Animal by-products in pet food

In short: “Animal by-products” is a collective term for all parts of slaughtered animals not sold as muscle meat, for example offal, bones and blood.

In more detail: It can include nutritious parts such as liver, heart and lung, but also low-quality remnants. Because the term does not break down what exactly is inside, an open declaration (“chicken 40 %, of which heart 5 %”) is considered better.

Our context: The product scanner deducts points for the collective term because it cannot be checked.

In Depth

• Law: Use is regulated under EU law: only parts that would be fit for human consumption but are not intended for it may be used.
• Value: Offal is very valuable for dogs and cats. The problem is the missing information.
• Alternative: clearly named ingredients such as “beef liver”, “chicken heart”.
• Feed law: Complete feeds must ensure minimum nutrient contents.

See also: Reading pet food labels