How much thought have you ever given to the way you store your dog’s food? It’s not uncommon for those of us with busy schedules and hectic lifestyles to overlook proper storage in our haste.

But there are a benefits to be gained by avoiding storage mistakes, including increasing the product’s shelf life and maintaining nutritional value.

1. Throwing away original packaging — This is never a good idea for several reasons: packaging often is designed to keep the food fresh and full of nutrition; the original packaging lists the product’s barcode, expiration date and batch code which all are important should a food recall occur.

2. Improper food storage can deter the preservation of quality and nutritional value — Sealing the bag after each meal prevents exposure to air and humidity, both of which can negatively affect food quality and hasten spoilage. Spoiled food can harbor bacteria that causes such infections as salmonella or lead to food poisoning.

3. Storing food in sunlight — Exposure to direct sunlight raises the temperature and humidity inside the dog food bag, causing the contents to degrade and increasing the risk of contamination. Salmonella and other bacterial infections can thrive in this type of environment.

4. Using food past its expiration date — Dog food products should not be used after their expiration dates. Phrases such as “best by,” “best before” or “use by” should be noted and the dog food should be discarded right away. Feeding your dog expired food can cause them health complications such as diarrhea and stomach upset. Food ingredients will begin to degrade and can lead to bacterial growth.

5. Mixing old food with new — Many of us think nothing of pouring the contents of an old bag of dog food with a new bag. However, this is not a good idea because the old food can possibly contaminate the new food. And expiration dates of the old and new bags of food may be different, causing you to unintentionally feed your pooch a portion of expired food without realizing it.