Best Quality Dog Food Processing Methods

How Is Your Dog Food Damaged By Its Processing

What is the best quality dog food processing method? And how do the different methods affect the nutritional value of the dog food?

While some foods are more nutritious when cooked. Grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables are good examples. the presence of anti-nutritional factors such as phytates and protease inhibitors that are reduced dramatically by cooking.

But many vitamins and phytonutrients found in vegetables and fruits are quite sensitive to heat.

Most importantly, the biological value of meat proteins is lowered by heat processing due to damage done to heat-sensitive amino acids such as lysine and vitamins such as B1. Some amino acids are stable at high temperatures.

For example arginine and carnitine can withstand temperatures up to 280 degrees Fahrenheit (140 degrees Celsius).

Other amino acids (e.g., lysine, tryptophan) are damaged even by low heats.

The higher the temperature and the longer the processing time, the greater the reduction in biological value and the loss of nutrients. Additionally, several studies have found that cooking meat at high temperatures results in the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCA), which are believed to be carcinogenic.

While feeding meat raw is the only way to avoid HCAs entirely, research indicates that cooking meat at temperatures below 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) produces only negligible amounts of HCA.

So, what's the solution? Nowadays dog owners can choose from dog foods processed in a number of different ways.

Lets see if we can find the best quality dog food processing method:

Kibble (Extruded)

his is the most common processing method and most kibbles are extruded using steam and pressure at temperatures between 220 and 340 degrees Fahrenheit (100 – 170 degrees Celsius). Processing times tend to be short, typically 15-20 minutes.

A few super premium foods use special low heat processing (Orijen foods, for instance, are processed at 190 degrees Fahrenheit (87 degrees Celsius)) or ultra brief cooking times (Canine Caviar's grain-free kibble is cooked for only six seconds at 340 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius)) to retain more nutrients.

It's important to remember, however, that most kibbles contain meats primarily in meal form. Meat meals are rendered products that may have been cooked for up to an hour at temperatures up to 270 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rendering separates the fat, removes the water content, and kills bacteria and parasites. It also destroys all enzymes and many heat-sensitive vitamins and alters proteins by damaging some of the amino acids.

The fact that meat meals are then cooked a second time with the rest of the kibble further degrades their nutrient profile. That's why the best quality dog foods contain a substantial amount of fresh meat.

In order to make this the best quality dog food processing method the demands on the ingredients is quite high.

Kibble (Oven Baked)

Baking kibble is usually promoted as a healthier processing method than extrusion, but is it the best quality dog food processing one?

Many would therefore think this would be the best quality dog food processing method.

Oven baked kibble is processed at higher temperatures (typically at least 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius) and for longer periods of time (typically at least 45 minutes) than extruded products.

While the higher temperatures and longer cooking times are bound to result in greater nutrient loss and damage to amino acids, one potential advantage of baked kibbles is that they can contain more fresh meat.

The primary reason extruded products are limited to 35% fresh meat content is that the fresh meats gum up the extrusion machines.

Unfortunately this is merely a theoretical advantage since I'm not aware of any kibbles containing more than 35% fresh meat. In fact, the vast majority use primarily meat meals and very little fresh meat.

Manufacturers of oven baked kibble also claim that their products are easier to digest and less likely to cause bloat, but I'm not aware of any research that backs up this contention.

Canned Dog Food

In the United States, all canned dog foods must be heated to a minimum core temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) for a minimum of 30 minutes. Most canned foods are pressure cooked right in the can.

While this pressure cooking process certainly results in some nutrient loss and amino acid damage, one advantage of canned products is that they can be made using only fresh meats, while most kibbles contain primarily meat meals.

Fresh meats are cooked only once, resulting in superior amino acid profiles and greater overall nutrient retention.

Additionally, canned dog foods need not contain any starches at all.

They can consist entirely of quality meats (with supplements to make them a complete diet) and quite a few do. From a nutritional perspectice this would be one of the best quality dog food processing methods.

The disadvantage is cost.

Most people with medium and large breed dogs will find feeding a super premium canned food too expensive, at least when it's fed as the dog's sole diet. Meat-based canned foods can, however, also be used to add quality protein to a kibble diet.

