Freeze drying is one of the best ways to process meat for pet treats.
Why are freeze-dried dog treats better than others?
The process allows meat to keep its ideal characteristics, specifically flavor and nutrient content.
Freeze drying starts with flash-freezing meat or fish in a vacuum chamber at -50 to -60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Low-level heat is then applied to evaporate any ice crystals, removing about 98% of moisture.
Why do we freeze-dry at PET | TAO?
- Flash-frozen foods keep without preservatives, additives, or chemicals.
- Freeze-dried meat retains its vitamin, mineral, and fat content.
- The process of freeze-drying does less harm to the meat than heat-based preservation methods.
- Conventional cooking reduces amino acids, denatures peptides, alters flavors and aromas, and decomposes vitamins and fatty acids.
- Freeze-dried meat retains many of the properties of raw meat.
- Freeze-dried meat is shelf-stable for a longer period of time than other preserved products because the process decreases oxidation.
Our freeze-dried products are 100% pure meat or salmon. They are appropriate for dogs and cats.
How long is the shelf life of PET | TAO treats?
We list 18 months on our bags, as long as the unopened bag is kept at low humidity.
But, they may last much longer if kept under the right conditions.
Like beef jerky, as long as moisture can’t get to them, they will last a long time (years).
Can I reconstitute PET | TAO treats in water?
Freeze drying usually yields 25% of the original wet weight of the meat.
If you rehydrate the treats, they should quadruple in weight.
Thus 3 oz. should turn into 12 oz. when rehydrated.
The creators of PET | TAO are practicing veterinarians who see nutritional problems in pets on a daily basis.
They formulated each diet and used their clinical expertise to choose each ingredient in the foods.
Do you have questions about the freeze-drying process?
Contact us today!
