Linda and Ilena:
 
A little late in my response, but would like to note that "hydrolyzed"
poultry feather is a source of protein.  Not digestible, but protein.  This
results from the treatment under pressure of clean, intact feathers from
slaughtered poultry, free of additives.
 
The AAFCO defined meat as the clean flesh derived from slaughtered mammals
and is limited to that part of the striate muscle that is skeletal or that
which is found in the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.  With or
without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin,
sinew, nerve, and blood vessels that normally accompany the flesh.  When a
pet food label reads "real meat", you are getting blood vessels, sinew and
so forth.......not really the tasty meat that the industry would have us
believe it is.
 
Source: Food Pets Die For   by Ann N. Martin - Forworded by Dr. Michael
W. Fox   Copyright 1997 Page 52
 
Interesting book and full of information about the pet food industry.
 
Mary
[Posted in FML issue 3160]