Whilst researching commercial treat preservatives and additives, we came across many pet treats that contained the ingredient glycerin. Originally thinking it was a sugar we wanted to do further investigations into what this product was and why it was being used. Please continue reading for the result of our research.
So, what is glycerin?
- AKA Glycerine, Glycerol
- An odorless, colourless, sweet liquid
- “Vegetable Glycerin” is a by-product of manufacturing soap from vegetable oils, which is considered to be safe to consume.
- Glycerin can also be made from by-products of the distillation of ethanol (biofuels).
An example of ingredient label of chicken treats available at local grocery stores in Australia. Note that the second ingredient is Vegetable Glycerin.
Uses of Glycerin
- Makes treats soft and chewy. Technically, it’s a humectant. This means it encapsulates water molecules to keep the food moist without speeding up soilage. Thus also acting as a preservative.
- Sweetener – makes treats more palatable to dogs.
- Used in multiple human products such as cosmetics and food
Concerns with its use
- If not specified to be vegetable glycerin then it will be the result from the processing of biofuel contains residual amounts of methanol (used in making formaldehyde) and sodium.
- Glycerin ends up constituting more of the final product than the start! At the beginning of manufacture, about 10-15% of the total product weight of Glycerin is added. As drying occurs, more moisture is removed and so the weight of the product decreases from the loss of water, then the ratio can then become 20-30% of the final product! Imagine giving your dog a treat that contains up to 30% preservative/humectant/sweetener!!!
How do these differ from The Doggie Bakery treats?
Our treats won’t be soft and chewy because we dehydrate them in order to eliminate all the moisture, this is our way of extending the shelf life, rather than adding preservatives as many commercial treats do (Have you ever noticed the shelf life of commercial treats are sooooooo long?!?!). This method of drying often leaves our meats quite thin and crispy, rather than soft and chewy. This is also the reason why our treats are easy and quick to eat and why we can’t make treats that take longer to chew.
Want a 100% Chicken treat for your dog?
We use chicken breast obtained from our local chicken shop, which is then hand sliced and with nothing added it is dehydrated, packed and then shipped to our customer's all within a week!
Our chicken treats contain only chicken!
https://www.thedoggiebakery.net/products/100-chicken-breast?_pos=4&_sid=67e517a1e&_ss=r
Want to know more?
See our references below for further reading.
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/five-lessons-from-waggin-train/
https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/dog-food-ingredients/0130/glycerin
https://www.petnet.io/blogs/food/glycerin-pet-food-ingredients-a-to-z