It is true that products that contain fresh chicken instead of chicken meal could have less actual protein in them because water is the main ingredient of fresh chicken; that's why it's important to know more than just a rule or two about choosing a good food. However, this has nothing to do with Royal Canin ingredients switch, as they have been using chicken meal since 2010. The new product they still uses "meal", but it’s chicken
by-product meal, read how the government differentiates between the two.
Chicken By-Product Meal -“Poultry By-Product Meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.”
“Poultry Meal is the dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of poultry or a combination thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails.”
Basically, there is little or no muscle meat in the chicken meal by-product. I’m not saying that no by-product ever should be in a food, it may have something that is valuable, I’m saying that this shouldn’t be the main source of protein, and certainly not a food that is priced at a premium.
As consumers, we must understand that not all protein is alike. Here's a great article on protein, for those interested.
The Dog Food Project - Is too much protein harmful?
The label must state how much “crude protein” is in the food, but consumers must be aware of the fact that crude protein is not the same as “digestible protein.” Shoe leather, hair and feathers are protein, but very little usable protein can be used from them. For years, it was thought that too high a protein was bad for dogs, but later, it was learned, this wasn’t true, it was only true if poor quality protein were being used.
Judy, I know you are a very loyal consumer and want to believe what they are saying, I also know that your dogs have thrived for years on Royal Canin, and you trust the company, believe me, I know how hard it is to have the table kicked out from beneath you. I’m not like one of those people who hate all big companies, but you know as well as I do, companies change, they change management, they change direction, and what was once a stellar product goes by the wayside. They said, “Absolutely NOTHING has changed about the nutritional profile of the food.” Have you asked them what was the old protein content of the food? On the old bags that say Royal Canin 28, on the side panel it said crude protein was 28% The new bags say, 26%. Right there, is a difference in the nutritional profile. While I wouldn’t choose one food over another because of a 2% difference in protein, the fact is he lied when he said nothing has changed. When you can see that, you will be more open to all the other BS they are spouting off.