# storing dog food



## DSO (Dec 27, 2005)

Anyone use a plastic barrel or container to keep dog food in? I'm now buying food 3 bags at a time / 40 lbs a bag and was looking for a better way to keep them then just sitting around in bags. I heard somewhere that regular plastic and or metal containers (like garbage cans) can leak toxins into the food and that special containers are needed. Not sure it that's true but was looking for something plastic that can keep 100 to 120 lbs of food secure and fresh. A quick google search had plenty of containers but nothing big enough to suit my needs. 

Thanks, Danny


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## Tnken (May 11, 2010)

I prefer to keep all my food in the original bags. The bags are made for keeping the food without contamination, and by opening one bag at a time the other bags stay fresh. Also if you mix the bags and throw away the empty bags, you might not know which bag might have been bad and have to throw away all of it if there is problems or recalls.


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## Breck (Jul 1, 2003)

DSO said:


> Anyone use a plastic barrel or container to keep dog food in? I'm now buying food 3 bags at a time / 40 lbs a bag and was looking for a better way to keep them then just sitting around in bags. I heard somewhere that regular plastic and or metal containers (like garbage cans) can leak toxins into the food and that special containers are needed. Not sure it that's true but was looking for something plastic that can keep 100 to 120 lbs of food secure and fresh. A quick google search had plenty of containers but nothing big enough to suit my needs.
> 
> Thanks, Danny


You don't want to dump 3 bags into a larger container. The problem is not the plastic leaching but the oils in the food coating the inside of the can. These oils become rancid and contaminate the fresh food added to can.
Keep your food in the bags, open and use them one at a time. If you find a need to put food in can, keep food in original bag and put bag in can.
If you must dump bags of food into a can, line it with a fresh plastic bag every time.


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## DSO (Dec 27, 2005)

Good points about unforeseen recalls and the food getting rancid. My main reason for looking for better storage is I now buy 40lb bags 3 at a time because I get a better price. I want to keep them secure and not laying around to invite unwanted critters into my house. Maybe a large tote with a snap on lid and put 2 bags at a time in unopened. 

Thanks, Danny


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## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

Ive had unwanted critters chew thru a plastic garbage can before....(in my house! not this one!). I use metal. and have not had a problem with the oils getting ransid in the cans .I get about 15-20 bags at a time btw.


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## Renee P. (Dec 5, 2010)

I use Vittles Vaults that hold 40-50 lbs each. They have screw down tops. Mice, bugs etc. have not invaded them...knock on wood. I use them for bird feed that I store outside, too. 

I don't leave open bags around because the dogs break into them, and they attract mice.

Edit: you could get 2 or 3 and stack them


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## Thomas D (Jan 27, 2003)

Breck said:


> You don't want to dump 3 bags into a larger container. The problem is not the plastic leaching but the oils in the food coating the inside of the can. These oils become rancid and contaminate the fresh food added to can.
> Keep your food in the bags, open and use them one at a time. If you find a need to put food in can, keep food in original bag and put bag in can.
> If you must dump bags of food into a can, line it with a fresh plastic bag every time.


Good idea, but if the plastic can can leach into the dog food, couldn't the plastic bag also?


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## DSO (Dec 27, 2005)

Breck said:


> You don't want to dump 3 bags into a larger container. The problem is not the plastic leaching but the oils in the food coating the inside of the can. These oils become rancid and contaminate the fresh food added to can.
> Keep your food in the bags, open and use them one at a time. If you find a need to put food in can, keep food in original bag and put bag in can.
> If you must dump bags of food into a can, line it with a fresh plastic bag every time.





Thomas D said:


> Good idea, but if the plastic can can leach into the dog food, couldn't the plastic bag also?


I think Breck is saying that oils from the old food get on the side of the container and become rancid over time and can contaminate otherwise new / fresh food that you put in the container. I guess a person could wash the plastic container each time if you don't want to use plastic bags. I think I might use a tote and keep the bags intact as stated earlier or take a look at what Mitty suggested.

