. How food is divided according to the raw materials used in production and how it affects their price. Foods are also divided by the type of preservatives that have been used in production: with natural and artificial preservatives. Natural preservatives include: tocopherols, citric acid, vitamins E and C, plant extracts. They are safer, but the shelf life of foods prepared with their addition is shorter.
Examples of artificial preservatives: VNA, VTN, ethoxyquin, propyl gallate, propylene glycol. They are more toxic than natural, but they sometimes extend the shelf life of food.
The shelf life of the food and its manufacturing date are indicated on the packaging, but this shelf life is only valid if the integrity of the packaging has not been violated. If you open the feed, the conditions and the shelf life of the feed will be completely different, unfortunately, they are not usually indicated on the packaging.
Storage conditions for wet food (canned)
Wet (canned) food in the open air cannot be stored for more than a day in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container. When some companies produce canned food with a plastic cover, but it is best to store open food in a glass container with an airtight lid.
If you have a pet, trying to save money by buying a large jar or package of wet food is a bad idea. 48 hours after opening, most foods begin fermentation. So if you plan to feed your pet this food for a week, then in a maximum of three days, the poor animal will have food poisoning and you, instead of saving, will have unforeseen expenses for a visit to veterinarian and medicine.
Wet foods should also not be left in the bowl for a long time, in the air and in the heat, they spoil quickly. Remove food from the bowl 30 to 40 minutes after the animal has eaten. If the cat does not milk the food next time, give it the amount it will eat.
In a closed form, canned wet food can be stored in a dry, cool and dark place, protected from direct sunlight until the end of the shelf life. It is necessary to keep canned wet food in the refrigerator if it is recommended by the manufacturer, i.e. on the packaging there is an inscription that it is necessary to keep food at a temperature from 0 to +4 C. If at home you are very hot, canned food can be placed in the refrigerator.
Cats should not receive cold food from the refrigerator! It is necessary to warm food to room temperature.
So:
- Open wet (canned) foods can be stored for 24 to 48 hours.
- Store wet (canned) food in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container.
Storage conditions for dry food
Dry food should be kept in a cool, dark place until the package is opened. After opening the package, food can be stored for 4 to 6 weeks. The particularity of storage is as follows: hermetically fold the packaging with food in order to release the air, then turn the upper edge of the packaging several times and pinch with a clip (you can use paper clips, tape, fasteners awaiting washing), place the packaging in a clean, dry container (preferably glass or food-grade plastic) with a tight lid.
Put the container with food in a cool, dry place. The main condition for maintaining the quality of the hen is to minimize its contact with the air. The food container can be kept in the refrigerator, but only if the container lid is tight enough to prevent moisture, otherwise it will dry out, absorb odors from other products and may be covered with mold.
- Food stored in the refrigerator must be warmed to room temperature!
Dry foods easily absorb moisture, so do not store them in the open air in a very humid room. At high humidity, food molds and spoils very quickly under the influence of bacteria. Do not store dry food outdoors in the heat or in direct sunlight.
If you do not restrict the access of air to the food, then under the influence of oxygen, which is there, the oxidation processes begin. Fats are bitter, vitamins are destroyed, natural preservatives and useful additives lose their properties, food also loses flavor. The warmer and more humid the environment in which the food is stored, the faster it will start to spoil and the more likely it is that spoiled food will attract insects. And if you have a private home, it is likely to be rodents.
So:
- Dry and open food should be kept in a dark, cool and dry place (14-18 ° C)
- Open dry food can be stored for 4 to 6 weeks (ideally, the twin should eat the food for four weeks).
- Open dry food should be stored in hermetically sealed factory packaging without air access in a hermetically sealed container.
- The important thing when storing dry food is to prevent it from coming into contact with air, moisture, light and heat.
