The Truth About "Meat Meal" in Your Dog Food

Meat meal is meat that has been cooked and dried to remove most of its water and fat, leaving a concentrated protein powder used in dry dog food. A named meat meal like chicken meal, beef meal or lamb meal is a good, protein-dense ingredient. An unnamed "meat meal," "animal meal" or "meat and bone meal" is a red flag, because you can't tell which animal it came from or how consistent it is.

Have you ever read the ingredients on your dog food and noticed "meat meal"? It comes in different forms, such as chicken meal, beef meal, meat and bone meal and animal by-product meal. Many people see the word "meal" and assume it is a low-quality ingredient, less healthy than real, whole meat. Is that true? It depends on which meal it is.

Whole Meat Is About 70% Water

We tend to assume whole meat is the best protein source there is. But fresh chicken is roughly 70% water by weight and only about 18% protein.

That water cooks off when kibble is made. So "chicken" at the top of an ingredient list looks impressive, but after cooking it contributes much less protein than its position suggests. This is where a good meat meal comes in.

Meat Meal Is About 65% Protein

Meat meal is made by rendering: the meat is cooked, the fat is separated and the remaining material is dried and ground. Whole chicken has roughly 70% water and 18% protein. Chicken meal flips that: it has about 10% water and roughly 65% protein.

In other words, pound for pound, a named meat meal carries about three times as much protein as fresh meat. That is why named meals are so common as the main protein in high-protein dry foods.

If you want a food built on meat-based protein, our 30/20 recipe has 30% protein, 20% fat and 535 calories per cup.

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Fuel strength and energy with meat-based nutrition, 30% protein, 20% fat, and 535 calories per cup.

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Is Meat Meal Healthy for Dogs?

More protein is not the whole story. A meat meal can only be as good as the material used to make it.

• Named meals (for example "chicken meal") must come from that species. You know what your dog is eating, and the recipe is consistent from bag to bag.
• Unnamed meals ("meat meal," "animal meal") can come from a mix of species that may change between batches. That makes them harder to trust and a problem for dogs with food sensitivities.
• "Meat and bone meal" includes bone, which raises the mineral (ash) content and lowers the share of usable protein.
• "By-product meal" can include parts like organs and other tissues. Some by-products are nutritious, but quality varies widely and the label tells you little.

The bottom line: a meat meal can only be as healthy as the ingredients that were used to make it, and the name on the label is your best clue.

What Kinds of Meat Meal Should You Look For (and Which Should You Avoid)?

A named meat meal near the top of the list, ideally with another named meat or meal close by, is a good sign. For a closer look at the most common one, read what chicken meal is in dog food. For the rest of the label, see dog food ingredients to look for and avoid.

Lamb is one of the good choices on this list. If your dog does better without chicken, our 25/11 lamb recipe is a chicken-free option with 25% protein and 45% less fat.

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Meat Meal and Protein on the Label

The protein percentage on a bag is a "crude protein" minimum. It does not tell you where the protein comes from. A food can reach a high number with plant proteins like corn gluten meal or pea protein, which have a different amino acid profile than meat. That is why it helps to read the protein number and the ingredient list together. Learn more in the truth about protein on dog food labels and why meat-based dog food matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is meat meal?

Meat meal is meat that has been cooked, had most of its fat removed and been dried and ground. The result is a concentrated protein ingredient. Quality depends on the source, which is why named meals (chicken meal, beef meal) are preferred over unnamed "meat meal."

How is meat meal made?

Through rendering: meat is cooked so the water evaporates and fat separates, then the remaining material is dried and ground. Whole chicken has roughly 70% water and 18% protein, while chicken meal has about 10% water and roughly 65% protein.

Is beef meal good in dog food?

Yes, as a named meal beef meal is a concentrated, consistent protein source. It is also useful for dogs that do poorly on chicken.

What are some examples of good meat meals?

Any meal that names the animal: chicken meal, beef meal, lamb meal, turkey meal, duck meal, venison meal or a named fish meal.

What are some examples of bad meat meals?

Unnamed or mixed meals: "meat meal," "animal meal," "meat and bone meal," "meat by-product meal" and "animal by-product meal."

Is meat meal better than fresh meat?

Not better as an ingredient in general, but more protein-dense in dry food. Many good kibbles use both: fresh meat for flavor and a named meal for concentrated protein.

Want a simple next step? Compare the first five ingredients on your current bag with the table above, then check Bully Max 30/20 or the chicken-free 30/20 Beef recipe.