Danny


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## Renee P. (Dec 5, 2010)

I have not had problems with the fats going bad either, but I do wash the bins occasionally. 

I used to put the food in a small metal garbage can, I thought it was cool looking and you could put the whole bag in there if you wanted to. But then I got some ugly bug out break...little moth things got into everything and ruined lots of food---flour, spices, pasta, crackers.

I also had bins with snap on lids to hold bird feed that I kept in the garage, but they did not keep the mice out.


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## Rick_C (Dec 12, 2007)

DSO said:


> Good points about unforeseen recalls and the food getting rancid. My main reason for looking for better storage is I now buy 40lb bags 3 at a time because I get a better price. I want to keep them secure and not laying around to invite unwanted critters into my house. Maybe a large tote with a snap on lid and put 2 bags at a time in unopened.
> 
> Thanks, Danny


I usually buy 2 bags at a time and open 1 at a time and dump it into a large, plastic rubbermaid tub with a snap on lid. When I left the food in open bags we'd end up with mice getting to it. They've never bothered sealed bags and the rubbermaid container keeps them out. I do scrub down the bin every 2 or 3 bags.


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## Guest (Aug 28, 2012)

I use Vittle vaults


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

I'd spend more time worrying about the metallurgy of the kiln at the factory potentially emiting poisons which could cause cancer over time. Heavy metal poisoning is becoming more common and we must now turn to herbal remedies which offer chelating properties.


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## HuntinDawg (Jul 2, 2006)

Breck said:


> You don't want to dump 3 bags into a larger container. The problem is not the plastic leaching but the oils in the food coating the inside of the can. These oils become rancid and contaminate the fresh food added to can.
> Keep your food in the bags, open and use them one at a time. If you find a need to put food in can, keep food in original bag and put bag in can.
> If you must dump bags of food into a can, line it with a fresh plastic bag every time.


I have heard about the oils becoming rancid over time, but I use one of those vittles vaults and have not had that problem. I have not washed mine in several years. I assume I would know if there was rancid oil in the container. I always make sure to empty the container completely before pouring in the next bag (just so I know there is no food in the bottom getting really old) but I do not wash it out.

I would be concerned about lining with a plastic bag. I assume you are talking about trash bags...many if not all trash bags are coated with various things like pesticides to reduce problems with bugs in your trash. I don't want that on my dog's food. Also, as plastic trash bags are not made to hold food there is no telling what might be present to contaminate food.



mitty said:


> I use Vittles Vaults that hold 40-50 lbs each. They have screw down tops. Mice, bugs etc. have not invaded them...knock on wood. I use them for bird feed that I store outside, too.


This is what I do because I believe a rolled up opened bag will sooner or later attract ants, roaches, mice, etc., plus the food has to start getting stale if you are only feeding 1 dog as I am.

I guess you could get one or more really large plastic bins (not made for food storage) and just put the whole bags inside so you wouldn't have to worry about the whole rancid oils thing.


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## Pam Spears (Feb 25, 2010)

I also use Vittle Vaults. I put one large bag at a time in there and feed until it's gone. We have problems with other people's loose dogs coming into our garage and getting into open bags of food, not to mention the abundant mice that live in our rural area. We rarely get mice as long as I'm careful with the dog food.

When the container is down to crumbs, I take off the lid, pour out the crumbs, and sniff. Rancidity should be easy to smell, like stale cooking oil. Sometimes I rinse them out just because, but I haven't noticed any rancid odors yet.


