The Scoop on Pet Food Expiration Dates

Today’s guest post comes to us from Krista Beucler, Marketing & Communications Intern at Community Cats Podcast.

You’ve found some pet food in your pantry that’s past its “best by” date. You don’t want to waste it, but you also don’t want to make your pet sick. What should you do?

How long does pet food really last? No one seems to know. In fact, I recently saw this article from the New York Times that states that even for human foods, “best by” and expiration dates can be confusing.

Most pet foods, both dry and canned, come with a “best by” date, but this doesn’t mean that the food is bad after that date. The “best by” date indicates the date after which the manufacturer can’t guarantee all the nutrients in the pet food. It’s generally agreed that it’s okay to feed your pets opened dry food three months after its “best by” date—but you should keep in mind that they probably won’t be getting all the nutrients the food would normally have. For opened canned food kept in the fridge, use it up within five to seven days of opening it. It’s important to note too that pet foods with natural preservatives won’t last as long as those with chemical preservatives.

Another thing to consider is the strength of the packaging. Causes of spoilage include air, moisture, and high temperatures, so as long as the pet food is unopened and stored in a cool, dry place, you shouldn’t have problems. Unopened dry food can be safe to eat for a year after manufacture, and unopened cans have a shelf life of two years. The catch is that US pet food manufacturers aren’t required to put the date of manufacture on the label. Check to make sure that dry food bags are completely sealed and that cans are not warped and their lids aren’t popped up, indicating bacteria growth inside. You can also try to avoid the issue altogether by purchasing smaller bags of pet food more frequently, ensuring that your pet will finish the food before the “best by” date.

You can check the website of your brand of pet food to get more specific shelf life estimates.

If you do have some pet food past its best buy date that you’d like to donate to a shelter or a pet food pantry, it’s best to call your local shelters to ask if they’ll take it, as many will have different protocols. Some local shelters in my area use the rule of thumb of one year for unopened dry food and two years for canned and do accept donations of food past its “best by” date. Some do not accept any donations at all past the “best by” date.

It is a good idea to stay on top of pet food recalls as well, to make sure you’re feeding your pet safely. You can find a list of recent pet food recalls here. Last, trust your senses. If the pet food looks off, has visible mold, or smells funny, don’t feed it. You can also take cues from your pet; since they have more sensitive noses then we do, they may detect something we can’t and refuse to eat it.

For more information on pet food and “best by” dates, check out this article.

Originally from Colorado, Krista Beucler received a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Virginia. She was the editor-in-chief for Issue 7.2 of the Rappahannock Review, the literary journal published by UMW. Krista’s creative work has been published in From Whispers to Roars literary magazine. She is spending COVID-19 at home with her cats.