FAQs

The hydration and nutritional gel products sold by ClearH2O are not considered hazardous chemicals under the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Communication Standard (29CFR 1910.1200). These products are under the umbrella of MSDS Exemption Reference for Food Manufacturers section 1910.1200(b)(5)(iii) – Any food, food additive, color additive, drug, cosmetic, or medical or veterinary device or product, including materials intended for use as ingredients in such products (e.g. flavors and fragrances), as such terms are defined in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) or the Virus-Serum­ Toxin Act of 1913 (21 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), and regulations issued under those Acts, when they are subject to the labeling requirements under those Acts by either the Food and Drug Administration or the Department  of Agriculture.  Accordingly, Material Safety Data Sheets are not required or necessary for these products.

ClearH2O gel products are pasteurized at high temperature (190°F or 87°C) during the manufacturing process. Pasteurized products are then wrapped in Tyvek® medical packaging and boxed before being e-beam irradiated. Verification of commercial sterility occurs with each lot of products being tested by an independent laboratory for microbiological analysis and documented on Certificates of Analysis, which are available online.

Barrier Packed products contain cups or pouches inside of a medical grade Tyvek® bag. This saves labor by eliminating the need to wash individual cups or pouches.

ClearH2O cups and pouches comply with FDA regulations for food contact and do not contain heavy metals, chemicals or known allergens. The plastic is non-toxic, BPA-free and harmless to the animal if it’s consumed or chewed.

ClearH2O manufactures products in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR Part 507).

ClearH2O operates an FDA approved HACCP facility that is inspected by independent third-party accredited bodies and federal agencies. 

The ClearH2O quality program follows Safe Quality Food (SQF) accreditation requirements compliant with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification. 

Unopened, ClearH2O products can be stored at room temperature and do not require special handling. Once opened (provided the gel has not been contaminated) ClearH2O products can be stored at 4°C in a sealed bag/container to prevent the product from drying out for approximately 2 weeks.

Unlike water bottles and mash diets, gels provide a consistent amount of hydration, nutrition and medication without wetting the animal.

In some cases, storage conditions or transportation stress may impact the texture of the product. If you have specific questions about a product you received, contact Customer Service at orders@clearh2o.com.

The amount of HydroGel® required is dependent on the species of animal, the number of days in transit, and the number of animals. Daily water consumption differs by animal. Many factors such as ambient temperature, animal weight and environmental conditions impact daily water consumption. The suggested values listed below are average daily water consumption guidelines for frequently shipped animals. HydroGel® is 98% pure water; therefore, the gel consumption is equivalent to water consumption.

• Mouse: 4-7g
• Rat: 24-60g
• Guinea Pig: 50-80g
• Rabbit: 100-600g

HydroGel® is a non-wetting hydration supplement that is particularly useful for transporting animals. It is also a great choice for recovering animals and special needs animals who require consistent, easy-to-consume hydration support.

DietGel® Recovery is an excellent choice as a hydration source when shipping mice and rats. Many sites have successfully used DietGel® Recovery during
transport of rodents who arrive dry, healthy and require less time to
acclimate. DietGel® Recovery is a purified water gel containing 60% water. It is fortified with calories and minerals and provides 155 kcals/100 grams.

When shipping guinea pigs, we recommend using HydroGel®. In a recent study conducted by Charles River Laboratories, consumption, and weight loss of guinea pigs during transit were significantly better with HydroGel® compared to a sweetened gel. The study showed that animals consumed more HydroGel®, therefore preventing body weight loss and decreasing clinical pathologic indicators of dehydration.

When left open, DietGel® will evaporate over time. Within 4-5 days, the product will lose over 50% of its moisture, making it more difficult for the animals to consume and less appetizing. It is best to change out the product after 2-3 days of being left open.

DietGel® 76A (w/Animal Protein) contains casein as the source of protein, while DietGel® 76A (w/Wheat protein) contains a vegetarian source of protein. There are some slight changes in nutritional values, and a different flavor profile that can make all the difference for your animals. 

Moreover, as animal products sometimes encounter issues for exportation, DietGel® 76A (w/Wheat protein) can be imported in Europe easily.

It is rare but normal to see white particulate on top of or within the product.
During the production process, foam can form from the mixture and interaction
of all the ingredients and rise to the top of the gel. The foam, which contains
ingredients such as casein or sugar, can dry out, exposing casein or sugar crystals, and form a white, crystal-like residue layer that can be mistaken as mold. It’s completely safe for the animals and poses no health risk.

