Kibble fat coating oxidizes within 6 weeks of opening but bags contain 3-6 months of food

After manufacturing, kibble is sprayed with a fat coating to make it palatable, but once the bag is opened and exposed to air, those fats begin oxidizing within 2-3 weeks and become measurably rancid by 6 weeks, degrading both flavor and nutritional value while producing potentially harmful peroxide compounds. A standard 30-pound bag for a medium dog contains 3-4 months of food, meaning the last half of every bag is nutritionally degraded and potentially harmful. The problem persists because manufacturers size bags to maximize revenue per SKU and minimize packaging cost per pound, there is no requirement to disclose post-opening shelf life on the label, and switching to smaller bags would increase per-pound cost by 15-25%, which manufacturers fear would lose price-sensitive customers to competitors.