You often hear Air Dried as a type of pet food in the market, however, it is the most misunderstood. How does it fare compared to the other classifications? As the most widely available, Kibble is the most common category. Dehydrated as the name says is quite clear, too. But how do those two differ from air-dried, and what are the benefits of air-dried nutrition?
Dehydrated Pet Food
Dehydration is one of the earliest methods of preserving food by removing all moisture, making the end product more manageable in size and weight. It is processed with low heat for a prolonged time to remove any moisture the food contains. Because of the amount of heat used, the food is not considered completely raw but preserves more nutrients than completely cooked pet food.
So, what is Air-Dried?
Unlike dehydrated, air-dried food does not use heat to remove its moisture. Instead, it’s air-dried at low temperatures in small batches. Moisture is removed from the food using a blow-drying process, resulting in a food that is naturally preserved in a shelf-stable form without the need for any artificial preservatives.
Air-dried foods are the perfect raw alternative, providing a complete and balanced shelf-stable form of raw nutrition. Air-dried dog food doesn’t have to be refrigerated like raw diets, and it enables the dog owner to feed their dog as simply as if it were regular kibble but with nutritional benefits that are closer to a raw diet. Mess and fuss-free, too!
Due to the overall process of air-drying, the components retain a greater amount of the nutrients in the food, bringing a healthier meal to your dog’s bowl. Air Dried food does not also completely change the physical form of the food, allowing it to retain almost the same texture of a kibble making it easier for the pet transitioning off a kibble product to make the switch.
Not only that, ZiwiPeak is the only air-dried brand in the market that does not contain any Glycerine, which is a filler and sweetener. ZiwiPeak doesn’t need any fillers because the food is made using whole cuts of meat, rather than meat scraps, and hence do not need any fillers to bind them together.
However, not all air-dried pet foods are made equal. There are other factors that contribute to the quality of each pet food such as the ingredients, the freshness of the ingredients and the health benefit it provides. Have a look at ZiwiPeak’s range of premium Air Dried Pet Food that is made out of 96% fresh meat, organs, bone, and seafood. Not only that, ZiwiPeak chooses to only source from humane, ethical and sustainably managed local farms that exceed the strict New Zealand government regulatory standards. In fact, ZiwiPeak is the only brand of Air Dried food from New Zealand that goes through mandatory testing by the New Zealand government’s regulatory authorities, guaranteeing a 100% safe diet – with zero recalls of ZiwiPeak Food.
We often hear about fancy vitamins and minerals, but do take note that it’s always better if it comes from a natural source. Green-Lipped Mussel, for instance, is an excellent source of Glucosamine and Chondroitin; ZiwiPeak Air Dried food recipes all contain a minimum of 3% Green-Lipped Mussel to nutritionally support long-term joint health, which is the highest percentage across all Air Dried food brands.
Not to forget about how tasty pet food should be, ZiwiPeak also includes Green Tripe as a natural super-food to assist gut health and digestion that makes it extremely palatable, easily digested and gentle on the digestive tract of your pets. Apart from green tripe, ZiwiPeak also contains a full range of organ mean, including heart, liver, kidney, and lungs – to make it complete and balanced. It is great for picky eaters or for pets with sensitive stomachs.
Ready to try it out? Check the full range of ZIWI Pet Products here!