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

HuntinDawg said:


> I would be concerned about lining with a plastic bag. I assume you are talking about trash bags...many if not all trash bags are coated with various things like pesticides to reduce problems with bugs in your trash. I don't want that on my dog's food. Also, as plastic trash bags are not made to hold food there is no telling what might be present to contaminate food.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## HuntinDawg (Jul 2, 2006)

Paul "Happy" Gilmore said:


> The majority of plastic garbage bags are blown film made from LLDPE in Texas at PolyFlex. They have contracts with Costco, Walmart and some big box stores with the Husky brand. LLDPE resins used at PolyFlex are the same ones which are made into thicker materials to line your drinking water tanks and reservoirs. They do not have a "pesticide" application division which puts toxic coatings on plastic blown film goods.
> 
> LLDPE and cousin HDPE are food grade materials with an NSF(National Sanitation Foundation) standard goods.
> 
> Bulk food goods are stored and often made in HDPE containers. Pickles, wine and other acidic foods can be stored long term in HDPE containers without an risk of contamination. For this reason, I'd be more worried about a million other things in the food chain. Food containers are much more high tech than people realize. Multi-layered materials and food grade coatings which do not promote food contamination are used. Your bag of Ruffles for example is a multi-layered film even though, it appears to be just one thickness. Dog food bags obviously have multi-layer coatings from the base bag, to the coloring and the final layer of material for water/airtightness.


Well it appears that you know a lot more about plastic bags than I do, but it is counter intuitive to think that something that is NOT made to store edible food would be held to the same standards in production as for instance a zip lock bag that IS made to store food....and I don't know how I'm supposed to know which garbage bags have pesticides and which ones don't. What about those that now have a fragrance...where does that fragrance come from and is that substance food grade? It just seems like we have enough trouble with products that are SUPPOSED to be safe to eat or contain food and beverages not being safe that it is difficult to just assume that things that are not specifically manufactured/marketed/sold to be food safe actually would be...BPA water bottles anyone?


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

HuntinDawg said:


> Well it appears that you know a lot more about plastic bags than I do, but it is counter intuitive to think that something that is NOT made to store edible food would be held to the same standards in production as for instance a zip lock bag that IS made to store food....and I don't know how I'm supposed to know which garbage bags have pesticides and which ones don't. What about those that now have a fragrance...where does that fragrance come from and is that substance food grade? It just seems like we have enough trouble with products that are SUPPOSED to be safe to eat or contain food and beverages not being safe that it is difficult to just assume that things that are not specifically manufactured/marketed/sold to be food safe actually would be...BPA water bottles anyone?


I don't know anyone who takes food from a food bag and stores it in a garbage bag in the first place? Maybe for a quick road trip? I wouldn't call that, "storage". Although, I'd feel better about storing food in a blown film bag than a bag with any paper content and a thin waterproof coating because it would be more likely to allow oxygen into the product which begins the oxidization process = spoiling. For this reason we're seeing a lot of bags like the TOTW. Solid blown film and welded edges for airtightness. 
What statement is on a box of zip lock bags that tells you it is safe for food storage? I'm out of them at the moment. I do have a Cling Wrap box. There is not a single statement on the box of Cling Wrap that says, "this product is safe to use around food".


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## ksummerlin (Mar 26, 2009)

I use three of the large (50lb) Vittle vaults and love them. I completely empty one before pouring more into it so food doesn't repeatedly get left in the bottom. Keeps the rats and ants away and the food is fresher than leaving it in the bags because of the o-ring seal. And you don't have to worry about what was in them before you got them like a big drum. Good Luck


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## JimmyD (Aug 24, 2012)

I use an old chest freezer that is no longer is working. The seal is air tight and its easy to keep clean. You can keep opened and unopened bags of food in there (puppy) (adult) (special diet). Easy access and rodent and insect proof. Mine is large enough for 6 full #40 bags but I usually keep 3 or 4 bags in it.


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## MSDOGS1976 (Mar 7, 2009)

I have a large Rubbermaid type container with lid that is pretty tight. I simply put the original bag in that. Seems to keep the kibble fresh.


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## JimmyD (Aug 24, 2012)

I use an old non working chest freezer. It has an air tight seal. I can keep up to 6 #40 bags in it. I keep one open bag of each type of feed I'm feeding(puppy, adult special or senior) the rest are unopened. It keeps rodents and bugs out and it's easy to clean. Not to mention it was originally made to store food.


