Why dry food should be stored airtight
Dry food turns rancid when the fats in it react with the oxygen in the air. The more air the food is exposed to, the faster it loses flavour, aroma and part of its nutritional content, because fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins break down on contact with oxygen. An airtight food container slows down exactly this process by keeping the food cut off from the surrounding air between each time you open it.
That is why the original bag is rarely enough on its own. Every time it is rolled up and closed with a clip, air gets in, and the fat begins to change. At Essential Foods, flavour and quality rank high, and the food is made gently precisely to preserve the natural nutrients. That effort is worth protecting once the bag is first opened, and a tightly sealing container does just that.
Beyond rancidity, airtight storage is also about moisture. Dry food that draws moisture to itself loses its crispness and can, in the worst case, develop mould. A tightly sealing container keeps moisture out and the food dry and crisp, as it should be.
How a tightly sealing container preserves aroma and flavour
Dogs and cats have a far more sensitive sense of smell than humans, and the aroma is a big part of why they bother with their food at all. It is often the aroma that decides whether a picky dog heads straight for the bowl or sniffs sceptically and turns away. When food is stored open, it is exactly those volatile aroma compounds that evaporate, and the meal becomes less tempting long before it has actually gone bad.
An airtight container keeps the aroma inside instead of letting it seep out into the kitchen or utility room. That means the last handful from the container smells just as fresh as the first, and the food stays appealing throughout the whole bag. If you have a dog that can be a little picky at the bowl, this is a concrete step that often makes a difference. If you want to read more about exactly that issue, we have gathered advice in the article on dry food for picky dogs.
Pests, insects and moisture stay out
A tightly sealing lid does more than keep the air out. It also keeps pests and insects out. Flour beetles, moths and mites thrive in dry food stored open, and they easily find their way through a bag that is only closed with a clip. Mice and rats gnaw through paper and thin plastic, but cannot get into a solid container with a lid that seals completely.
Moisture is the other uninvited guest. In a damp utility room, garage or shed, dry food can draw water to itself and become soft, sticky or mouldy. An airtight food container also acts as a moisture barrier, so the food stays dry no matter where in the home you choose to place it. This makes it possible to store a larger sack without having to worry about the indoor climate around it.
Two sizes for different amounts of food
The collection comes in two sizes, so you can choose based on how much food you buy at a time and how big your dog or cat is. ESSENTIAL THE FOOD BOX is the large model that suits those with a big dog or several pets in the household, where a whole sack needs to fit. ESSENTIAL THE SMALL FOOD BOX is the smaller version, which is practical for small dogs, cats or anyone who prefers to buy smaller amounts at a time.
The choice between the two is first and foremost about how much food you want to be able to pour in at once. If you buy a large sack, the large box makes sense, so the entire contents are kept dry at the same time. If you have a smaller dog or limited space in the kitchen, the small box takes up less room and is easier to move around.
Whatever size you choose, it is an advantage to pour the whole bag into the container, so the food is not left in a half-open bag beside it. It is precisely this combined, closed storage that gives the freshest flavour from the first meal to the last.
How to keep the food container clean
A food container should be cleaned at regular intervals, and preferably every time it is emptied, before you fill it with new food. The reason is that dry food leaves a thin layer of fat on the inside, and over time that fat can turn rancid and give an off-taste to the fresh food you pour on top. A rancid bottom layer is one of the most common reasons why food in an otherwise good container still begins to taste different.
So empty the container completely before you refill it. Wash it with warm water and a little mild dish soap, rinse thoroughly, and let it dry completely before new food goes in. The last step is important, because even a little residual moisture on the inside can cause the new food to draw moisture and lose its crispness. If needed, wipe it dry with a clean tea towel so the bottom is completely dry.
If you empty and clean it every time, you avoid both fat layers and moisture, and the container lives up to its task: delivering fresh, crisp and fragrant food every single day.
Storage is part of a good meal
The best storage begins with the food being worth storing. An airtight container preserves the quality of what you pour into it, but it does not create quality that was not there in the first place. That is why the choice of food and the choice of storage go closely together.
At Essential Foods, we emphasise genuine ingredients and a high animal content, and you can see the whole range of dry food under LIVING. The combination of a food that is made gently and storage that keeps it fresh is what ensures your dog or cat gets the full benefit of every meal. If you want to dive into what characterises good food in general, you can read more in what should good dog food contain.
