During our forage into dog parenthood, we were intrigued yet overwhelmed by the treat options that we were offered in commercial pet retail stores. Being first-time pet parents, we wanted to give our pups the absolute best, but it was hard to decide when every brand says they are “the best”, they are “the most natural”, and they are “holistic”.

How do we identify premium pet food by its manufacturing processes? It took a bit of research and understanding of food science for us to realise that premium feed is best prepared by freeze-drying, air-drying, prepared fresh, or raw. Whereas dehydrator-processed dog treats may not be as nutritious due to the inconsistent heating and moisture levels throughout the same batch.

So how do we really know whether Freeze-dried, air-dried, or home-made dehydrated dog food is the best? Read on to find out more!

Home-made Dehydrated Treats

Home-made treats are usually made with a food dehydrator or oven that removes water or moisture from the meat, fruits, or vegetables using hot air. This process removes some pathogens and extends the shelf life of the produce. However, due to the heat that is applied to the batch of food during dehydration, most of the proteins or essential nutrients will be removed or denatured in the process.

In addition, most home-based dehydrated treats are unable to remove enough moisture to extend its shelf-life beyond 8 weeks. In an experiment we carried out, we kept samples from several friends of ours who made their own home-based dehydrated treats. We realised that most of the treats had to be consumed within 8 weeks, otherwise, the dehydrated treats began to grow a significant amount of mould which made it inedible.

Home-made dehydrated treats will be a good fit if you have many dogs and a high volume of treats to give. However, if you have one or two pups at home, it may eventually be a waste of resources to dehydrate small batches of treats each time, notwithstanding the short shelf-life.

Air-dried Treats

Air-dried treats conventionally focus on extracting moisture over a period of two to three days without the application of any heating. This ensures that more than 90% of the essential macronutrients and micronutrients are retained during the dehydration process.

BELLY UP’s air-dried treats focuses on using low-temperature air flows to retain the majority of nutrients for the benefit of all fur-kids. This process has been laboratory-tested for retaining its nutritional value in each treat, and helps to ensure that dogs that eat it are not consuming empty calories.

In addition, the majority of industry-recognised air-dried treats allows a shelf-life of up to 12 months because of their advanced dehydration technology and research. This ensures that you have the most nutritional value without any concern of expiry or microbes growing on your dog’s treats unknowingly.

Freeze-dried Treats

Freeze-drying involves placing raw or fresh produce in a vacuum and rapidly freezing the product to turn all moisture into ice. The water/ice is then removed from the treat by low-pressure sublimation, and finally a secondary drying is performed. Freeze-drying ensures that the nutritional content of the food such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals stay intact.

The process of freeze-drying is a capital-intensive process, often requiring high levels of energy and power over long periods of time as it is a two-step process.

This process is often thought to be the best amongst all dehydration methods, retaining structure and most nutrients. However, it depends on how pawrents would like to use the product. Nutritional content and moisture content are two things to look out for when giving freeze-dried or air-dried treats. Freeze-dried treats are the driest type of treat in the market, so always ensure to give your pups lots of fresh water when giving them freeze-dried treats.

Home-made vs Air-dried vs Freeze-dried Treats for Pets

We hope to strike a balance between nutritional value and sustainability, as we believe that it is the way forward in the pet food industry. Whilst home-made dehydrated treats may be more affordable, they may or may not lose meaning in treating your pet, as the macronutrients and micronutrients are mostly removed. Air-dried and freeze-dried produce provide the highest retention in nutrients for any treat, with an extended shelf-life and an economical price. There are many options available in the market, so do look out for how treats are dehydrated and processed the next time you get some for your pups!

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xo
Nellie