As dog parents learn the truth about what is actually in commercial dog food and how it is manufactured, it is not surprising that they are becoming distrustful of the manufacturers. Food is the foundation for our dog’s quality of life, life expectancy, and overall health. Yet the decisions on what our dogs should eat are based on profits, not on what is best for the dogs.

Imagine consuming only fast food for an entire year – the detrimental effects this would have on your well-being. Regrettably, feeding our dogs kibble is comparable to this scenario. 

Many veterinarians are instructing dog parents that a “complete and balanced”  kibble is the best food option for their dogs despite it being ultra-processed. Dog parents are encouraged to use the same food throughout the dog’s life to prevent stomach upset. Yet, in the human medical field, doctors tell their patients to eat less ultra-processed food and more fresh food. Why the discrepancy? In veterinary school, veterinarians receive minimal training in nutrition and are taught that kibble is the best nutrition option for dogs. 

You must examine the label and ingredient list when choosing dog food. But have you ever considered how kibble is made? The rendering process  may startle you if you have not learned about it.

Kibble is made from rendered materials. The rendering process produces meat and bone meal, meat meal, poultry meal, hydrolyzed feather meal, blood meal, fish meal, animal digest, and animal fats. 

It is critical to understand the terms "meal" and "animal." A meal is a rendering product; after collecting animal scraps and whole dead animals, all are cooked at high temperatures that remove moisture and fat. A meal can be made from poultry, fish, and blood and still be called a meat meal. 

But how does it qualify as “meat”? According to the regulations, it can be called meat if it was once part of an animal. Animal fat is also just that. There is no intensive description because it is unclear, in most cases, from what animal the fat was derived. 

The dog food is cooked four to six times at high heat throughout manufacturing.  The end product is a bag of refined carbohydrates and less digestible food than fresh food. Many industries supplement nutrition by adding synthetic vitamins and minerals due to the loss of nutrients during manufacturing. 

The first step is called rendering . The ingredients, which may contain plastic bags, ear tags, and other unsuitable materials, are heated at extreme temperatures, 200 ℉- 360 ℉. The mixture, called bone or meat meal, is all ground together in the hammermill process. 

The extrusion process for dog food involves a method of mixing, cooking, and forming the ingredients into the final shape of the dog food. The raw materials are blended to create a homogeneous mixture. This mixture forms the base of the dog food.

The blended ingredients are moistened or conditioned to achieve the right consistency and texture for processing. The moistened mixture is then fed into an extruder—a machine equipped with a screw conveyor and barrel that applies heat and pressure. The mixture undergoes intense heat and pressure as it moves through the extruder. The combination of heat, pressure, and mechanical action cooks the mixture quickly. The mix is pushed through a die at the end of the extruder, giving the dog food the final shape.

Once the mixture is extruded through the die, it is cut into specific shapes and sizes using knives or blades. The freshly formed shapes are then dried during another heating process to reduce moisture content and achieve the desired texture and shelf stability.

The final step that includes high heat is the enrobing process, where the kibble is sprayed with palatants, oils, or fats to encourage your dog to eat. Before being sprayed with the palatants, dogs would not consider eating this product. The aromas and tastes are varied but include smells that simulate meat, broth, or even barnyard animal odors! Chemical preservatives  are also added at this stage to allow the product to be stable enough to sit on the store shelf for several months or even years.

The ingredients allowed in kibble are truly shocking and often disgusting. The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine allows pet food manufacturers to use components from "diseased animals and animals that have died other than by slaughter" without informing pet food buyers. Additionally, the FDA has no scientific evidence that pet food derived from ill or non-slaughtered animals is safe for pets or owners to bring into their homes. Yet the food companies are not required to disclose that there are products for animals that have died otherwise than by slaughter.

Meat meals and by-products are the two most common sources of meat used in kibble. Both meals and by-products can contain roadkill animals, restaurant waste, cooking oil waste, and grocery store waste in storage containers. Plastic and other non-edible materials have been found in commercial kibble.

A meat meal is a rendered product made from cooked down and dried animal parts. The rendering removes most moisture and fat from the meat, producing a concentrated powder or granular substance. Meat meal can include various parts of animals, such as muscle tissue, skin, tendons, and sometimes organs, excluding blood, hair, hooves, and feathers. Common examples include chicken meal, beef meal, or lamb meal. 

Meat by-products refer to parts of the animal other than the muscle tissue, such as organs (liver, kidneys), blood, lungs, spleen, and other parts not typically consumed by humans. In dog food, by-products are considered supplementary sources of nutrition, claiming to provide a range of essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. However, the quality of meat by-products can vary depending on the specific parts used and the rendering process. Much of the nutrient content is lost due to the high levels of heat used during rendering.

Carbohydrates are not a required nutrient for our dogs, yet kibble is loaded with them. It is argued that carbs are excellent energy sources and that dogs have evolved to digest them. However, ultra-processed carbs  are not a healthy energy source. 

Animal protein and fat are much better energy sources for dogs, as they are biologically appropriate foods. Dogs with chronic inflammatory diseases like diabetes, skin and ear infections, obesity, and joint pain exhibit significant improvement in their health when transitioned to a fresh food diet with minimal carbohydrates.

