Once again: CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT CANNOT CONTAIN FEATHERS OR FECES BY
DEFINITION!!  It is a very common misconception that it does.  If an
animal-based ingredient contains anything other than flesh, skin and bone,
it is by definition by-product.  That means when you grind up a whole
chicken, organs and all, to make Bob's chicken gravy, you are using chicken
by-product.
 
There are at least 10 grades of chicken by-product available to the pet
food manufacturer.  They range from about 8% to 25% ash, lower being
better.  You cannot tell by the label on the bag what quality is being
used; company repuatation and price are the best guide, along with the
results you get from feeding it.  Performance Foods says they use the
best grade of by-product available.
 
Pet food labels are woefully inadequate for telling us the true value
of the food.  If you have 3 bags labelled "chicken, rice", "chicken
by-product, rice", and "chicken meal, rice", you really can't tell which
is better.  While there is more meat than rice, it could be 1% more, or
it could be 3 times as much, you have no way of knowing.
 
Sigh... It sure makes it hard for pet owners to know what to do.
 
Linda Iroff
Oberlin OH
[Posted in FML issue 3242]