DietGels® are soft diet containing carbohydrate, fat, protein, and fortified with mineral and vitamin mix (except for DietGel® Recovery, which only contains mineral mix). They are a superior alternative to mash diets that can be used as a supplement or as the sole source of nutrition, reducing time and labor costs. Please consult with your nutritionist for long term use. DietGels® are designed to provide compromised rodents a palatable source of hydration and energy and is an excellent solution for:  

• Breeding and weaning of pups 
• Post-surgical support 
• Neurologically compromised rodents 
• EAE models, Transgenic Mice 
• Shipping 

Non-soluble ingredients are sometimes visible in theDietGel®, showing up as white to brown specs or clumps. The non-soluble ingredients do not affect the nutritional integrity of the product, making it 100% safe to use for your research animal. Here is an example.

Product position within the case can result in color and texture variation. When
DietGel® is produced, the color is milky white, and the texture is firm. The product is then irradiated. The irradiation process changes the product color from a milky white to a caramel color and breaks some of the bonds in the gel matrix. All products are 100% irradiated and safe to use.

The texture and consistency of DietGel® Boost can vary naturally due to the incorporation of chunky peanut butter into the product which results in a firmer gel. Extreme high and low temperatures can also impact the consistency of the product.

LabGel® Banana is a hydration supplement for non-human primates. It is 90% water and can be used as an emergency water source, during transportation or as supplemental hydration. It is also thermoreversible and can be used for medication delivery. Thermoreversible gel mixing instructions can be found on our website here.

LabGel® Primate is a nutritionally fortified dietary supplement formulated with purified ingredients in a highly palatable firm gel designed for both Old World and New World primates. Both LabGel® products can be used as supplements or
as treats for training and enrichment.

Yes. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is generated for each lot of AquaPak®
and available online at www.clearh2o.com/about-clearh2o/quality-assurance/. Upon entering the AquaPak® lot number in the search field, a downloadable PDF file is
provided.

The AquaPak® pouch film has been tested under extreme high (250°F) and
low (0°F) temperatures. The film integrity is maintained at these temperatures.

Normal temperature variations that can occur in transit and with seasonality should not have any impact on AquaPak®. To maintain integrity of the pouch
seal, AquaPak® should not be subjected to extreme temperatures.

Yes. The AquaPak® pouch film can be used with commercially available
transparent silicone self-sealing patches designed for injection of
water-soluble compounds into lab animal water supplies.

No. The commercially disposable valves have performed reliably over multiple weeks of AquaPak® pouch changes and can be used continuously until either
cage lids are disposed of, or the cage population has been transferred.

However, consistent with good husbandry practices, it is important to monitor and
inspect the operation of the valves to ensure they are reliably functioning
and/or that the rodents haven’t chewed the valves to the point of being
inoperable.

The AquaPak® pouch should be changed when the pouch is completely
collapsed upon itself, and the water level is slightly above the piercing cone
of the valve. However, you will want to conduct testing to confirm how long the
pouch will last under your conditions. Please note that even though there is visible water left in the pouch, the water may not drip from the valve due to the vacuum created at this water level.

AquaValve® is packaged in 100-valve containers that have been e-beam irradiated and confirmed sterile.

Using an average daily consumption rate of 5mLs of water per mouse, a 450mL AquaPak® pouch will last approximately 14 days for a 5-mouse cage density, and approximately 7 days for a 10-mouse cage density.

It is important to observe that there will always be some residual water (approx. 60mLs +/-) in the bottom of the pouch due to the height of the siphon holes relative to the depth of the shaft on the disposable valve coupled with the natural
vacuum that develops in the pouch as the water is consumed.

Actual days of water supply will vary dependent on mouse model, sex, age, and environmental conditions. 

Yes. The blue external components of AquaValve® are made of
polyoxymethylene (POM) plastic. POM is commonly used for its rigidity and
abrasion resistance (chewing). The POM used in AquaValve is compliant with FDA, USDA, NSF, and other food material standards for safe contact with food and
water. AquaValve® plastic components do not contain Bisphenol-A, or
other bisphenols including B, C, E, F, S and Z.

Yes, the components of AquaValve® are recyclable.