Dehydrated Dog Food

Drying foods by removing most of their moisture is perhaps the oldest food preservation method. Raw or lightly cooked foods are gently air-dried, sun-dried, or wind-dried over a period of time at temperatures below 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), removing between 93% and 85% of their water content while nutrients remain largely intact.

Removing moisture reduces enzymatic activity, which is responsible for the degradation of nutrients, and also inhibits the growth of bacteria and molds.

The drawback of dehydrated dog foods is the best price: A pound of food typically costs $10.

However, most dehydrated foods are designed to be rehydrated by adding water prior to feeding, and a pound of dehydrated food makes slightly over four pounds of rehydrated food, reducing the cost to about $2.50 per pound, which is comparable to many premium canned dog foods.

So, from at nutritional point of wiew only, this method could be one of the best quality dog food processing ones.

Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Frozen raw foods are placed into a vacuum chamber where the pressure is so low that the frozen water in the food sublimes directly into vapor, bypassing the liquid stage.

This process can take several days and removes 95-97% of the food's moisture.

The substantially reduced moisture content greatly inhibits the action of microorganisms and enzymes responsible for nutrient degradation, so freeze-drying is an excellent way to preserve a food's nutritional value.

Is this the best quality dog food processing method? I would say yes. But....Unfortunately freeze-dried dog foods are extremely expensive, typically costing over $25 per pound.

Raw Frozen Dog Food

Muscle meats, organs, vegetables and fruits, and sometimes bones and tripe are ground, then oils and supplements are added to create a balanced diet.

Some frozen raw foods are formed into patties or nuggets prior to freezing, while others are sold in bags or rolls of ground product. Nutrients are typically retained well, but since microbial enzymes remain active in frozen products that have not been dehydrated, frozen foods do degrade over time, just at a slower rate than non-frozen foods.

Another potential problem is inadvertent thawing and refreezing during the transportation or storage process before the product even reaches the consumer. This can result not only in a loss of nutrients, but also in the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, raw frozen foods are considerably more expensive than the homemade raw diets they attempt to duplicate.

Now to the next best quality dog food processing method.

Homemade Diet (Cooked)

Nutrient retention in homemade cooked diets depends greatly on the cooking method and the processing and storage of the ingredients prior to cooking.

While lightly broiled meats and steamed vegetables retain most of their nutrients, pressure cooking ingredients for 24 hours is less kind to nutrients. Some people flash cook meats for 30 seconds to sterilize their surface area, which leaves protein molecules largely intact.

The main drawbacks of a homemade cooked diet are the time needed to shop for ingredients and prepare the meals, and difficulty formulating a diet that's properly balanced without nutrient deficiencies and excesses.

As for cost, none of the best quality dog foods are inexpensive, and homemade diets are actually a less costly option than many super premium dog foods.

Homemade Diet (Raw)

A homemade raw diet utilizing fresh, never frozen meats will deliver the highest concentrations of nutrients, particularly when high quality ingredients and grass-fed, drug-free meats are selected.

A homemade raw diet using frozen meats fit for human consumption is the next best option.

If fruits and vegetables are included in the diet, they need to be lightly steamed or, if raw, turned to mush by a juicer or food processor in order to make their nutrients accessible to dogs. Tubers such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, however, are best if cooked or baked thoroughly.

The drawbacks of a homemade raw diet are the same as for a homemade cooked diet with the added concern of bacterial contamination. While healthy dogs are generally very resistant to food borne pathogens, a lightly cooked diet would be preferable for dogs with compromised immune or digestive systems.

Keep in mind though that the old maxim you get what you pay for is generally true when it comes to dog food. At least in part: While a high price does not guarantee a high quality dog food, a very low price is a definite indicator of a poor quality dog food.

Now, you know how the different processing methods can affect the outcome of the nutritional value of the food.

Best quality dog food processing methods is greatly affected bothe by the process and the ingredients. No dog food processing can make bad ingredients to have good nutritional profile.

On the other hand bad dog food processing can spoil everything - even good ingredients.