Today, dog food is available in a wide variety of formats, flavours and sizes. The best known are kibble and canned feed, but there are also other options. For some time now, freeze-dried food is becoming more and more relevant.
There are advantages and disadvantages of incorporating freeze-dried dog food, which need to be considered when choosing to feed it to our pets.
Pet owners increasingly have a highly humanised regard for their pets. One consequence of this is the need and demand for more natural, fresh and nutritious food.
Freeze-dried food defined
Faced with this growing demand, freeze-dried food appears. With the aim of developing the most complete food at a nutritional level, this 100 percent natural option arises, made with specific processes that maintain all the properties of the components.
This type of food is obtained through freeze-drying, a process similar to dehydrating food, in order to increase its durability. Essentially, it is a special way of drying the raw material to remove water thanks to the product being frozen, the pressure is reduced and the water it contains is sublimated (it becomes steam water). Carrying out this process repeatedly results in the elimination of practically all the liquid that composes it.
Meat that has undergone a freeze-drying process gives us the possibility of offering a product that is as similar as possible to raw meat, but the best thing is that it preserves all its benefits and nutrients without running the risk of the pet contracting possible diseases bacterial. It is then packed in an airtight package to prevent spoiling. In general, freeze-dried food is used as a supplement to the daily ration of food for dogs.
Freeze-dried and dehydrated food
The process may seem very similar, but there are differences between these types of foods. The main one is that, in the freeze-drying process, 99 percent of humidity is eliminated, while the food subjected to a dehydration process loses up to 95 percent of humidity. Thus, to achieve a lyophilized food it must be frozen, while this stage does not participate in the dehydration process.
Advantages of freeze-dried food
Some of the benefits of foods that go through the freeze-drying process are:
• The original appearance and shape of the food is well preserved.
• It does not contain chemical additives to extend the conservation, and even so its durability is prolonged, since, as it has no water, it does not perish.
• It has a high level of retention of natural aromas and flavors, which helps its palatability.
• Preserves all the nutrients.
• Contains no cereals.
Raw diets for dogs
Trends are increasingly prevailing in the pet food market; One of them is that there are dog owners who choose to feed them raw products, since it is the closest thing they would eat in their ‘natural habitat’.
And, although it is true that raw food has certain remarkable benefits, such as …
• Coat improvement
• Whiter teeth
• Fresher breath
• Better weight balance
• Better digestion
It also happens that a balanced food already contains all the nutrients that today’s dogs need (which are not the same needs as those of a dog of long ago).
That is why it is advisable to supplement balanced food with freeze-dried food treats or snacks, to create a perfect balance between the convenience of the feed and the nutritional quality of the raw food.
As another of the market trends is sustainability and the reduction of environmental impact, it should be noted that freeze-dried food, by not perishing, considerably reduces the waste of expired or spoiled food.
Disadvantages of freeze-dried food
Today, the main disadvantage of this type of food is its cost. Although, as it does not perish and has greater durability, it could be sold and put on the market in large quantities and that would reduce the value for the final consumer, the truth is that the limited supply still manages costs that are a bit high and, at first glance , the buyer may not know the benefits and therefore not buy it.
Another considered disadvantage is that this food may have a higher fat content than the ‘regular’ food.
Freeze-dried dog food offers
Currently, in the international market you can find various options of this type of food:
Grandma Lucy’s: is an American brand with an exclusive offering of freeze-dried foods.
Among its variety, there are foods:
• Chicken (26%), fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, apples and celery.
• Chicken candy type (32% protein and 17% fat).
True Instinct, the American brand: has two options for sale: one 100 percent chicken and the other 100 percent beef. They do not contain additives, flavorings, colors or preservatives.
Stella & Chewy, this company uses only meat from free-range animals free of hormones and antibiotics. Their offer, which varies mostly between chicken and rabbit protein, offers a level of up to 42 percent protein.
Natuplus, the Argentine Pet Food company: offers 100 percent freeze-dried snacks: lamb, fish, meat, chicken and liver.
Instinct Chile, has an offer of freeze-dried food for dogs with salmon, duck, cow and chicken meat.
Conclusion
Freeze-dried dog food provides minimally processed nutrition, which appeals to pet owners looking for an alternative to plain kibble. It is usually a good alternative to incorporate into the offer of those producers who have a qualified customer profile and can end up betting on a little more expensive food, but with a high nutritional quality for their pets.
