Venison meal in dog food is a processed animal protein commonly made from deer tissues. This article explains what venison meal is and its purpose in your pet’s food.
Contents
What is Venison Meal?
Venison, which typically refers to deer meat, is a lean and nutrient-rich protein source that is mostly used in premium or novel protein diets.
Venison is most often souced from New Zealand and Australia.
And venison meal is a processed concentrate of venison protein.
To make venison meal, venison tissues are rendered into a meat meal.
These tissues include all parts of the deer that are not suitable for human consumption, such as all kinds of slaughterhouse waste, offal, carcasses, meat scraps, or connective and fatty tissues.
However, the raw material for venison meal production cannot include added blood, hair, horn, hide trimmings, manure, or stomach contents[1].
Rendering is a process that applies high temperatures and pressure to venison tissues. This separates protein from fat and bone and helps to eliminate microorganisms in the raw material.
It produces a digestible venison protein powder.
Venison Meal Nutrients
Venison meal is a named protein source. This provides a little more transparency regarding the source of this ingredient.
One of the primary benefits of venison meal is its high protein content. Venison meal is a source of essential amino acids but also fatty acids and minerals.
According to AAFCO guidelines, the calcium-phosphorus ratio must be within a range reasonably suitable for dog food[1]. To be more specific, it must not exceed a ratio of 2.2:1.
Venison provides lean protein and is often used in premium foods or as a novel source of protein in limited-ingredient diets.
Although fresh venison is considered a more nutritious and unprocessed ingredient, venison meal can provide a more cost-effective and concentrated source of protein.
Venison Meal in Dog Foods
Unlike fresh venison, venison meal is highly concentrated in protein and low in moisture.
This means that only a small amount is needed to provide the same nutritional value as a larger amount of fresh meat.
Because venison meal has been dried and processed, it provides a much higher protein content per weight compared to fresh meat.
This makes it an excellent choice for pet food manufacturers who want to ensure that their products are high in animal protein.
In addition to its nutritional benefits, venison meal is also more cost-effective than using whole venison meat.
As a by-product made from recycled material, venison meal can be produced at a lower cost.
Venison meal is also easier to store and transport than fresh venison meat, making it a convenient and practical ingredient.
Overall, venison meal is a concentrated animal-sourced protein and can at the same help keep the cost of dog food down.
Further Reading
[1] AAFCO Official Publication. Chapter 6. Free Access.