When we see "chicken" listed as the first ingredient on a bag of food, we picture a nice whole chicken breast like what we'd eat ourselves.  That is not the case.  According to the group that standardizes animal feed labeling, "chicken" refers to any combination of chicken skin, flesh, and bone.  So when a poultry processor fills orders for food manufacturers, guess who gets the chicken flesh?  We do!  The bones and skin go to the pet food companies.  But it's still called "chicken."


Also, ingredients are listed in order of preprocessed volume from greatest to least.  The key word there is "preprocessed."  That means a dry food component can start out as mostly water with a little bit of skin and bone and still be listed as "chicken" and placed first on the list.  During processing the water will be removed and the volume will shrink, but the consumer doesn't know that.


So what's in "chicken byproduct"?  The head, neck, and viscera.  Sounds a little gross, but that's what animals chow down first.  Internal organs are a rich source of protein that carnivores favor.  So when a food lists "chicken byproduct meal" first or second in the ingredient list, you know that protein source is a major component of the food.


If you have any questions about your pet food, give us a call and we can help.

ref:  Reimer, K. (December 2011). Pet food: What's in a name?.  Veterinary Economics, Vol. 52, 4.