Meat Meal in Dog Food

One of the most controversial ingredients is a meat meal. Meat meals and other meals such as corn meal are problematic ingredients. What is a meat meal? Where does it come from? Is it safe for dogs to eat? Let’s take a closer look at this ingredient and what it means for your furry friend.

What is a meat meal in dog food?

Meal is a processed form of meat that has been ground up into a powder or paste. It is made from slaughterhouse scraps and by-products that are not suitable for human consumption. This includes the bone, organs, and connective tissue. Meat meal can be made from any type of animal, but the most common types used in pet food are chicken, beef, and pork.

A meat meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered meat. It is an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients, and it is often used as a protein supplement in dog food.

UKDEFRA (2000) defined meat meal as ‘concentrated protein remaining after fat removal from the crackling (solid protein material)’. He explained that meat meal includes all the non-fatty parts of muscle tissue and connective tissue, which have been reduced to a fine powder.

He differentiated meat meal from meat and bone meal(MBM). He explains that MBM is a meat meal with additional ingredients – specifically bones and certain chemical composition. Meat meal’s phosphorus content of the protein product exceeds 4.4%, and its crude protein content is below 55%.

Carcas meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered carcasses of animals. It is a good source of protein and essential nutrients, but it is not as high in quality as meat and bone meal.

According to the feed regulation, 21 CFR 589.2000, ruminant protein-based MBM has been prohibited from being fed to ruminants.

Difference between Meat Meal and Whole Meat:

The biggest difference between whole meat and meat meal as sources of protein is their concentration which is impacted by the amount of water. In the chart below, you can see that whole chicken has a very high water content of up to 70% and 18% protein.

We recommend recipes that use chicken meals as the source of ingredients as they have a higher concentration of protein. Whole meat loses a lot of its protein content when water is removed during the cooking process.

In our scoring of proteins, we deduct 2 points for dog food recipes that do not use meat meals and have 2 grains ingredients out of the first 3 ingredients.

After processing the chicken into a concentrated powder and removing all the water, the protein content of the chicken meal rises to 65% with just 10% of water content.

Meat Meal Market in the US

According to Nielsen Data on dog food products in the market, a total of about 1.5 million tons of rendered protein meal ingredients were used in 2018 which represented a value of about $562 million.

From the chart above, meat and bone meal, chicken by-product meal, chicken meal and poultry by-product meal are the most common meat meal ingredients in the market.

Types of meal meals in dog food:

1. Poultry meat meals: Poultry meal is made from rendering whole poultry carcasses, including the bone. Sources include chicken, turkey, and duck. According to AAFCO, chicken or turkey meals are the “dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with and without accompanying bone, derived from whole carcasses of chicken/turkey thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails.” 
2. Poultry by-product meal: Poultry by-product meal is made from rendering poultry by-products, which are the parts of the bird that are not meat (e.g., organs, feet, feathers).
3. Animal fat meals: Animal fat meal is made from rendering animal fats and greaves (the solid residue from rendering).
4. Fish meal: Fish meal is made from rendering whole fish or fish parts. It is a good source of protein, essential fatty acids, and minerals. AAFCO specifies that fish meal is the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.
5. Meat and bone meals: Meat and bone meal is made from rendered carcasses of animals including bones
6. Carcass meal: Carcass meal is made from rendering animal lean parts without the bones and by products.
7. Lamb meal: According to AAFCO, meat meal is “the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. It shall not contain added extraneous materials not provided for by this definition.”

Chicken meal in dog food

Chicken meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered chicken carcasses. It is an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients, but it is not as high in quality as meat and bone meal.

Unlike beef meat meal, chicken meal do not have parts such as cartilages and are more digestible than other types of meat meals.

Chicken meal is often used as a protein supplement in dog food. The protein in chicken meal is highly digestible, which means that your dog can absorb and use more of the nutrients.

what is turkey meal in dog food ?

Turkey meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered turkey carcasses. They are protein concentrates from turkey that have had the water, fat, and connective tissue removed.

How is meat meal made?

The first step in making meat meal is to render the meat. Rendering is a process of cooking the meat at a high temperature to remove the fat. The rendered meat is then ground into a fine powder.

The protein content of the meat meal can vary depending on the type of animal used and the rendering process. For example, chicken meal has a higher protein content than beef or pork meal because chicken contains more muscle tissue than fat.

The rendering process involves cooking the meat at high temperatures to remove all water, fat, and connective tissue. This leaves behind a concentrated protein

What are the benefits of meat meal in dog food

Meat meal is an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients, and it is often used as a protein supplement in dog food.

