You may have noticed when reading the back of the packaging of some of our Go! Solutions recipes that one of the first ingredients on the list is a meat meal. These can be seen as chicken meal, salmon meal, or turkey meal for example. Now you might be wondering, what’s the difference between fresh meat and a meat meal? Well, fresh meat includes muscle meat and naturally present amounts of accompanying fat. You’ll notice that on many Go! Solutions dog food recipes that deboned meats like deboned chicken are listed. Unlike the ingredient “chicken”, “deboned chicken” has had the bones removed.
Turkey meal is a common ingredient found in many commercial dog foods. But what exactly is turkey meal, and why is it used in dog food? This article provides a comprehensive guide to turkey meal, including what it is, its benefits, and how to identify quality turkey meal in your dog’s diet.
What is Turkey Meal?
Turkey meal is a dried and rendered product made from turkey flesh and skin, sometimes including ground bone as well It’s created through a process called rendering, which involves cooking turkey parts at high temperatures to remove moisture and fat
The result is a concentrated powder full of protein with only around 10% moisture. Since most of the water is removed during rendering, turkey meal contains a much higher protein percentage than whole turkey meat.
Turkey meal provides an excellent source of amino acids and other nutrients for dogs. It can come from any turkey parts, not just breast so it makes use of turkey by-products that might otherwise go to waste.
The Benefits of Turkey Meal for Dogs
There are many advantages to using turkey meal in dog food:
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Highly Digestible Protein: Turkey meal is an excellent source of quality, highly digestible protein. Protein is essential for building and maintaining lean muscle mass.
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Supports Bone and Joint Health: The amino acids in turkey meal support bone and joint health. This makes it beneficial for puppies and senior dogs.
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Boosts Immune System: Turkey contains selenium and tryptophan, nutrients that help regulate and strengthen the immune system.
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Promotes Healthy Skin and Coat: Turkey meal provides nutrients that contribute to skin and coat health like zinc and linoleic acid.
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Palatability: Most dogs find turkey flavor appealing. Turkey meal enhances the taste and smell of food to make it more appetizing.
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Prevents Spoilage: The rendering process kills bacteria and extends shelf-life. This prevents food spoilage that could cause illness.
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Consistent Nutrition: Meals allow precise control over nutrient contents. This ensures dogs get complete, balanced nutrition in every meal.
How to Identify Quality Turkey Meal
Not all turkey meals are created equal. Here’s how to identify high-quality turkey meal when selecting dog food:
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Specific Name: Look for “turkey meal” listed, not just generic “meat meal”. This indicates a defined source.
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First Ingredients: Quality turkey meal is often found near the top of ingredients lists.
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From Reputable Brands: Trusted pet food companies are more likely to use high-standard ingredients.
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Made with Real Meat: Check labeling stating “made with real meat” or an equivalent message.
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Avoid Meal By-Products: Generic “animal meal” or “poultry meal” may contain by-products.
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Guaranteed Analysis: Verify protein content meets your dog’s needs. Adult dog food should have at least 18% protein.
What About Whole Turkey?
Some pet owners wonder why turkey meal is used instead of fresh turkey meat. There are a few reasons why meal is preferred:
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Higher Protein Density: Turkey meal contains up to 4 times more protein by weight than whole turkey.
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Enhanced Digestibility: The rendering process enhances digestibility and nutrient absorption.
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Convenience: Turkey meal doesn’t require preparation and is fast and easy to mix into food.
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Longer Shelf Life: Turkey meat spoils rapidly compared to rendered meal.
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Cost Effective: Meal allows more economical use of turkey containing bones and less popular cuts.
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Allergy Concerns: Some dogs have allergies to fresh meats that don’t respond to rendered meals.
Potential Drawbacks of Turkey Meal
While turkey meal has many benefits, there are a few things to be aware of:
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Quality Control: Lower standards in rendering can reduce nutritional quality. Always verify source.
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Allergies: While less common, some dogs may still react to turkey meal. Monitor your dog closely when transitioning foods.
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High Ash Content: Too much bone meal added during rendering increases ash. This does not provide nutrition.
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Sodium Content: Salt and preservatives added during processing increases sodium levels. This should be limited.
Feeding Guidelines for Turkey Meal Dog Foods
Most commercial dog foods will provide feeding guidelines based on your dog’s weight and activity level. Use these as a starting point but monitor your dog closely. Adjust amount fed to maintain optimal body condition and energy levels.
Growing puppies and active dogs have higher protein needs. Senior dogs and less active breeds often do better with slightly lower protein levels. Always provide fresh water alongside turkey meal-based foods.
Discuss any diet changes with your veterinarian, especially for dogs with medical conditions. They can help determine if turkey meal is appropriate and provide portion recommendations tailored to your dog.
The Bottom Line
Turkey meal offers a highly nutritious protein source for dogs. When sourced from quality ingredients, turkey meal provides excellent protein, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.
Look for reputable brands using named meat meals like “turkey meal”. Avoid generic meals that may contain meat by-products. With a high-quality turkey meal diet following feeding guidelines, your dog can enjoy excellent health and nutrition.
What is a meat meal?
Meat meals tend to be the primary ingredient in many of our dog foods. Meat meals are created by using fresh meat and nutrient-rich bones and cartilage. Using a cooking process, called rendering, the meat is converted into a dry ingredient that we at Go! Solutions can use in our recipes. This creates a protein-rich, dry ingredient.
Rendering is a cooking process used to make many useful ingredients for use in pet foods. The process involves the application of heat, the extraction of moisture, and the separation of fat. Once the fat is separated from the cooked meat, the remaining high protein material is further processed to remove additional moisture and then ground into a meal.
Examples of meat meals include:
- Duck Meal
- Chicken Meal
- Lamb Meal
- Turkey Meal
- Salmon Meal
- Venison Meal
Really you can have a meal out of almost any animal or fish that is processed on a large scale, including cod, whitefish, beef, or pork.
Supreme Source Turkey Meal & Sweet Potato Recipe Dog Food Review
FAQ
Is turkey meal ok in dog food?
No, dogs cannot eat turkey lunch meat or smoked turkey. Turkey lunch meat is packed with sodium and other seasonings that can cause gastrointestinal issues.Sep 23, 2024
What’s the difference between turkey and turkey meal?
Turkey Meal is Turkey that has been precooked to lower the water content from 70% to 10%. It comes to the production plant as a dry granular source of high protein that is 10% moisture and 65% protein. Turkey comes to the processing plant as a ground up liquid slurry that has been frozen into a large block of ice.
What is turkey meal made of?
Chicken meal and turkey meal consist of ground up meat that is carefully dried. The meal has a high protein content and healthy levels of chicken fat and turkey fat. Typically, fresh turkey or chicken contains about 70% water and 18% protein.
What does meal mean in dog food?
Meal is a term defining what form an ingredient is in. A meal ingredient just means that it has been ground and dried for use in a dry dog food or kibble product. Similar to the way wheat is ground and dried to make bread. This is done so that dry food does not spoil.