A wise, attentive to details independent pet store owner alerted us to a possible problem. Pet food bags with patterns of tiny holes down the side of the luggage (not in plain site). So we went to a pet food store to search for the holes.
They usually are not easy to see, depending on the colour of the bag. But we found them, along the side panel of many pet foods. (These were found on dry pet foods.)
Some bags had small sections of tiny holes, while other bags had large sections of the tiny holes.
And this bag had a distinct pattern.
We did some research, and located NO press release issued by any pet food manufacturer explaining the reasoning behind the holes in pet food packaging.
But we did find information from a pet food packaging supplier which states the holes are an “air release system“. The term used was “Micro-Perforations” explained as “A series of tiny holes strategically placed on the bag allows trapped air to escape the bag during the palletization process.”
We squeezed several bags, and will easily tell air was being expelled through the holes.
So many questions…
Do the holes allow air to enter the luggage, potentially causing the food to run out sooner (lose dietary value)? or cause fats within the pet foods to develop into rancid?
Has dietary content of those foods with ‘micro-perforations’ been tested to guarantee the shelf life stated on the luggage is accurate?
The pet store owner that alerted us to this issue also noticed the realm of the bag with the micro-perforations tear easily. She tested the sturdiness of the bag within the section of the holes and so they opened up with light pressure.
Why has – to our knowledge – no pet food manufacturer explained the micro-perforations in pet food bags to consumers or provided any laboratory evidence that the tiny holes don’t cause dietary deterioration?
Pet owners deserve some answers.
Check your pet food bag for these tiny holes. We found them mostly along the highest a part of a side panel, typically only along one side. If your pet’s food incorporates the micro-perforations, email the manufacturer asking for the scientific evidence (testing they’ve performed) that the food meets dietary requirements through the best-by date.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the very best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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