Storing kibble and wet food at home without spoiling it

Understanding the mechanisms helps you choose the right habits rather than following rules by rote. Three factors work together against opened food, and each acts differently on kibble and on wet food.

Fats deserve a note of their own because they are the most fragile part. Many modern kibbles are rich in good fats, but these are exactly what oxidise easily on contact with air, developing the sour smell typical of rancidity. Rancid food not only loses fat soluble vitamins such as A and E, it also becomes less palatable, and a fussy animal may start refusing it without the owner understanding why.

The most important rule for kibble is counterintuitive: the original bag is your best ally, not packaging to throw away. Quality bags have an inner barrier designed to protect the fats from air, which a clear container does not replicate.

• Keep the food in its original bag: if you use a rigid container, put the whole folded, closed bag inside rather than tipping the kibble against the plastic.
• Seal it well after each use by rolling down the top of the bag and clipping it, to minimise trapped air.
• Store it somewhere cool, dry and out of the light: no bags near stoves, radiators, windows or in damp garages and cellars.
• Never decant into a container you have not washed and dried well: greasy residue from the previous bag turns rancid and contaminates the new food.
• Keep the part of the label with the batch and expiry: it matters if there is a product recall or a palatability problem.
• Buy pack sizes you finish within a few weeks of opening: a huge bag saves little if the last portions are already degraded.

The fridge and freezer are not for kibble in use: the moisture and condensation of the fridge make things worse, while the freezer only makes sense for large still sealed stocks, to be thawed without opening. For the daily ration, a well sealed bag and a cool, dry spot are all you need.

Wet food follows different rules. Closed it is sterile and lasts a long time, but once opened it must be treated like fresh food: it spoils quickly, and at room temperature it becomes an excellent home for bacteria.

1. 1

   Serve at room temperature

   Food straight from the fridge is cold and barely smells. Let it warm for a few minutes or heat it slightly: cats in particular refuse food that is too cold because they sense less of its aroma.

2. 2

   Cover and refrigerate leftovers at once

   The uneaten portion should be covered with a suitable lid and put in the fridge without leaving it out. Avoid leaving the metal tin open for long: transfer it to a container with a lid.

3. 3

   Use within a few days

   An opened can kept well in the fridge should generally be used within two or three days. Beyond that, even if it looks fine, the risk of spoilage and contamination grows.

4. 4

   Do not leave the bowl out all day

   Wet food left in the bowl for hours, especially in summer, should be removed: if the animal has not finished the portion within twenty to thirty minutes, take it away and store the rest.

5. 5

   Wash the bowl after every wet meal

   The greasy residue of wet food turns rancid and attracts bacteria and insects. The bowl should be washed with hot water and detergent after each meal, not simply refilled.

Some problems come not from the food but from the tools we handle it with. Poorly cleaned bowls, containers and scoops undo the work of good storage, because they reintroduce old fat and bacteria at every meal.

• Wash kibble bowls at least once a day and wet food bowls after every meal, with hot water and detergent.
• Prefer stainless steel or ceramic bowls: plastic scratches, and residue and bacteria that are hard to remove lodge in the tiny cracks.
• Empty and thoroughly wash the kibble container with every new bag, drying it well before refilling.
• Keep a dedicated scoop inside the bag and wash it periodically: grease builds up there too.
• Wash the water bowl every day: the slippery film that forms at the bottom is a biofilm of bacteria, not simple limescale.

A small feeding diary helps more than it seems. Noting when you open a bag or a pack lets you respect the use by windows and link a possible refusal of the food to an item that has simply gone old, instead of wrongly blaming a whim or a health problem.