Yes.
Food science, the digestive process, and metabolism are a complicated
subject. Here are the basic points that will help you to understand why we
have chosen to include a preservative system in Dog-Wa, and why you might be
glad we did.
Making Dog-Wa as a liquid supplement allows us to deliver the benefits of cold-pressed, fresh herbs – not dried, dehydrated, heat-processed, or pasteurized versions of fresh herbs. Liquids and fresh foods are prone to microbial growth and contamination by substances such as E. coli and Salmonella. In order to retain freshness and maintain safety, we must protect them from such contaminants.
Therefore, Dog-Wa has a preservative system based on sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, both of which are FDA approved for human and animal consumption and are "GRAS" ("Generally Recognized as Safe") for people, dogs, and cats.
Our preservative system allows Dog-Wa to deliver the holistically balanced extracts of fresh, pesticide-free herbs that make our product so effective in maintaining your pet's health. These preservatives are metabolized and passed through the digestive system within hours of ingestion. And since you dilute Dog-Wa before serving it to your pet the amount of preservatives ingested is negligible.
Our number one concern is your pet's health and safety. Making a product that is 100% safe will always be our commitment to you and your pet. We do not use ingredients like ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA that are approved for animal use but are not approved for human use. We believe that any ingredients that are acceptable for pets must be acceptable for people too. For the same reason, all our ingredients are grown and made exclusively in the USA.
Why not Pasteurization?
We carefully researched the option of pasteurizing Dog-Wa, and there are two main reasons why we chose the current preservative system over pasteurization.
First, the heating required for pasteurization dramatically diminishes the vitamins and micronutrients found in fresh herbs. Pasteurization, dehydration, or heat processing would result in an unacceptable level of nutrient loss. We were not satisfied that any of these options would result in a product that would deliver the fresh greens that dogs need.
Secondly, pasteurization only maintains product safety while the bottle is unopened. Once you open the bottle, the product is subject to environmental contamination and spoilage just like any other foodstuff. Any food or drink you serve your animals may sit for some time at room temperature before they are fully consumed. Our preservative system protects Dog-Wa for up to 3 months in your refrigerator after the bottle is opened, and also in your pet's bowl at room temperature.
If you would like more information about preservatives, please contact us.