Animal by-products

When the carcasses of animals are cut up at the slaughterhouse, certain parts are reserved for human consumption. As with chicken for example, it’s the legs, breasts, wings, drumsticks, etc. What remains of the carcasses becomes available for the fabrication of animal foods and is what we call « by-products ».

We often find the inscription « by-products » on the packaging of pet food sold in veterinarian establishments. For some reason, when consumers see these words, they automatically think that it’s the head, the beak, the neck and the feet that are used when in reality, what is used are the parts that are very appetizing, digestible and nutritious like the gizzard, the heart, the liver and kidneys.

On the other hand, there are numerous pet food manufacturers who use terms like « real meat » in their advertising or write words like « chicken » on the packaging hoping that consumers will believe that it is really the breasts, the legs, etc., that are found in the food.

Yet, according to the AAFCO, parts such as the bones, the back, the skin and the tail are also considered as « meat ». This way, the word « chicken » in no way guarantees that only the « attractive » parts of the chicken are found in the food.

Furthermore, because 95% of pet foods are chicken based, a legislation was created with the aim of obliging all manufacturers to write the term «chicken by-product» on their packaging when chicken by-products are contained in their foods.

However, such a legislation does not exist for other types of meat like beef, pork, etc. Consequently, even if the foods contain the by-products of these meats, the manufacturers are not obliged to write on the packaging that they are by-products. They may simply write beef, pork or other.

Another term that scares a lot of people is by-product meal. 

First of all, let's define what animal meal is exactly.

Animal meal consists of the ashes produced by the cooking of the carcasses. The difference between chicken meal and chicken by-product meal for example is that in the first case, the meal produced contains more calcium and other minerals because it comes from the cooking of the skeleton, with or without the organs, while in the second case, the meal comes from the cooking of the organs only.

Why make food for animals with by-product meal instead of with « real meat »?

Meat such as chicken, beef, and lamb are composed of 50% water. In cooking this meat, the water evaporates. Therefore, they become lighter and their nutrients become more concentrated. This way, it is they who occupy more place in the food rather than the water.

Pet food manufacturers are obliged to write the ingredients on the packaging in decreasing order of weight. Therefore, when chicken, beef, lamb or another meat appear in first place, it signifies that this ingredient is heavier and that it is present with all of the water it contains.

The meal generally does not appear at the top of the list of ingredients because it is light in weight. However, this removes nothing from its nutritive value.