'By-products' are defined as materials that we in the society have an excess of locally, most of them used are also in human food production. By-products can be from animal or plant sources. It's important to highlight that this is dictated by what foods are considered staples or even delicacies in any given culture.
Animal by-products are in EU legislation defined as ingredients not intended for human consumption, the intended use thereby define them; for example a kidney is to be regarded as an animal by-product when it goes to pet food and a meat product when it goes to human food. In the US Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) defines by-products as 'secondary products produced in addition to the principal product'.
The animal by-products we are using include a combination of ingredients, for example lungs, tripe, kidney, liver, chicken carcasses and esophagus. As an example, 'dried poultry meal' is produced through processing of poultry carcasses; grinding, cooking, sometimes separating some of the fat and then drying and grinding the protein fraction into a meal. In this format it is much more nutrient-dense than the ingredient 'poultry' or 'chicken' itself, which contains 75% water.
By-products are an excellent source of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins. These nutrients play many vital roles in a dog or cat's body by supplying essential amino acids used for building and renewing organs and muscles, supporting the immune system, and supplying energy.
* EUR-Lex no68/2013, Guidance Note on EU Classification of Food, Food Safety Authority of Ireland
It is crucial to select ingredients that provide high-quality nutrients tailored to precise, individualized formulas. Additionally, it is important to source ingredients from validated suppliers who undergo regular audits. This includes by-products, of course.
By-products are defined as the entire bodies or parts of animals, products of animal origin or other products obtained from animals, which are not used in the human food chain. These ingredients remain nutritious to cats and dogs.
Some include:
DEHYDRATED MEAT MEAL AND BY-PRODUCTS ARE A GREAT SOURCE OF PROTEIN.
Dehydrated meat is simply fresh meat with water and fat removed. Properly processed, it is an excellent source of high quality, highly digestible protein for your pet. Proteins, vitamins and minerals that are essential to the health of your pet can be found in abundance in by-products such as hearts, livers and lungs.
Grains supply many important nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, fibre, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.
Pet foods may include one or more grains such as rice, wheat, corn, barley, and oats. While grain-free foods are popular, the dietary value of grains is undeniable, except in a very few cases where an adverse food reaction is diagnosed, with the assistance of a vet.
Pet owners receive many varied messages around grains, their inclusion and role in pet foods. So let’s set the story straight:
As with grains, the term 'wheat' attracts many mixed messages and therefore feelings amongst pet owners.
When thinking about the whole grain of a wheat, it's understandable that some people think that wheat is not digestible for cats and dogs. The outer shell of the wheat kernel contains fibre that is not easily digested, but can still be useful to the pet in other ways by promoting healthy gut movement. Grinding wheat exposes the highly digestible centre of the wheat kernel so the cat or dog can benefit from the nutrients it contains. The protein part of the wheat can be separated also, further increasing nutritional value.
|
WHEAT
|
WHEAT GLUTEN
|
WHEAT FLOUR
|
WHEAT BRAN
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PROTEIN
|
12 | 80 | 14 | 14 |
|
ASH
|
2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
|
STARCH
|
59 | 9 | 71 | 21 |
|
MOISTURE
|
12.5 | 6 | 12 | 12 |
|
FAT
|
1.5 | 5.5 | 2 | 0.5 |
|
Total Dietary Fibre
|
13 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 50 |
*Source: Royal Canin Research Centre
Because of the way in which they are farmed, plant proteins have a lower impact on the environment than animal protein, making them a more sustainable choice in pet food manufacturing.
Corn supplies many important nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Some important points about these nutrients include:
Corn Meal
Every kernel of corn is rich in beneficial nutrients including proteins, fibre and fatty acids.
Corn Gluten
Corn Gluten is the protein-rich component of the kernel, providing a concentrated source of antioxidants.
Corn Starch
A carbohydrate rich energy source that cats and dogs can digest.
Through a specific milling process, fibre, carbohydrates and oils are extracted leaving behind the protein rich maize gluten.
Corn is rich in certain aminoacids that specifically support skin and bladder health.
Antioxidants found in corn support general health and prevent damage to healthy cells.
Allergies to corn are extremely rare in cats and dogs.
Rich in vitamins A, E and the B-group, as well as the minerals zinc and manganese, all of which are essential for healthy skin.
Some people mistakenly believe corn is not digestible. The outer shell of a corn kernel is made of fibre, so it is not easily digested by cats, dogs or humans, but the inside of the corn kernel is highly digestible. Processing the raw materials we put into pet foods and grinding corn exposes the digestible inside of the kernel so the cat and dog can benefit from the nutrition within.
There is nothing inherently allergenic about grains, wheat or corn.
When a pet has a food allergy, it is typically a reaction to a protein source in the diet and this needs confirming by a veterinary team.
*Verlinden et al. Food allergy in dogs and cats: a review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2006; 46: 259-273
Food allergies are a valid concern for owners wanting to avoid skin issues in their pets. Plant-based ingredients such as grains, wheat and corn are often implicated in these reactions. In fact, it is more often an animal-based protein which causes a true food allergy.
Indeed, food allergies are responsible for as little as 1% of all skin diseases in cats and dogs*. Environmental allergies are a lot more common.
There can be different common food allergens depending on location and species. For example:
Only in some very rare cases will we see reactions to proteins of plant origin such as wheat.
It is common for suppliers of cat and dog food to market their products by claiming the amount of "meat" or "fresh meat", particularly placing them as the first ingredient. Sometimes they also combine these claims with images of muscle meat. It is a simple message that attracts many pet owners.
According to current feed legislation, each ingredient / ingredient group in a pet food must be listed on the package based on weight before cooking in descending order. This means that fresh "meat" that naturally contains large amounts of water receives a high position on the ingredient list. This gives the impression that "meat" is the primary source of the nutritional content of the pet food. However, it is not likely to be the case.
In Europe, the word "meat" on a pet food label ought to correspond to pure skeletal muscle meat. In North America, the definition is a bit wider for "meat" in pet food, including tongue, heart and oesophagus.
When reading an ingredient list, we should take into account that fresh "meat" contains 70-80% water. During the preparation of a "processed animal protein" as "dehydrated poultry protein" or "chicken meal", most of this water is removed.
As in the example below, 1 kilogram fresh poultry will provide approximately 250 grams of nutrients compared to 1 kilogram of dehydrated poultry protein (chicken meal in North America) that provides a massive 940 grams of nutrients.
A list of ingredients containing raw materials with very different water content becomes difficult to understand. In cases where the ingredient list is reinforced with a claim like "contains 25% fresh meat", there is little indication of nutritional value (and the benefit to the pet) of the finished product.
Overall, you should consider moisture content whenever reading a pet food label making diet comparisons.
| Poultry Nutrients | |
| Water |
| Poultry Nutrients | |
| Water |
The ancestors of cats and dogs, including wolves, ate their entire prey. While this included a high proportion of muscular meat, it also included the internal organs and the stomach contents of their prey – which frequently included plants. This provided the ancestors of the cat and dog with essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
There is great potential for nutritional inadequacy such as nutritional excesses or deficiencies in cats and dogs consuming meat without additional foods and supplements.
When labelled as such, commercial pet foods are designed to be complete and balanced, meaning they contain all of the essential nutrients for a cat or dog in the proper quantities. Plant products provide essential fatty acids, fibre, vitamins, and minerals – making them important when creating a complete and balanced diet for a cat or dog.
Raw feeding is becoming popular, however there are no proven health benefits and many risks associated with feeding cats and dogs raw food:
*Freeman L, Chandler M, Hamper B & Weeth L. (2013) Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol 243, No.11, Dec 1, 2013.
