June 19, 2008 - When buying dog food, do you ever ask yourself what the "Best By" date means?  Do you automatically think to yourself that the food is expired? This news brief will help you to understand what the "Best By" date means and how you can become more cautious about your dog eating fresh food.

Susan Thixton, an international pet food expert, has written an article that shares her knowledge on the "Best By" date on dog food.  She has contacted pet food manufacturers to inquiring how they define the "Best By" date on their product packaging.  What she has been informed is that the "Best By" date does not mean that the food is actually spoiled / expired, but that they do not guarantee the food will provide the same nutritional value that is displayed on their packaging and that the food is still good. 

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The shelf life of dog food will vary depending on whether the type of food it is - dry vs. canned.  Dry dog food will have a shelf life anywhere from 4 months - 3 years; whereas canned food will have a shelf life of 1 - 5 years.  The shelf life of treats usually fall under the same bucket as dry food.  Naturally preserved dog food begins losing its nutritional value once the package has been opened. 

To make certain your dog is not eating stale food, you should look at the "Best By" date and figure out how many months that is from the current date.  Susan recommends that you should purchase dry dog food that's no more than 4 months past the "Best By" date and then using the food within 6 months of the purchase date.  Therefore the dry dog food would technically remain fresh for a total of up to 10 months after the date.  With canned food, Susan recommends that your dog eat the food prior to the date on the package.

If you're still in doubt about your dog's food, call the manufacturer to inquire about the shelf life. 

Source: "Why it´s important – ´Best By´ date on pet foods ", American Chronicle