Many dog parents feel overwhelmed by the available choices of commercial dog food and the thought of creating their dog’s meals. Here are guidelines and tips to simplify deciding what food to use.

Minimal processing: Air-dried, freeze-dried, or dehydrated kibble options require minimal processing. The lower temperatures used in these processes aim to retain more of the natural nutrients present in the ingredients compared to traditional heat-based methods. 

Limited synthetic vitamins and minerals: Examine the ingredient label for synthetic vitamins and nutrients. Ideally, the food contains only whole food ingredients.

Named Protein Sources: Look for specific, named protein sources like "chicken," "beef," or "salmon" listed as the first ingredients. These signify higher-quality proteins in the food.

Ingredient splitting: Look for ingredients that are parts of the same protein, like pea protein, pea flour, and pea fiber. When added together, that ingredient is often the most abundant in the food rather than the one listed first.

Minimal starchy carbohydrates: Because dogs have no requirement for carbohydrates, feeding food with minimal carbs is preferable. Avoid high levels of corn, peas, wheat, soy, potatoes, and chickpeas. The food should have no more than 30% carbs.

Whole Ingredients: Seek kibble containing whole ingredients, organs, or whole fruits or vegetables. These provide more nutrients and fiber compared to processed or fragmented ingredients.

Limited Additives: Choose kibble with fewer artificial additives, colors, flavors, or preservatives. Natural preservatives like mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) are preferable.

Natural Fats: Look for healthy fats like chicken fat, salmon oil, or flaxseed oil, which provide essential fatty acids for skin, coat, and overall health.

No Fillers: Avoid kibble with excessive fillers like corn, peas, rice, wheat, or soy, which may not provide substantial nutritional value and could trigger allergies in some dogs. 

No binders: Avoid carrageenan,, guar gum, and gluten.

Transparency and Reputation: Select brands with transparent sourcing and manufacturing processes. Reputable brands often provide information about sourcing, quality control, and have good customer reviews.

Learning to read dog food labels  is essential to selecting the best kibble for your dog. The ingredient list is often very different from the beautiful pictures on the front of the bag!

Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates.

Kibble is subjected to extreme heat at least four times during manufacturing.

Synthetic vitamins and minerals must be added to kibble due to the loss of nutrients during manufacturing. 

Hematological and metabolic responses to training in racing sled dogs fed diets containing medium, low, or zero carbohydrate  

In vitro fermentation characteristics of native and processed cereal grains and potato starch using ileal chyme from dogs  

Geometric analysis of macronutrient selection in breeds of the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris   

Dietary nutrient profiles of wild wolves: insights for optimal dog nutrition?  

Deconstructing the Regulatory Facade: Why Confused Consumers Feed their Pets Ring Dings and Krispy Kremes  

Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets - PMC

Consumer Acceptance of Dry Dog Food Variations - PMC  

Brady, C. (2020). Feeding dogs dry or raw? The science behind the debate. Farrow Road Publishing.

Many veterinarians are instructing dog parents that a <a href="https://www.feedreal.com/articles/complete-and-balanced-defined">“complete and balanced”</a>  kibble is the best food option for their dogs despite it being ultra-processed. Dog parents are encouraged to use the same food throughout the dog’s life to prevent stomach upset. Yet, in the human medical field, doctors tell their patients to eat less ultra-processed food and more fresh food. Why the discrepancy? In veterinary school, veterinarians receive minimal training in nutrition and are taught that kibble is the best nutrition option for dogs. 

You must examine the label and ingredient list when choosing dog food. But have you ever considered how kibble is made? The <a href="https://www.feedreal.com/articles/the-rendering-process-how-is-dog-food-made">rendering process </a> may startle you if you have not learned about it.

The first step is called <a href="https://www.feedreal.com/articles/the-rendering-process-how-is-dog-food-made">rendering</a> . The ingredients, which may contain plastic bags, ear tags, and other unsuitable materials, are heated at extreme temperatures, 200 ℉- 360 ℉. The mixture, called bone or meat meal, is all ground together in the hammermill process. 

The final step that includes high heat is the enrobing process, where the kibble is sprayed with palatants, oils, or fats to encourage your dog to eat. Before being sprayed with the palatants, dogs would not consider eating this product. The aromas and tastes are varied but include smells that simulate meat, broth, or even barnyard animal odors! <a href="https://www.feedreal.com/articles/hidden-secrets-added-to-your-dogs-food">Chemical preservatives</a>  are also added at this stage to allow the product to be stable enough to sit on the store shelf for several months or even years.

Carbohydrates are not a required nutrient for our dogs, yet kibble is loaded with them. It is argued that carbs are excellent energy sources and that dogs have evolved to digest them. However,<a href="https://www.feedreal.com/articles/how-much-hidden-sugar-is-in-kibble"> ultra-processed carbs</a>  are not a healthy energy source. 

Learning to read <a href="https://www.feedreal.com/articles/how-to-read-a-pet-food-label">dog food labels</a>  is essential to selecting the best kibble for your dog. The ingredient list is often very different from the beautiful pictures on the front of the bag!

How Kibble Is Made

Feed Real Institute

Services

Summit

We help with