Quote:
Originally Posted by mimimomo  The named meat meals like chicken, salmon, duck, etc. are good!
It's the mystery 'meat & bone' meal that you need to look out for. It can come form rendered 4D Meats, the Dead, Dying, Diseased & Disabled. I would also avoid non specified meat oils & fat, like 'fish oil' & 'poultry fat', there's also 'natural flavors' & 'animal digest'. |
I take this to mean any meat listed as meal?
Meat Meal. AAFCO defines meat meal significantly different than meat. Though the ingredient name implies it should be ‘meat’ moisture removed and the definition of ‘meat’ is muscle tissue – meat meal can include almost any part of mammal tissue excluding blood, hair, hide, manure, stomach and contents of. As well, ‘meat’ by definition is sourced from slaughtered mammals, meat meal does not have this specification. In other words, by its official definition, this ingredient can include animals that have died prior to slaughter (illegal per federal law for human and animal foods – such as euthanized animals and/or animals that have died in the field). This ingredient is listed on pet food labels with the species descriptor – such as beef meal, venison meal, and so on.
This ingredient could consist of a high level of bone. There is some science that links high levels of bone in meat meal ingredients to bone cancer. Click Here to learn more.
Meat meal ingredients would be a quality ingredient if sourced from a USDA inspected and approved animal.
Questions to ask the pet food manufacturer about their meat meal ingredient…
1. Is the meat used in the meal ingredient USDA inspected and approved? (Make certain they respond to ‘approved’ – many manufacturers will state something like ‘Our chicken comes from USDA inspected facilities’. This does not answer your question. Rejected for use in human food chicken ‘comes from USDA inspected facilities’.)
2. Does the meal include bone?