I used 8 in 1 with my previous two ferrets (they refused to eat anything
that didn't have the raisen juice in the mix).  I bought a large bag, and
it was completely covered with mold.  When we took it back to PetCo, we
were told that large bags didn't sell as well, and who knew how long it had
been sitting there.  It was a small town and I was probably the only one
buying the large bags, and the food was sitting on their shelves until my
two little ones worked through the whole shipment.  My only reason for
sharing this is because it might not be poor bags, but poor food management
on the part of the pet store.
 
Unfortunately, that (due ECE caught by adrenal and insulinoma weakened
bodies) was their last bag of 8 in 1, so I never checked to see if 8 in 1
puts a date or anything on their bag so that you can check for freshness.
 
renee, Frick and Uffizi
with fond memories of Aberdeen and Sneezy
[Posted in FML issue 3197]