Although they might not command attention, the little packets inside the packaging of some pet food packages are in fact vital for the product. These little packets are called oxygen absorbers and they help pet food last longer on the shelf while controlling the growth of mold and bacteria in the packaging.
Oxygen absorbers provide customers with peace of mind that the quality of their pet food is important to the manufacturer who has chosen to invest in the use of oxygen absorbers within the packaging.
Leigh-Anne Stevenson from KubePac.com, market leader in oxygen absorber technology within South Africa, says “oxygen absorbers are used in packaging to prevent the growth of fungi and microorganisms which can make the pet food unfit to eat for your pet”. For manufacturers and consumers this means fresher pet food and a longer shelf life.
Oxygen causes oxidation which results in oils and fats becoming rancid, colour and nutritive changes, and staleness. When you remove the oxygen from a package you both eliminate the effects of oxidation and prevent growth of oxygen-dependent organisms like mold and insects. This is the principle behind vacuum-sealing and gas flushing as well, but these methods only reduce the exposure of a product to oxygen whereas an oxygen absorber will effectively eliminate all oxygen (<0.01 percent), leading to much longer and more effective preservation of your pet food.
When choosing oxygen absorbers for pet food packaging, manufacturers need to consider how large the bag is versus how much oxygen needs to be absorbed and therefore what size oxygen absorber should be used. Leigh-Anne emphasises that the package material of the oxygen absorber that KubePac sells is composed of a type of plastic film so it is completely safe for food.
If you are interested in purchasing oxygen absorbers to keep your pet food naturally fresh, Leigh-Anne will be able to assist you. You can email her on leigh@kubepac.com or alternatively you can visit the Kubepac website at www.kubepac.com.
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