This was written by Mike at the Dog Food Advisor. I thought that it might be food for thought.

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Today, I'd like to share a crazy thing I witnessed the other day at a pet food store near my home.

I was standing in the check out line near one of those BULK pet food "stations".

You know, the ones that look a lot like salad bars you see at people food restaurants.

Anyway, the store was selling all kinds of unpackaged pet food and pet treats… laid out "buffet style" in open trays and bins.

And I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I watched in horror as a customer picked and poked her way through dozens of bulk food items...

Picking up pig ears with her bare hands, grabbing the plastic tongs to gather other treats and scooping up different kinds of kibble.

Even more dreadful…

She stooped down to offer her pet a chance to sniff and lick a few of the dog treats she held in her fingers.

But get this...

The worst part was watching her place those same, now contaminated treats her dog had just licked… back into those same open bins.

The whole experience was shocking.

Why am I telling you about this?

Because watching this whole thing reminded me of just how risky it is to buy dog food and dog treats in bulk from open bins.

And I hope that after reading today's email, you'll at least think twice before you buy bulk food products for your dog.

That's because...

Bulk items like these are nowhere near being fresh. They sit out all day in open bins, exposed to the air.

Which means…

They quickly become oxidized and lose much of their nutritional value, as each hour ticks by.

In addition, they're far more likely to be contaminated with dangerous, disease-causing bacteria. Like Salmonella and Listeria...

As shoppers touch other high-risk items in nearby bins.

And think about this…

Bulk items have no labels. No batch numbers. No expiration dates. And no manufacturing or safety information.

So, there's no way to know where they came from. Which countries made them. Or what safety standards were followed.

They could even be imported from China, or other countries known for their inferior food quality standards.

Or preserved with BHA or cancer-causing chemicals.

And you'd never even know it.

Here's the point.

I've never been a fan of bulk dog food and treats. Which is why I've never recommended unpackaged products like these to safety minded dog parents.

They're simply too risky