Evaluating Food Ingredients

Last Updated on August 23, 2015.

Food Ingredient	Description & Effect
Chicken	Good for sensitive stomachs Contains only muscle meat
Chicken Meal	Clean meat from the animal that has been cooked, dried, and ground Most of the moisture is removed
By-Product	Non-muscle parts of animals Can be specific as chicken-by-products or generic as animal-by-products By-products are most often products left over from meat source processing (the muscle).
Lamb	Good for sensitive stomachs
Turkey	NA
Poultry Meal	May contain any type of poultry
Animal Meal	May contain any animal
Duck	NA
Beef	NA
Meat and Bone Meal	Meat meal with the addition of bones Does not contain non-edible parts such as feet, fur, or feather Slightly lower grade than meat meal
Animal Fat	Fat trimmed during the meat processing Should be limited in most diets.

Food Ingredient	Description & Effect
Vegetables	Vegetables are becoming more popular in pet foods Common vegetables found in pet foods are carrots and peas The amount of vegetables in the food and the quality of the vegetables determines their overall nutritional effect on the food Whole vegetables are considered the most beneficial and parts of vegetables such as beet pulp and pea hulls have different purposes in food other than supporting nutrition
Grains – Corn	Corn is widely used in the animal industry as the main protein source for many animals and is common in many human foods as well Corn is processed in many different ways and how it is processed determines the quality of the protein and the digestibility of that protein. [Corn is a protein?] Cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry are considered “production animals” that are raised for the meat they produce. Whole and ground corn is the key ingredient in their food. Digestibility Filler

Food Ingredient

Description & Effect

Vegetables

Vegetables are becoming more popular in pet foods
Common vegetables found in pet foods are carrots and peas
The amount of vegetables in the food and the quality of the vegetables determines their overall nutritional effect on the food
Whole vegetables are considered the most beneficial and parts of vegetables such as beet pulp and pea hulls have different purposes in food other than supporting nutrition

Grains – Corn

Corn is widely used in the animal industry as the main protein source for many animals and is common in many human foods as well
Corn is processed in many different ways and how it is processed determines the quality of the protein and the digestibility of that protein. [Corn is a protein?]
Cattle, hogs, sheep, and poultry are considered “production animals” that are raised for the meat they produce. Whole and ground corn is the key ingredient in their food.
Digestibility
Filler

Food Ingredient	Description & Effect
Ingredients to Avoid	Chemical Preservatives BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin are believed to be linked to cancer, liver damage, and other health issues * Alternatives to chemical preservatives are vitamins such as Vitamin E Sweeteners Corn syrup and sucrose are commonly found in human foods as well as animal foods. Propylene Glycol Coloring Additives
NA – Not Available