PACKAGING: ESSENTIAL FOR THE QUALITY OF PET FOOD

Packaging is the first thing a pet owner comes into contact with when finding our product on the shelf, so its design is key to the purchase decision. It is also essential for preserving nutritional quality and ensuring food safety. This of course depends on the type of product (dry food, semi-moist, wet, etc.).

For dry and semi-moist food, the material must be able to withstand the handling involved in the distribution process, as well as keep out external substances such as smells, moisture, and fat. Of course, it should also prevent smells and fat from leaking out of the package.

One of the main purposes of packaging is to preserve a food’s nutritional quality. Because of the food’s fat content, the first problem that can result from a poor barrier is for the food to go rancid. This not only changes the flavor and smell of the pet food—causing the dog or cat to reject it—but it also destroys fat-soluble vitamins and causes proteins to lose solubility, reducing their digestibility. Metabolites that are toxic to the organism, such as aldehydes, also begin to appear.

Packaging also plays a key role in food safety because moisture passing through the barrier can change water activity and cause the product to absorb moisture. This results in the rapid growth of microorganisms (fungi and bacteria), jeopardizing food safety.

While efforts to extend shelf life through improved packaging structures continue, another way to achieve this is by injecting gases into packages (controlled atmosphere), which significantly prolongs the life of the product.

Another factor to bear in mind when choosing packaging materials is the potential for those materials to interact with the food; the goal is to prevent the food from absorbing external smells that might cause dogs or cats to reject it.

In conclusion, there are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a packaging structure for pet food. It is best to consult an expert who can help you choose the best options.