Dog Food Preservatives
Some Known Bad Preservatives
BHA, BHT and exothyquin are the three preservatives that I avoid when shopping for a premium kibble. BHA and BHT have been linked to cancer in humans, and exothyquin, which was originally approved by the FDA as a grain preservative intended for animals to be killed for food, may cause long - term health problems for your dog. Although there is speculation as to whether these three are naturally present in foods already does not deter me from avoiding them, anyway. Why allow it to be added to their food if I don't have to. Companies have, in fact, been responding to consumer demand by substituting exothyquin with Vitamin C and E, instead. The only downside to using naturally preserved foods is that they have a shorter shelf life (6 to 8 months), therefore they need to be bought from a source that has a high turnover. Check the label at the bottom of bag. If there is no freshness date, then save the bar code label and call the manufacturer. If a food smells rancid upon opening the bag, return it right away. Also, return food that has "bled" through the packaging. Jeannie