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## TroyFeeken (May 30, 2007)

I've used the vittle vaults but they're just a pain to lug around and they slide all over the back of the pickup when going on a trip or to a trial on the weekends. Then I moved to the Avery food storage bags and found them a bit brittle after some time in the sun. They were also expensive! Then I was walking through Walmart one day in the sporting good section and found a dry storage sack made for boating trips that was big enough to hold a full bag of PPP. I've gone through maybe 2 in the past 3 years and they're only about $15 a piece. They have a roll up end to make it air and water tight. Works great to keep pests and any moisture out.


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## jackh (Oct 14, 2010)

I use vittle vaults. Hadn't thought about a dry bag, that would probably work very well.


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

My lady friend shows dogs professionally and travels a bit. She has fabric bags that have a lid just little the vault things. They are really handy. The bag gets smaller everytime you feed. On a trip they are handy.


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## The Snows (Jul 19, 2004)

TroyFeeken said:


> Then I was walking through Walmart one day in the sporting good section and found a dry storage sack made for boating trips that was big enough to hold a full bag of PPP. I've gone through maybe 2 in the past 3 years and they're only about $15 a piece. They have a roll up end to make it air and water tight. Works great to keep pests and any moisture out.


Mud River make a food storage bag for dog food that works like one of these dry storage sacks.


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## Kenneth Niles Bora (Jul 1, 2004)

Silly RTF'ers!
This is the best place to store dog food!


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## DuckTruk (May 18, 2005)

To all of you folks that dump dog food into a container, I assume that when you buy a new container of milk you dump the new milk into the old container without washing it?


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## th3_specialist (Jul 20, 2012)

i use a food grade 5-7 gallon bucket with a gamma seal lid on top. cost about 15 dollars and it works just like a vittle vault. Same lid and everything. Try looking at cheaper than dirt for them.


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## BBnumber1 (Apr 5, 2006)

DuckTruk said:


> To all of you folks that dump dog food into a container, I assume that when you buy a new container of milk you dump the new milk into the old container without washing it?


Yes, with powdered milk. Also, I do with rice, pasta, flour, sugar, nuts, dried fruit among other things.


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## FOM (Jan 17, 2003)

BBnumber1 said:


> Yes, with powdered milk. Also, I do with rice, pasta, flour, sugar, nuts, dried fruit among other things.


Speaking of which, we need to pick up some rice, we are out....

FOM


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

BBnumber1 said:


> Yes, with powdered milk. Also, I do with rice, pasta, flour, sugar, nuts, dried fruit among other things.


Yeah, I wonder how many times in 40 years Grandma dumped out the flour container which sat on the counter and washed it for fear of getting sick or stale/rancid flour.....


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## Kenneth Niles Bora (Jul 1, 2004)

Paul "Happy" Gilmore said:


> Yeah, I wonder how many times in 40 years Grandma dumped out the flour container which sat on the counter and washed it for fear of getting sick or stale/rancid flour.....


Mine did it every time it was empty. 
Scrubbed it and set it bottom side up on the wood stove so it was good and dry. 
Didn't yours do the same?


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## Brad (Aug 4, 2009)

Why would you poor new milk into an old milk jug? What am I missing here?


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## Happy Gilmore (Feb 29, 2008)

Ken Bora said:


> Mine did it every time it was empty.
> Scrubbed it and set it bottom side up on the wood stove so it was good and dry.
> Didn't yours do the same?


not that I ever remember seeing? Probably the reason the Gilmore's were all over 6'-2"....added protein from the wheat weevil's...


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## Kenneth Niles Bora (Jul 1, 2004)

Brad said:


> Why would you poor new milk into an old milk jug? What am I missing here?


When you bring milk up to the house after morning chores. You always poor it out of the stainless steel pail, into glass. Then in the afternoon you can remove some of the fresh heavy cream off of the top for use on fresh berries you just picked. Ah fond childhood memories of the dairy farms of my youth.!!!


Anyway dog food = milk in above.


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## jackh (Oct 14, 2010)

DuckTruk said:


> To all of you folks that dump dog food into a container, I assume that when you buy a new container of milk you dump the new milk into the old container without washing it?


That is not at all the same thing.


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