Kibble: From Stockyard To Bowl

Ingredients for highly processed kibble follows a very different path from those used in most fresh pet foods.  (see Farm to Bowl)  

Ingredient Sources: 

Unless manufacturers explicitly state that their animals are humanely raised, the animals used in kibble are raised in feedlots and stockyards. Feedlots are known to house vast numbers of animals in a small space and no effort is made regarding environmental hygiene.  These animals are fed highly processed diets for maximum growth efficiency. Because of the crowded and unsanitary conditions, antibiotics and other drugs are regularly given to reduce infection, many of which are passed along through the pet food ingredients. The nutritional value of ingredients made from those animals is lower than those from pasture-raised animals (e.g., lower omega-3, lower vitamin E, lower amino acids, etc.). Humane treatment goes beyond just being nice to the animals but also providing higher quality feed and cleaner environment with sufficient space to move, resulting in higher quality meat for your pet. 

At the slaughterhouse, the USDA inspects the animals and places the subsequent meat products into one of the following categories:

• Graded for human consumption. 
• Rejected for human consumption, meaning they did not meet human food quality criteria.
• Animal products and waste not inspected and considered unfit to be used in human food such as lungs.
• Dead, dying, diseased animals that are not permitted into inspection facilities but are still permitted to be used in pet food.

From Slaughter to Pet Food Ingredient:

Parts that are rejected or otherwise unused for human food applications are sent to rendering plants where they are processed into feed ingredients, biofuels, or fertilizers.

For pet food, the rendering process includes cooking the animal by-products and waste products until the fats and proteins separate.  These are then converted into:

• Oils to be added as animal fats, or mixed with preservatives, heat-sensitive nutrients, and/or “flavors” to be sprayed on kibble.   
• Slurry paste that is dried into the powder commonly used in conventional kibble or canned pet foods. AKA meat meals. (see Chicken article)

It is important to note that only ingredients unfit for human consumption are sent to the rendering plants to be converted into pet food ingredients.  Highly processed kibble may claim to have “real meat” but that just means it was real meat once, when it was alive. Only the dried powders from rendering can be used in the extruders that produce kibble.  All parts considered fit for human consumption have been removed by the time any animal reaches the rendering plant, 

Pet foods made with rendered ingredients must be supplemented with synthetic amino acids and other heat-sensitive nutrients since these have been destroyed by high heat and pressure during the rendering process.  That is why you will see a much longer list of ingredients and synthetic supplements on pet food products containing rendered ingredients.