What’s Really in That Kibble?

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• A recent study from Brazil suggests hydrolyzed chicken liver powder is easier for dogs to digest than poultry byproduct meal; however, this is important primarily to ultraprocessed pet food producers looking to avoid using high quality animal tissue in their formulas
• Hydrolyzed proteins are intact proteins that have been chemically pulverized into smaller pieces to avoid stimulating the immune system of pets with gastrointestinal issues
• Poultry byproduct meal consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers
• Your best bet is to avoid ultraprocessed diets containing poor quality ingredients in favor of a biologically appropriate diet of raw or minimally processed whole, real foods with a macronutrient profile that mimics an ancestral diet