By-Products

Most holistic pet food websites cite the same sources, the AAFCO guide which tells you what by-products in U.S. Pet foods are.

So I thought I’d go one step further and tell you what the Europeans say are by-products and what the U.S. Beef industry says are the uses of by-products.

Do you really want your pets eating any of this?

What are animal by-products?

Animal by-products are the parts of a slaughtered animal that are not directly
consumed by humans, including dead on farm animals and catering waste (i.e.
waste food originating from restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens) that contains
or has been in contact with meat products, whether cooked or uncooked. Some of
these products are used in animal proteins like meat-and-bone-meal, fats, gelatine,
collagen, petfood and other technical products, such as glue, leathers, soaps,
fertilisers etc. The alternative is their destruction, most often by incineration.

What quantity of animal by-products are we talking about?

It has been estimated that humans directly consume only 68% of a chicken, 62% of pig, 54% of a bovine animal and 52% of a sheep or goat. Therefore, every year, more than 10 million tons of meat not destined for direct human consumption derived from healthy animals are produced in the EU. This material is then transformed in a variety of products used in human food, animal feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other technical use. For example:
• Bones, skin and connective tissue such as tendons are used for the production
of gelatine which is then used in human food (desserts, gummed candies,
marshmallow and prepared meat products), animal feed (coats of vitamins,
binders of feed pellet and dogchews), pharmaceutical (hard and soft capsules)
and technical use (in the photographic industry for paper coating and as a
component in silver halide emulsion coatings, etc).

• Mixture of bones, meat trimmings and offals are rendered into fats and into
animal proteins which are then used in human food, animal feed, cosmetic,
pharmaceutical and technical products.

• Offals and meat trimmings are used as fresh raw material in petfood and
pharmaceuticals or, following strict heat treatment (e.g. 133°C for 20 minutes at
3 bars of pressure) in animal feed.

Animal By-Products In Our Daily Lives
This comes from a Beef Association Website, notice how Pet Food gets the Bones, Horns, and Hooves that our dogs and cats would not, in nature, eat:

Intestines	Fats and Fatty Acids	Bones, Horns and Hooves
Sausage Casings	Explosives	Syringes
Instrument Strings	Solvents	Piano Keys
Surgical Sutures	Chewing Gum	Marshmallow
Tennis Racket Strings	Paints	Pet Food Ingredients
	Industrial Lubricants	Bandage Strips
	Cosmetics, Shampoo	Bone Charcoal Products
	Dog Food	Gelatin
	Mink Oil	Adhesive Tape
	Oleo Margarine	Phonograph Records
	Ceramics	Combs & Toothbrushes
	Medicines	Buttons
	Soaps	Jewelry
From Hide & Wool	Creams & Lotions	Bone Meal
Lanolin	Tires, Rubber Products	Emery Boards & Cloth
Clothing	Paraffin	Ice Cream
Drum Heads	Biodegradable Detergents	Horn & Bone Handles
Luggage	Antifreeze	Wallpaper and Wallpaper Paste
Yarns	Crayons	Dog Biscuits
Artist’s Brushes	Floor Wax	Steel Ball Bearings
Sports Equipment	Chemicals	Fertilizer
Fabrics	Chemicals	Neatsfoot Oil
Pelt Products	Insecticides	Adhesives
Insulation	Candles	Plywood & Paneling
Textiles	Herbicides	Shampoo & Conditioner
Tennis Balls	Shaving Cream	Dice
Carpet		Collagen Cold Cream
Footwear		Crochet Needles
Woolen Goods		Cellophane Products
Baseballs		Glycerine
Upholstery		Photographic Film
Hide Glue		Laminated Wood Products