Yes — sealed and properly stored, they are well within their quality window at six months. The best-by date is typically 12–18 months from manufacture, so six months is comfortably in range. An opened bag at six months is a different question — quality will have declined, though the treats are still safe.
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Sealed bag at six months: what to expect
A sealed 16oz pouch of Stewart freeze-dried beef liver, stored in a reasonably cool and dark location, will be essentially identical at six months to what it was on day one. The freeze-drying process removes moisture to a level that prevents any meaningful degradation over this timeframe. Aroma, texture, and nutritional content remain stable.
The only thing that could affect a sealed bag over six months is extreme conditions: a garage that regularly hits 100°F in summer, direct sunlight through a window heating the bag surface, or a flood or humidity event that compromises the seal. Under normal household storage conditions, none of these apply.
Opened bag at six months
An opened bag that has been used regularly over six months is a different situation. The treat quality depends almost entirely on how well the bag was resealed between uses. If the zipper was pressed firmly and fully every time, and the bag was stored away from heat and humidity, the treats at six months may still be acceptable — though less crisp and aromatic than a fresh bag.
If the bag was loosely sealed, stored somewhere warm, or exposed to humid air regularly, expect significant quality loss by the three-month mark. The treats will be soft rather than crisp, the aroma will be muted, and your dog may show noticeably less enthusiasm. They are not unsafe — just degraded from a quality standpoint.
Storage conditions that make the difference
For sealed bags going six months or longer, the key variables are temperature and light. Below 75°F and away from direct sunlight, sealed freeze-dried food is stable for the duration of its printed best-by date and often beyond. Above 85°F regularly — a garage, a storage unit, or a car trunk — fat oxidation accelerates and you may notice a mild rancid smell when you finally open the bag.
For opened bags, humidity is the primary variable. Air conditioning or low-humidity indoor environments are ideal. In humid climates, a food-safe silica desiccant inside the bag after opening makes a significant difference to the 30-day quality window and beyond.
How to assess quality before using an older bag
Check date: if the best-by date has not passed, proceed. If past the date, check by smell. Open the bag and take a sniff — fresh treats have a strong, concentrated beef liver smell. An old bag with fat oxidation will smell faintly rancid, oily, or off in a way that is distinctly unpleasant rather than just less intense. If it smells normal, use the treats. If it smells rancid, discard.
Second check: break a piece. Fresh treats break with a clean snap and are dry throughout. Degraded treats are softer, may bend slightly rather than snapping, and may have a slightly greasy feel if fat has oxidized and migrated to the surface. If the break test passes, the treats are good.
Practical guidance for bulk buyers
If you buy multiple bags at once to take advantage of a sale or free shipping threshold, store them in a cool, dark pantry or closet. Open only one bag at a time and use it fully before opening the next. Six months is well within comfortable range for a sealed bag in normal household storage — buying a 2–3 month supply at a time should leave significant margin before quality concerns arise.