Beef and Bone Meal

Meat production leaves cattle tissue and bone that do not become retail cuts. Renderers cook this material to remove much of its water and fat, then grind the remaining solids for feed.^5,7

1. 01 // Source Cattle tissue and bone Trimmings and bone left after meat processing provide material for rendering.
2. 02 // Process Cooked Heat destroys bacteria and separates much of the water and fat from the solids.
3. 03 // Process Fat separated Removing fat leaves a drier mixture of protein and bone minerals.
4. 04 // Output Ground meal The cooked solids are ground into even particles for shipment to the pet food plant.

1. 01

   Adds animal protein

   Rendering removes much of the water and fat, leaving a concentrated protein ingredient. In a small dog trial, diets containing meat and bone meal remained digestible.^1,5

2. 02

   Supplies bone minerals

   Bone contributes calcium and phosphorus. A formulator can count those minerals toward the recipe, while still balancing the finished food.^3,4

3. 03

   Uses meat processing leftovers

   Rendering turns lower value tissue and bone into a storable feed ingredient. Industry research identifies meat and bone meal as a major rendered ingredient in US pet food.⁷

How much A 6-dog trial added generic meat and bone meal at 6, 12 and 24% of dry diets; those are tested amounts, not a usual recipe range.¹

1. Brands say

   Bone adds calcium and phosphorus

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   Feedipedia's lower fat mammal meal table averages 94.4 g/kg calcium and 45.8 g/kg phosphorus on a dry basis. Bone supplies both minerals, but those averages do not describe beef-only meal or prove the finished food is balanced.^3,4

2. Brands say

   Dogs digest its protein

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a 6-dog trial, whole-diet protein digestibility was 81.3 to 83.1% as added meat and bone meal ranged from 6 to 24%. The trial tested complete diets and generic meal, not the digestibility of every beef batch.¹

3. Owners say

   Beef meal can trigger a beef allergy

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A review identified beef as a trigger in 102 of 297 dogs with reported food reactions. Those dogs were selected for food reactions, so the count is not the risk for a typical dog.²

4. Critics say

   Beef and bone meal is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   It supplies protein and bone minerals. In a 6-dog trial, diets containing meat and bone meal had measurable protein digestibility across the tested amounts. The real uncertainty is how much tissue and bone went into a particular batch.^1,3,4