Yes. AquaPak® pouch film does not contain Bisphenol-A, or other
bisphenols including B, C, E, F, S and Z.

Sealed AquaPak® pouches are packaged into corrugated cases inside a
positive air pressure HEPA-Filtered room. However, complete packaged cases are
not subject to irradiation or an alternative kill-step. Therefore, the exterior
surface of the pouches is not considered sterile.

AquaPak® is a 450mL, ready-to-use water pouch that can be used as a complete water supply. AquaPak® is compatible with commercially available disposable water valves. One pouch will provide enough hydration for 5 mice/2 rats for up to 2 weeks.

EVOH (Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol) is a type of plastic that is commonly used in
packaging products as a barrier layer. It is a very effective oxygen barrier,
which means that it can prevent the transfer of oxygen into or out of the
package. This can help to preserve the freshness and quality of the product
inside. EVOH film is commonly used in packaging for food, pharmaceutical
products, and industrial chemicals where minimum permeability is require.

AquaPak® purified water is packaged in a custom designed ultra-high oxygen barrier, high strength, puncture and split resistant EVOH pouch film.

AquaPak® pouch film meets CFR 21 177.1520 regulatory compliance as a food contact surface material. Our pouch film is commonly used throughout the food and beverage industry for its high barrier properties that support extended shelf life.

AquaPak® Blue contains an inert food-grade color additive approved by the FDA.

The expiration dating for AquaPak® is twenty-four (24) months from the date of manufacture.

Water coming into ClearH2O’s FDA-inspected manufacturing facility first
passes through a 5-micron pre-filter before entering a triple-stage sequence of
activated carbon filtration (1st stage), water softener treatment (2nd stage),
and, then again, activated carbon filtration (3rd stage), before entering our
Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane filtration system. Batch processing occurs in a
positive-pressure HEPA-filtered clean room environment.  The ultra-filtered water is then treated with acidification to a range of 2.5 to 3.0 pH or chlorination to a range of 5.0 to 25.0 ppm to meet customer specifications. The purified treated water then goes through a final 1-micron filtration step before pouch filling and sealing, which also occurs in a separate, positive-pressure HEPA-filtered packaging clean room.

Check with your cage manufacturer for water pouch adapter information.

Self-sealing silicon injection patches are commercially available from various laboratory suppliers.

There are two ways to add medications to MediGel® Sucralose: via syringe through the top of the foil cup lid or by removing the foil lid and mixing the drug directly into the gel.

The most common method is to liquify the gel and then add the medication through the foil lid. Thermoreversible gel mixing instructions can be found on our website here. After the medication is added, shake the cup vigorously for 10
seconds to mix the medication evenly in the gel. One trick to ensure that the
medication is mixed evenly into the gel is to add a natural food color dye with
the medication solution. This enables a visual confirmation of the mixing.

After the medication is added, it is best to place the gel into a refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to using the gel with the animals. The cooler temperature allows the gel to set and protects the medicant during storage.

To answer this question, it is best to use an example calculation. In this calculation, we are using a drug concentration of 10mg/kg/day. For
a 30-gram mouse, use 10mg/kg x 0.03kg = 0.3mg of drug/day/mouse.

A 30–35-gram mouse on average will consume 7mL of gel per day (about 0.2 ounces), so we would want a concentration of 0.30mg/7mL/gel = 0.04mg/mL. Because our products are in 2oz containers (60mL), you would want to add
2.4mg of ibuprofen to one cup of MediGel® Sucralose (60mL x 0.04mg/mL
– 2.4mg).

One cup of MediGel® Sucralose medicates and hydrates up to 5 mice for 2 days.

FiberBites® are best if stored between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit (13-18 degrees Celsius).

FiberBites® provide an easy to administer, readily accepted source of fiber for nonhuman primates. Each bite contains approximately 1.6 grams of inulin from chicory root, a prebiotic fiber source that promotes a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

The general recommended daily dose of fiber in NHPs is 1.5 to 2 grams per kg per day. Assuming the primate weighs 8 kilos – it requires 12 to 16 grams of fiber per day. To convert grams of fiber needed to the proper number of FiberBites®, divide the daily fiber dose by 1.6 grams.

For example, 12 to 16 grams of fiber daily equals 7-10 FiberBites®; we would recommend starting with 3 pieces twice a day and increasing to 4 twice daily depending upon your results.