A smart, detail-oriented independent pet store owner alerted us to a potential problem. Pet food bags with patterns of small holes on the side of the bags (not on the plain site). So we went to a pet food store to find the holes.
They are not easy to see, depending on the color of the bag. But we found them, on the side panel of many pet foods. (These are found in dry pet foods.)
Some bags have small sections of small holes, while other bags have large sections of small holes.
And this bag has a different pattern.
We did some research, and found NO press release issued by any pet food manufacturer explaining the reasoning behind holes in pet food packaging.
But we found information from a supplier of pet food packaging that says the holes are a “air release system“. The term used is “Micro-Perforations” explained as “A series of small holes strategically placed in the bag allow trapped air to escape the bag during the palletization process.”
We squeezed a few bags, and it was easy to tell that air was being forced out of the holes.
So many questions…
Do the holes allow air to enter the bags, potentially causing the food to expire earlier (lose nutritional value)? or causing the fat in pet foods to spoil?
Has the nutritional content of these foods with ‘micro-perforations’ been tested to ensure the shelf life stated on the bags is accurate?
The pet store owner who alerted us to this issue also noticed part of the bag had micro-perforations that could tear easily. He tested the durability of the bag in the hole section and they opened with a slight pressure.
Why – to our knowledge – has no pet food manufacturer explained the micro-perforations in pet food bags to consumers or provided any laboratory evidence that the tiny holes do not cause nutritional deterioration ?
Pet owners deserve some answers.
Check your pet food bag for these small holes. We find them most commonly at the top of a side panel, usually on one side only. If your pet’s food contains micro-perforations, email the manufacturer asking for scientific evidence (testing done by them) that the food meets the nutritional requirements by the best-before date.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Buyer Beware of Author, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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