The protein in meat meal is highly digestible, which means that your dog can absorb and use more of the nutrients.

Meat meal also contains a high concentration of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

Digestability:

The amino acids in meat meals are more digestible than those in plant-based proteins. This is because the protein in meat meal is already broken down and easier for your dog to digest.

When it came to total tract digestibility, organic matter digestibility, and crude protein digestibility, a study found that chicken meal was far superior in a study of meat meal digestion.

Amino Acids:

Another benefit of meat meal is that it contains a high concentration of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and they are essential for your dog’s health.

There are 20 amino acids that your dog needs, and 11 of them can be found in meat sources such as meat meal.

Some of the most important amino acids for dogs include:

-Tryptophan: helps to regulate sleep and behavior

-Threonine: helps to maintain a healthy coat and skin

-Isoleucine: helps with muscle growth and repair

-Leucine: helps with muscle growth and repair

-Lysine: helps to prevent infections

What are the drawbacks of meat meal?

One of the main drawbacks of meat meal is that it can be sources of foodborne illness. Bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli, can contaminate the meat during the rendering process.

Another concern is that some companies use low-quality ingredients in their meat meal, such as feathers, hair, and tissue. These ingredients can be hard for your dog to digest and may cause gastrointestinal problems.

To avoid these problems, make sure you choose a high-quality dog food that uses quality ingredients in their meat meal. Look for a food that is made with human-grade ingredients and does not contain any fillers or by-products.

When it comes to your dog’s diet, meat meal is a controversial ingredient. However, when it is sourced from quality ingredients and used in moderation, it can be a healthy and nutritious addition to your dog’s diet.

Turkey meal in dog food has similar properties as chicken meal and is known to be more digestible than other meat meals.

Meat and Bone Meal vs Poultry Meat meal:

The main difference between meat and bone meal and poultry by-product meal is the source of the ingredients.

Poultry by-product meal is made from rendering chicken or turkey parts that are not suitable for human consumption, such as organs and bones.

On the other hand, meat and bone meal can be made from any mammal, such as cows, pigs, and sheep.

Other key differences are the composition of the ingredient;

• Poultry by-products meal have higher crude protein, 60% content compared to MBM, 50.4%
• Poultry meat meal have higher fat content, 13% compared to meat and bone meal which has just 10%
• Bone and meat meal have higher calcium, 10.3% compared to poultry meat meal which has just 3%.

The table below shows the comparison of meat and bone meal and poultry meat meals;

Should you avoid meat meal ingredients in dog food?

While meat meal is high in protein, it is also high in fat. In fact, chicken meal contains about 12% fat, while beef and pork meal contain about 10% fat.

Too much fat can lead to weight gain and other health problems in dogs, such as pancreatitis. If your dog is overweight or has aats are an important part of your dog’s diet, but they should be given in moderation. When choosing a dog food, look for one that has a moderate fat content and is high in protein.

You should also avoid meat meal ingredients that contain fillers or by-products. These ingredients can be hard for your dog to digest andats are an important part of your dog’s diet, but they should be given in moderation. When choosing a dog food, look for one that has a moderate fat content and is high in protein.

Which are some dog food without meat meal?

There are several commercial dog food brands without meat meal including Blue Buffalo, Evo, Innova, Canidae, Newman’s Own Organic, Wellness Core Dog Food and AvoDerm. 

FAQs

Q: what is salmon meal in dog food?

A: Salmon meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered salmon. They are clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole salmon fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.

Q: What is the difference between fish meal and fish oil?

A: Fish meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered fish. On the other hand, fish oil is a liquid product made from pressing or extracting oil from fish.

Q: What is menhaden meal in dog food?

A: Menhaden meal is a dry, powdered product made from rendered menhaden fish. They are small, oily fish that are typically used for animal feed or oil production.

Q: is salmon meal bad for dogs?

A: Salmon meal is not bad for dogs. In fact, it is a healthy and nutritious addition to your dog’s diet. Salmon meal is a good source of protein and essential nutrients. However, some companies use low-quality ingredients in their salmon meal, such as feathers, hair, and tissue. These ingredients can be hard for your dog to digest and can cause gastrointestinal problems.

Q: is turkey meal good for dogs?

A: Turkey meal is a good source of protein and essential nutrients. However, some companies use low-quality ingredients in their turkey meal, such as feathers, hair, and tissue. These ingredients can be hard for your dog to digest and can cause gastrointestinal problems.