2025 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 7-13
Cats are high preference animals and may stop eating if the lipids in their food change. It is important to prevent lipid changes in cat food to ensure that cats receive proper nutrition. However, there are no reports of lipid changes with cat food storage methods. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different storage methods on lipid oxidation in cat food. A standard nutritional diet for cats was used and the cat food was stored under 4 different conditions: bag left open, sealed with an adhesive tape, sealed with an oxygen absorber and an adhesive tape, and transferred into a polyethylene bag with a zipper. The acid value, peroxide value, and iodine value of the stored food samples were analyzed over a time range, from the moment the package was opened until 2 months later. The results revealed that, under the bag left open condition, the acid value of the food had increased due to hydrolysis resulting from the large surface area of the food in contact with the outside air. The iodine and peroxidation value showed no change under the four different storage conditions. We thought this was because they were non-drying oils with high stability against oxidation. Therefore, to prevent degradation of the oils and fats contained in the food, it is recommended to remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal it tightly before storing it.
