How long does kibble stay fresh?

[Laura & Chewie]

I went to buy a bag of Fromm's today. The 5 lb bag is $13 and the 15 lb bag is $26...so 3 times the amount for 2 times the price. Great savings, but not if the open bag gets stale by the end and has to be thrown away. Chewie only eats 1-1/2 cups daily, so a 15 lb bag would last a while.

Anyone have an idea how long it stays fresh?

[F, Calla & Luca]

The expiration date is quite a long time away when you by the bag. I don't think that a 15 lb. bag is too big. It should be fine. I buy 30 lb bags for my 2 dogs which is about the same amount per dog as you have.

[fergie11]

You may want to know that Fromm is also sold in a 40#. Only some pet stores carry it. It's not the fancy Fromm bag but it's $55.00 for 40#. That's the same price as the 30# bag at another pet store. Check that out - since you have two dogs.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Do you have any idea which pet stores might carry these? I do pay about $50 something for 30lb. i could certainly live without the fancy bag. Thanks.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Most dry dog foods have a long shelf life and do not become stale very quickly, particuarly if you keep it sealed air-tight. However, it is recommended by veterinary dermatology experts that you not purchase more kibble than you can use in one month. The problem is storage mites. Storage, or cereal mites, are now thought to be as much to blame for childhood asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments as dust mites. Storage mites are classified as a severe allergen for both humans and dogs. It is one of Jack's worst allergens.
The higher quality the food, and the less particulate matter it contains, the less likely it is to contain storage mites. However, this is only true prior to opening the bag. Once air can get in, so can mites. (Orijen's bags are vacuum sealed so that they contain absolutely no airspace, another reason orijen is recommended for dogs with skin conditions and allergies.) The bags can also be a source of mites. It is recommended that all kibble be removed from the bags and stored in airtight containers. (Cut the product code off the bags and tape to the container in case of recall or other problem). Then dispose of the bags outside of your home.
It's a good idea to wash food dishes and containers in hot water & soap regularly. Storage mites can easily spread to your family's food products.
For more on storage mites, see our FG discussion about them:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/storage...

[Dianne Carter ~ Trinity Doodles]

All very good points made. I would simply like to add that you can freeze the kibble in gallon + size bags. Recently a vet tech in our area shared that they are seeing these mites in an alarming number of stool samples, they have been recommending the vittle vault container, here is a link http://www.kvvet.com/KVVet/product_family.asp?family%5Fid=375&g... for a storage container.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, Dianne. It is mentioned in the above discussion link that freezing will kill the mites, as per Jack's specialist.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Couldn't get your link for the storage container to work, but i did find this one; I believe it's the same?
http://www.shopwiki.com/_Vittle+Vaults+-+Dog+Food+Storage+Container

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

This is what we use - they have them at Petco. They seem to keep the food very fresh. I use a 15 pound bag every 2 months.

[Laura & Chewie]

Wow...thanks for all the responses and information (storage mites). This is the container I currently use

http://www.petfoodandmoreonline.com/index.aspx?cat=1111805&func...

The advertise it as air tight...what do you think?

Karen - So, the one month time is a "safe" period to prevent an invasion of these mites?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't know if anyone can guarantee that you won't have storage mites within any period of time; I'd be willing to bet you could go to one of the warehouse stores, bring home a bag of cheap food that's well within it's expiration date, and have the mites right there in the bag already. The likelihood decreases with bags that are impermeable (think plastic or foil rather than paper), higher quality foods with shorter shelf lives, vacuum sealed bags, and then the points mentioned above for storage.
However, my information comes from Jack's specialist, who is a board-certified veterinary immunologist, and who gets paid a lot of money to help me keep his allergies at bay. So the one-month time-frame comes from a pretty reliable source. I don't even buy that much...it's more expensive, but I only buy a week's worth at a time. However, I have a sick dog, so it's more cost effective for me to pay more for the food and less at the specialist's office, lol. For those with normal, healthy dogs, I think you're okay with a month's worth at a time.

[Laura & Chewie]

Thanks again, Karen. Amazing the things we learn! :)

[Sally loves Maple & Lucky]

Has anyone tried airtight sealing a partially used large bag of kibble using Space Bags?