Pork Meal in Dog Food - Dog Nutrition DB

Pork meal is an economical source of animal protein. In this article, we’ll delve into the subject of pork meal in dog food, examining its purpose and benefits for your dog.

Contents

What is Pork Meal?

Pork is a common ingredient in dog foods.

And pork meal is a concentrated version of porcine protein, also widely used in pet foods due to its nutritional value and digestibility.

To make this meat meal, pork tissues such as organ meats, meat scraps, connective or fatty tissues, and all kinds of slaughterhouse waste are ground and processed by rendering.

However, the raw materials that go into pork meal cannot include added blood, hair, horn, hide trimmings, manure, or stomach contents^[1].

Pork meal has to contain mostly digestible protein^[1]. This is specified to ensure that suppliers don’t overuse raw materials high in keratin or other fibrous materials that are mostly resistant to digestion.

During rendering, the pork tissues get ground, heated to high temperatures, drained, and pressed. This separates solid protein from melted pork fat or grease.

Rendering transforms pork parts that are not suitable for human consumption into a highly concentrated and protein-rich powder.

Pork meal is produced to convert animal leftovers that would otherwise be discarded into a stable and nutritious dog food ingredient.

By the way, if pork meal contains a significant amount of phosphorus from bone material, it may be referred to as pork and bone meal.

Overall, a meat meal is a processed animal protein. In this case, a digestible and palatable source of concentrated pork protein.

Pork Meal Nutrients

Pork meal is a nutritious ingredient very common in pet food.

While pork can be quite high in saturated fatty acids, pork meal is a semi-fatty product that generally contains much less fat^[3].

One of the primary benefits of pork meal is its high content of amino acids, many of them essential nutrients for dogs.

According to AAFCO guidelines, the Ca:P ratio in pork meal must not be greater than 2.2:1. This ensures an adequate mineral content.

A 2021 study evaluated the protein quality in pork versus pork meal, among other ingredients. They found pork meal to be lower in bioavailable protein and taurine compared to fresh pork^[2].

While fresh pork is always the more nutritious and also unprocessed ingredient, pork meal provides a cost-effective and concentrated source of pork protein.

Pork Meal in Dog Foods

Pork meal in dog food is a nutritious ingredient. However, it’s important to note that pork meal is not the same as fresh pork meat.

Pork meal is highly concentrated in protein and low in moisture.

This means that only a small amount of pork meal is needed to provide the same nutritional value as a much larger amount of fresh pork.

When only using fresh pork meat as an animal ingredient in dry food, its high moisture content (about 70%) can result in a low percentage of actual pork protein in the final product.

This is because most of the weight of fresh meat is water, which is boiled off during kibble manufacturing.

In contrast, pork meal has already been processed and dried to about <10% moisture, providing a much higher protein content per weight compared to fresh pork.

Moreover, pork meal is also more cost-effective than using whole pork meat. As a by-product made from recycled material, pork meal is a more affordable option for pet food manufacturers.

Pork meal is also more stable and easier to transport and store than fresh pork meat, making it a convenient and practical ingredient.

In conclusion, pork meal offers a source of concentrated protein and can help reduce the cost of dog food while still providing the benefits of animal protein.

And as a named animal protein, it’s immediately a more transparent ingredient compared to anonymous meat (and bone) meals.

What is Pork Meal?

Pork Meal Nutrients

Pork Meal in Dog Foods

Further Reading