Nutrition labels on animal food can be intimidating, but this guide can help you understand what they mean. On any food label, you’ll find a long list of items; food ingredients, vitamins/minerals, and probiotics.
Sometimes animal by-products are added to food. These are one of the most controversial ingredients in pet food. By-products are what’s leftover after the parts intended for human consumption have been removed. Chicken by-products are a common ingredient in pet food and can include chicken feet, livers, lungs, brains, etc. When choosing natural pet food, its important to consider these components and their nutritional value to ensure a balanced diet for your pet.
When reading the ingredient lists on pet food labels, you may come across chicken meal and chicken by-product. While they both contain chicken, there are some important differences between these two ingredients that are worth understanding. In this article, we’ll explain what chicken meal and chicken by-product are, how they differ, and things to look out for when choosing a pet food.
What is Chicken Meal?
Chicken meal is a concentrated source of protein that doesn’t have any water in it. Foods like chicken meat, skin, and bones are cooked, dried, and then ground into a powder to make chicken meal.
The benefits of chicken meal include:
- High in protein and amino acids
- Concentrated source of nutrients
- More protein than fresh chicken
- Generally a high-quality ingredient
Chicken meal is a healthy way for pets to get protein from animals. It is made from the clean meat, skin, and bones of chicken. Chicken meal does not contain feathers, heads, feet, or intestines.
Many high-quality pet foods include chicken meal as a top ingredient because of its protein content. Its concentrated form also makes it easy for manufacturers to add protein to kibble recipes.
What is Chicken By-Product?
Chicken by-products are the parts of a chicken that aren’t usually eaten by people. These can include
- Organs like liver, kidneys, heart
- Feet, beaks
- Bones
- Fat
- Undeveloped eggs
While chicken meal is made from the meat, chicken by-product can contain almost any part of the chicken. The exact composition can vary greatly between specific by-product ingredients.
Some high-quality by-products like organs can provide important nutrients for pets. However, lower-quality by-products may contain less digestible or desirable ingredients like feet, cartilage, and bone fragments.
Overall, chicken by-product is considered a lower quality ingredient compared to chicken meal.
Key Differences Between Chicken Meal and By-Product
There are several important ways that chicken meal and chicken by-product differ:
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Chicken meal is made from the breast, thighs, and wings, which are cleaner parts of the chicken. Any part of the chicken can be used to make chicken by-products, even the less digestible and less healthy parts.
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Protein Content: Since it contains more muscle meat, chicken meal typically has a higher protein percentage than chicken by-product.
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Consistency: The exact composition of chicken by-product can vary greatly between manufacturers. Chicken meal offers more consistent nutrition.
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Digestibility: Chicken meal is generally more digestible and bioavailable for pets compared to chicken by-product.
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Sourcing: Chicken meal often comes from USDA-inspected facilities with more oversight on quality. Chicken by-product sources can be less regulated.
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Price: Chicken by-product is the less expensive option for pet food manufacturers to purchase. Chicken meal costs more.
When looking at the label, a pet food containing chicken meal is a better choice than one containing chicken by-product. However, not all chicken by-products are equal either. Higher-end brands may use quality by-product ingredients that still offer nutritional value.
Things to Look Out For
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If chicken or chicken meal is listed first, look for another concentrated protein source like chicken meal or turkey meal within the first 3 ingredients. This indicates there is sufficient protein content.
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Avoid pet foods that list “meat meal” or “poultry meal” without naming the source animal. Opt for chicken meal, turkey meal, etc.
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Look for brands that specifically state they do not use chicken by-product meal or anonymous meat meals.
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When chicken fat is listed, look for the type like “chicken fat preserved with mixed tocopherols” vs just “animal fat” or “poultry fat”.
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Research the manufacturer’s sourcing policies and quality control standards for meats and by-products. Reputable brands are transparent about their practices.
Chicken Meal and By-Product in Homemade Pet Food
For homemade cooked pet food recipes, chicken meal can be used in place of raw chicken as a protein source. Start with about 1/4 of the recipe’s chicken amount and make up the lost moisture with water or broth.
Chicken by-product is not recommended for most homemade pet food recipes, unless you can source high-quality ingredients like organ meat. By-products contain bone and cartilage that require commercial processing to make digestible.
When in doubt, homemade pet food recipes based around muscle meat, organ meat, and bone are ideal. Chicken meal and by-product from pet food companies involve processing that is difficult to mimic at home.
The Bottom Line
Chicken meal provides high-quality, concentrated protein from chicken meat and is a preferred ingredient in many premium pet foods. Chicken by-product can vary greatly in composition and quality, containing less digestible chicken parts.
While both ingredients contain nutritional benefits, chicken meal is the superior choice. When comparing pet food labels, aim for chicken meal in the first few ingredients. Avoid anonymous meat meals and research the brand’s ingredient sourcing policies. This helps ensure your pet gets quality nutrition from their diet.
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Nutrition labels on animal food can be intimidating, but this guide can help you understand what they mean. On any food label, you’ll find a long list of items; food ingredients, vitamins/minerals, and probiotics.
Sometimes animal by-products are added to food. These are one of the most controversial ingredients in pet food. By-products are what’s leftover after the parts intended for human consumption have been removed. Chicken by-products are a common ingredient in pet food and can include chicken feet, livers, lungs, brains, etc. When choosing natural pet food, its important to consider these components and their nutritional value to ensure a balanced diet for your pet.
What are by-products and what is by-product meal?
By-products in pet food are animal parts that humans shouldn’t eat, and by-product meal is the dried and ground version of by-products. Both are excellent sources of protein for pets. Chicken byproduct meal in cat food are concentrated, ingredients used in pet food formulations for their high protein content and essential nutrients, as well as their super cheap cost for producers.
Chicken MEAL vs Chicken BYPRODUCT | What is the difference? | 5Strands FAQ
FAQ
Is chicken meal or chicken by-product better?
Chicken Meal vs Chicken By-product Meal Meals are generally of moderately higher quality than by-product meals BUT if the by-product meal doesn’t contain …Apr 19, 2018.
What is the difference between byproduct and meal?
By-product is discarded cuts and meal is ground up bones tendons and by-products mixed together. They have necessary components in a dogs diet inside of them. Meal is just ground up and precooked and easier to use straight up. This is all from independent research so it may not be correct.
Is chicken by-product meal bad for dogs who are allergic to chicken?
If an allergy is confirmed, the best (and really only) way to treat it is to make sure the dog doesn’t eat any chicken. Not only chicken meat, but also any food, treats, or supplements that have chicken fat or byproducts of chicken.
What should top 3 ingredients be in dog food?
If you know the top three ingredients in your dog’s food, you can make choices that are better for their health and happiness. Prioritizing high-quality proteins, wholesome carbohydrates, and healthy fats ensures a balanced diet that supports your dog’s life.