How fresh is that kibble?
Kibble does not stay fresh forever, regardless of what commercial food manufacturers claim. There is an easy way for you to determine how fresh or not fresh your food might be!
There can be two dates listed on a bag of kibble, the important date is actually the "produced-on date", unfortunately not all manufacturers list it. Here's how you can determine the produced-on date when it's not listed and make sure you're feeding your pet the freshest food possible.
We know a few commercial pet food manufacturers will include both the “produced-on” date and a “best by” date which is ideal. Most, however, just use a “best by” date as part of the date/code on the label.
To determine how fresh a food is you will want to calculate the produced-on date. Ask the manufacturer (almost all of them have toll-free numbers) what the shelf life is for the product you’re curious about. Most dry foods are given 12-month shelf lives, but some foods are given 18 months.
Once you know the manufacturer's shelf life, you can determine the produced-on date. If a food has a best-by date of December 2020 and the manufacturer gives the food a 12-month shelf life, the food was produced December 2019.
We recommend buying smaller bags to improve the freshness of the food and using it within 28 days, otherwise freeze what you can't use to preserve the freshness!
There can be two dates listed on a bag of kibble, the important date is actually the "produced-on date", unfortunately not all manufacturers list it. Here's how you can determine the produced-on date when it's not listed and make sure you're feeding your pet the freshest food possible.
We know a few commercial pet food manufacturers will include both the “produced-on” date and a “best by” date which is ideal. Most, however, just use a “best by” date as part of the date/code on the label.
To determine how fresh a food is you will want to calculate the produced-on date. Ask the manufacturer (almost all of them have toll-free numbers) what the shelf life is for the product you’re curious about. Most dry foods are given 12-month shelf lives, but some foods are given 18 months.
Once you know the manufacturer's shelf life, you can determine the produced-on date. If a food has a best-by date of December 2020 and the manufacturer gives the food a 12-month shelf life, the food was produced December 2019.
We recommend buying smaller bags to improve the freshness of the food and using it within 28 days, otherwise freeze what you can't use to preserve the freshness!