Learn from a Pet Nutritionist! [Is Additive-Free Dry Food Really Better? A Detailed Explanation of Antioxidants!]

【What are antioxidants that protect your dog's body?】

When food is exposed to air, a change called "oxidation" occurs. Oxidation is a change that happens when the "fats and oils" contained in food come into contact with "oxygen" and "light."
Since dry food uses meat and fish, there are no products with zero fat. This means that any high-quality dry food will inevitably oxidize once opened.
And oxidized food can lead to "reduced taste and nutritional value," as well as "diarrhea," "vomiting," and other issues. Furthermore, as oxidation progresses, its toxicity increases, which can potentially cause serious damage to organs such as the liver and kidneys.
These changes gradually progress in all foods as they are exposed to oxygen and light after the package is opened.
Antioxidants are necessary additives to slow down the speed of this progression and protect the safety of dry food even when fed over several days.
Of course, some additives are unnecessary for a dog's body. However, there are also additives, like antioxidants, that are actually beneficial for a dog's health when added.
Conversely, in the case of "additive-free dog food" that doesn't even contain these antioxidants, it can be very difficult to feed it in a way that is truly healthy for your dog.
(Some products may not contain antioxidants due to the efforts and policies of individual companies. If you are concerned about oxidation, we recommend checking with the manufacturer.)

【Types of Antioxidants】

Next, I'd like to tell you about the types of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are often listed at the very end of the "ingredients" section on food packaging, and if you look at the antioxidants in various foods, you'll see that there are many different kinds.
However, current dog food regulations, specifically the "Act on Ensuring the Safety of Feeds for Companion Animals (Pet Food Safety Act)," strictly regulate additives that can harm a dog's health.
Antioxidants are broadly classified into two types: "synthetic antioxidants" and "naturally derived antioxidants." Please understand the differences well and choose food that contains antioxidants suitable for your dog's body.

"Synthetic Antioxidants"

These are chemically synthesized antioxidants, including "BHA," "BHT," and "ethoxyquin." The advantages of these synthetic antioxidants are their long-lasting effectiveness and stable performance.
However, due to concerns about their carcinogenicity, the Pet Food Safety Act strictly sets "upper limits" on their use (they are not completely prohibited. In fact, they are also approved for use in human foods like fats, oils, and butter).
Nevertheless, synthetic antioxidants, especially BHA, are often strongly criticized. To correctly explain BHA's carcinogenicity, it has only been observed in experiments conducted on rats with a "forestomach" (which dogs do not have), where very large amounts of BHA were administered over a long period. Carcinogenicity has not been observed in dog studies at this stage.
Therefore, if the food is manufactured in compliance with the law, the use of BHA does not automatically mean it is bad. However, I can understand the concerns of owners who feel uneasy about the word "synthetic." The next type of antioxidant we will introduce can put such owners at ease.

"Naturally Derived Antioxidants"

As the name suggests, these are antioxidants made from naturally derived ingredients and are considered to have high safety for the body.
Specifically, they include "mixed tocopherols," "vitamin E," and "rosemary extract."
Since these antioxidants are natural ingredients, you can feel more at ease about their effects on the body compared to synthetic ones.
However, there are precautions to consider when choosing food with naturally derived antioxidants. It is important to fully understand these and store the food properly.

【Precautions for Naturally Derived Antioxidants】

While naturally derived antioxidants are considered safer than synthetic antioxidants, there's an important point to note.
That is, the duration of their antioxidant effect is shorter compared to synthetic additives.
Therefore, even if you choose food with naturally derived antioxidants out of concern for your dog's health, if too much time passes after opening, oxidation will progress. This could ultimately jeopardize your dog's health. Also, dogs with an excellent sense of smell might stop eating the food due to changes in odor caused by oxidation.
If you choose food that uses naturally derived antioxidants, please make sure to feed it within "one month" of opening the package.

【Summary】

When choosing food with your dog's health in mind, it can be difficult to determine if "completely additive-free dog food" that contains no antioxidants is truly the best option.
Of course, fewer additives generally bring more peace of mind. However, in such cases, it is crucial to fully understand the risk of oxidation after opening and carefully consider storage methods.
By thoroughly understanding additives, we can better protect the health of our beloved dogs.