The Disgusting Truth of Rendered Pet Food Ingredients

When you see the word ‘meal’ in the ingredient list (chicken meal, beef meal, meat meal, and so on) the reality of what that ingredient is made from is disturbing. ‘Meat Meal’ ingredients (which are not necessarily meat) are rendered ingredients.

Pet owners are provided with very little transparency regarding the quality of ingredients used in their pet food, and even less transparency regarding rendered ingredients. The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center tells pet owners “Meat meal is actually a more concentrated source of protein due to the fact that it does not contain the water content of whole meat.” Diamond pet food tells pet owners “beef meal and chicken meal are easily digestible, nutrient-rich sources of protein and minerals that help your pets stay active and fit.” Purina pet food tells pet owners “chicken meal is packed with protein, an essential nutrient that plays a role in everything from muscle growth to immune functions.”

But manufacturers and veterinary schools fall silent when it comes to explaining to pet owners what is actually in that meat meal and the quality of the raw materials.

In a 2004 Congressional Research Services report for the US Congress, rendering is described as “Renderers convert dead animals and animal byproducts into ingredients for a wide range of industrial and consumer goods, such as animal feed, soaps, candles, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products.”

Per this Congressional Research Services report, there are two different types of rendering facilities; integrated and independent.

Integrated rendering facilities “operate in conjunction with animal slaughter and meat processing plants.” These rendering facilities process ingredients for human consumption (such as lard) and they process inedible parts of slaughtered animals and condemned animals/parts – “including slaughter floor waste into fats and proteins for animal feeds.” Because integrated rendering facilities are inside slaughter facilities, pet owners are not provided with many opportunities to see what is actually included in their pet food ingredients.

The Congressional Research Services document stated “Independent operations” “pick up and process fat and bone trimmings, inedible meat scraps, blood, feathers, and dead animals from meat and poultry slaughterhouses and processors (usually smaller ones without their own rendering operations), farms, ranches, feedlots, animal shelters, restaurants, butchers, and markets.”

Below is an image of a Georgia highway truck spill, chicken parts most likely heading to a rendering facility to become chicken meal. (My thanks to Cindy for forwarding me this story.)

This mess of chicken carcasses and parts was probably heading to a rendering facility to become chicken meal in pet food.

Thanks to Google Earth images, we have a birds eye view to the quality of rendered ingredients produced at independent rendering facilities.

Below is a Google Earth image of Baker Commodities in Kerman, CA.

The Baker Commodities website states: “Baker Commodities produces a top-quality protein meal that can be utilized by the animal feed and organic fertilizer industries.“

Notice that raw material is dumped onto the ground into a large pile. It appears the truck in the image was in the process of unloading when the satellite image was taken.

Below is a Google Earth image of Darling International plant in Sioux City, IA.

The Darling International website states they are “The world’s leading producer of sustainable natural ingredients.”

The enlarged portion of the image appears to be uncovered, un-refrigerated loads of animal carcasses. This particular image was captured in November 2022, but consider the loads of animal carcasses delivered (and sitting outside, exposed to the sun) in summer.

Below is another Darling International plant in Jackson, MS.

This plant has more than a dozen open trailers of unknown animal parts sitting outside waiting to be unloaded.

Below is another Darling International Plant located in Crows Landing, CA captured by Google Earth in 2019.

The top left enlarged area appears to be a mound of dead animal carcasses and bloody animal parts dumped onto the pavement. The middle enlarged area appears to be a mound of bloody animal parts on the pavement, with a bulldozer working to move the raw material into a processing area. And the right side enlarged area appears to be a mound of finished product (some type of meat meal).

Below are three images of the same California rendering facility captured in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

These images of the same rendering facility evidence that raw materials change, but processing conditions do not.

Below is another Darling International plant located in Denver, CO.

As you can see, there are many trailers full of dead animal carcasses lined up outside the plant waiting to be unloaded. (The white blur in the middle of the image appeared in the Google Earth image, we assume it was some type of malfunction with the satellite.) This particular rendering facility was previously written about on truthaboutpetfood.com, providing graphic from the street images from a pet owner.

And more of the same from all across the US…

Federal law states a food (human or animal food) is adulterated if (Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act; section 402 (a)):

“(3) if it consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance, or if it is otherwise unfit for food;
or (5) if it is, in whole or in part, the product of a diseased animal or of an animal which has died otherwise than by slaughter;”.

Needless to say, the FDA does not enforce this law with pet food. All across the US, raw materials that are rendered are consistently filthy, putrid, decomposing and sourced from diseased and non-slaughtered animals. Raw materials are NOT transported under refrigeration. Pathogenic bacteria is reproducing by the second. The raw material is decomposing as it sits in piles on the ground or in open trailers.

Rendering of dead animal carcasses and animal parts IS necessary. However, this material should NOT be considered “food” for any animal (perhaps with the exception of vultures/scavenger species). This material needs to find another ‘home’ instead of pet food.

The worst part is that the FDA refuses to require pet food manufacturers to disclose the use this material to pet food consumers. All pet owners deserve to know if their pet’s food is made with filthy, putrid, decomposing non-slaughtered animals or if it is sourced from actual food ingredients (USDA inspected and passed).

Pet owners can send the FDA a statement, asking that quality of ingredients be required to be disclosed on pet food labels. Email FDA at: AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov.

If your pet food contains a rendered ingredient, ask the manufacturer if the ingredients are sourced from an integrated rendering facility or an independent rendering facility. Ask the manufacturer to provide you with a full list of animal parts that are included in the rendered ingredient. And ask if the animal parts are sourced from USDA inspected and passed animals.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

Become a member of our pet food consumer Association. Association for Truth in Pet Food is a a stakeholder organization representing the voice of pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities. Click Here to learn more.

What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients?  Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 5,000 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Click Here to preview Petsumer Report. www.PetsumerReport.com

Find Healthy Pet Foods in Your Area Click Here

The 2023 List
Susan’s List of trusted pet foods. Click Here to learn more.

The 2023 Treat List
Susan’s List of trusted pet treat manufacturers. Click Here to learn more.