How can I add rosemary extract and vitamin E to my dog biscuits?

I have been trying to find a way to add natural preservatives to my doggie biscuits. One dog bakery told me they use rosemary extract. I can't find it anywhere. I noticed on some other bags of natural organic dog food it is used as a natural preservative. I found powdered rosemary but I don't know if it's the same. How much do I add. They told me that .01 percent is the amount used of rosemary extract. Someone else told me to use vitamin E. How do I add that to any recipe? Do I just cut open a pill. I'm trying to find a way that my biscuits don't have to be kept in the freezer. There has to be a way because others seem to find a way. Thank you. Jennie

Chef's Answer ~ Wow, you are really doing some in-depth research on preservatives for homemade dog treats! :) I'll do my best to answer all your questions.

You can find rosemary extract online simply by typing in "rosemary extract" or "rosemary oil extract" into your favorite search engine. If a dog bakery told you that .01 percent was the amount used per batch of dog treats, then that's a great place to start. I can't say how much that is because I don't know how large the batch is that you're making. For a little more insight into using rosemary extract as a preservative check out this website.

Are you trying to make your dog biscuits last because you are running a dog bakery? If so, I would highly recommend this eBook on a Dog Bakery Business. It is not only a wealth of information on business, but it also has some information regarding preservatives and packaging for shelf life.

Your best defense against spoilage is to bake your dog cookies as dry as you can. Also, you may want to consider purchasing a vacuum sealer for your treats.

Another alternative may be to purchase a book all about baking with preservatives. You can find them easily through Amazon.com

I hope this has helped. Happy Dog Treat Baking!