I would like to know if it is okay to freeze dry dog food. I would like to purchase some ahead and then have it on hand for later use. Is freezing it ok or would it destroy some of the beneficial nutrients in it? LS, Iowa
Dear LS,
What an interesting question! Depending on the quality of kibble you buy, attempting to prolong the shelf life of a dog food that may have already lost much of its nutrients in production then had them sprayed back on at the end is a questionable practice. Also consider that many brands of dry dog food sit on grocery shelves for months after they are manufactured and before they are purchased.
Freezing a fresh ingredient such as meat or vegetables in one thing. Freeze DRYING is yet another. The drawbacks of freeze-drying are that it can be expensive and hard to find but there are lots of pros such as long shelf life, easy storage (because the water has been removed), lack of spoilage, etc.
But . . . that’s freeze-DRYING and you asked me about freezing. In all honesty, I have not been able to find out much scientific data on freezing dry dog food. Common sense tells me freezing commercial kibble might not be a great idea. Most people nowadays are attempting to feed their pets (and themselves) the freshest ingredients possible for maximum benefit from food. So my advice is: while it’s fine to freeze a fresh ingredient for use a reasonable time later avoid freezing a heavily processed, finished product like dry dog food that may already be near the end of its “best by” date.