THE “VALUE” OF FREEZE DRIED

By: Matthew Gibb, our Managing Partner

Lost in the bombardment of nature photos on those glossy bags of kibble stacked on the supermarket shelf is the very “real” fact that there is nothing “real” inside the bag.  Behind the gleaming white teeth of wolves and perfectly cut chicken breasts adorning those mass-produced sacks of kibble is the reality that the bag is filled with emptiness, hardened lumps of flavored junk food with all the nutrients cooked from existence. So, where can our dogs find some true, clean, food that retains its “raw” characteristics without such a sacrifice in nutritional value?

When your dog has fallen in love with the freshness of dehydrated PetMix and is looking for that special “raw” treat, try a freeze-dried product and see its eager reaction. Or simply use freeze-dried if you want to feed raw but struggle with freezer space. Or you hate having the smell of thawing raw patties in your fridge. Or if you travel with your dogs, it couldn’t be simpler. Just throw the bag and a bowl in the car. Freeze-dried is first-rate nutrition for your dog and that’s what we all want for our best friends.

The technique of freeze-drying dog food is not new. Ever tried instant coffee? It’s freeze dried and was first produced in 1938. The ancient Incas in Peru used the process. They stored their food crops high in the Andes mountains. The high-altitude temperature and air pressure slowly vaporized the frozen water in the foods. In World War II, freeze-drying technology helped preserve blood plasma and penicillin.

The process removes the moisture but the structure of the food remains intact. In other words, the food is still raw … but with one big difference – almost no moisture. Once the food is placed in a sealed package, it can sit on a shelf for years without degrading. Freeze-drying increases the shelf-life of the food because microorganisms need water to survive. Most importantly, the freeze-drying process means the food retains most of its nutrients. There’s almost no nutrient loss in freeze-dried foods.

ISN’T THIS THE SAME AS DEHYDRATED DOG FOOD?

Dehydrating dog food is a very similar process to the freeze drying process as it uses a mechanism to remove moisture from the food. A clean, ingredient dehydrated PetMix is an abundant source of nutrition, just made in a slightly different way. The small amount of heat used in dehydration makes the resulting food slightly different, molecularly, from a freeze-dried treat, but both sources result in a balanced and nutrient filled offering for your dog.

FREEZE DRIED PROS AND CONS

Well, what’s good is a pretty long list; Long Shelf Life, Convenience, Better Nutrition, Little Loss of Nutrients, Bone, No Starch Needed, It’s Live Food.

The only real negative is the cost, which makes sense. Freeze-drying is a laborious and slow process. It’s a big part of the reason freeze-dried foods are expensive. But cost is relative. If you rehydrate the food, the prices are comparable to many raw brands and these high-end freeze-dried foods offer really first-rate nutrition for your dog … without any fillers or potentially harmful ingredients.

Freeze dried dog food is a tremendous option. Yes, it’s expensive. But it has many benefits …

• High quality raw nutrition
• Balanced diet
• Usually starch-free
• Easy to serve
• Doubles as a healthy treat
• No mess on your carpets
• No freezer space needed
• Good for travel, camping, backpacking
• Cheap to ship
• Long shelf life

As with any new food for your dog, read the label, watch the reactions, and enjoy the Zen life. Find some awesome new freeze dried nutrition for your dog at www.healthydogma.com