Preservatives are ingredients added to the pet food to keep it from spoiling. Most pet foods contain several different preservatives to ensure that the food has a long shelf life.

Most pet foods have to use preservatives to compensate for a manufacturing process that leaves the food in a raw state. The preservatives are then added to the food to stabilize it so that it doesn't spoil before it gets to the store shelves. You see, most dry pet food is made through a process know as extrusion. The food substance is super heated and forced through a dye. This process puffs the food with air and gives it a uniform shape. Extrusion is fast and cheap making it a favorite with most pet food manufacturers and those pretty shapes and colors that they create are for human eyes, not for the pet.

There are many different preservatives in use today. Some of the most common are BHA, BHT, and Ethoxyquin. Check the label of your current pet food and the odds are pretty good that all three of them are in the food. The problem is that these (and other preservatives) are suspected of contributing to dry skin, allergic reaction, dental disease, poor health and degenerative organ disfunction.

I mentioned above that there are many different preservatives in use today. While most of them are formulated, some of them are natural and actually help your pet. Flint River Ranch uses mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid to maintain freshness. These are also known as Vitamins E and C respectively and not only are they anti-oxidants, they are actually necessary for good health. In short, anti-oxidants can help in the prevention of many diseases including cancer, diabetes, eye disease, heart disease, and others. Combine that with the anti-aging effects of anti-oxidants and their importance becomes clear. Anti-oxidants are a long-term measure and the earlier your pet starts getting them on a regular basis, the more good they can do.

Anti-oxidant information courtesy of: The Nutrition Superbook, The Antioxidants, edited by Jean Barilla, M.S., Keats Publishing, Inc., 1995