Common Pet Food Ingredients. And some not so common...
Alfalfa Leaf Powder: High in vitamins C, D, E, and K, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, beta carotene. High in minerals calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium. Contains amino acids, bioflavinods, digestive enzymes and trace elements. Functions as an appetite stimulant, diuretic and internal cleanser. Aids with arthritic, heart disease, high blood pressure and digestive illness. Helps in weight gain and improves physical and mental vigor.
Alfalfa Sprouts: Sourse of vitamins, minerals, and protein. They are a complete food that is nutionally rich with a high potency of over 50 different amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. They have a detoxifying characteristic, enhance the immune system, have a cholesterol reducing capacity, improve absorption, and also contain antioxidants.
Amaranth:Amaranth greens, also called Chinese spinach. It is very popular in Andhra Pradesh. They are a very good source of vitamins including vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folate, and dietary minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese.Several studies have shown that like oats, amaranth seed or oil may be of benefit for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease; regular consumption reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while improving antioxidant status and some immune parameters.
Animal Digest: Common ingredient used in pet foods. As defined by the AAFCO, it is produced by chemically or enzymatically treating animal tissue (such is flesh, bone, organs, etc.) from slaughterhouses and other sources, in a process akin to rendering. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed.
Animal Fat: Preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E. Is obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids. If an antioxidant is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the words "used as a preservative".
Note: A by-product of meat meal processing. The species of source animals is unknown. Very low (Only 3%) in Linoleic Fatty Acid.
Apples: Rich in vitamins A, B, C, calcium, fiber, and pectin. Helps to bind minerals like iron and copper to prevent toxic buildup. Helps to purify the blood to prevent heart disease and colon ailments. Helps to promote good digestion and a healthy lymphatic system.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Helps to reduce common infections, increases resistance to disease. Rich in potassium, normalizes acid levels in the stomach improving digestion. Improves assimilation of nutrients reducing intestinal gas and fecal odor. Alleviates symptoms of arthritic. Helps prevent bladder stones and urinary tract infections. Improves stamina, prevents muscle fatigue. Helps to maintain proper acid/alkaline balance in the body.
Ascorbic Acid (Source of vitamin C): Helps to prevent degenerative health problems such as spine disorders and arthritis. Aids in improving immunity and treating viral and bacterial infections. Aids in detoxification of the body.
Barley: consists of at least 80 percent sound barley and must not contain more than 3 percent heat-damaged kernels, 6 percent foreign material, 20 percent other grains or 10 percent wild oats.
Barley Flour:Barley Flour: soft, finely ground and bolted barley meal obtained from the milling of barley. It consists essentially of the starch and gluten of the endosperm.
Beef (Meat): Protein course, rich in iron, vitamin B, phosphorus and potassium. Provides essential amino acids. It is the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle, and is limited to that part of the striate muscle which is skeletal or that which is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart, or in the esophagus; with or without the accompanying and overlying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels which normally accompany the flesh.
Beef Heart: Rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. Provides essential fatty acids helping to maintain the cardiovascular and immune systems.
Beef Liver: Rich in Vitamin D. Provides essential fatty acids helping to maintain the immune system.
Beef Bone: Provides natural course of calcium and protein.
Beet Pulp:the dried residue from sugar beets.
Beta-carotene: an anti-oxidant
Blueberries: Natural antioxidant source. Promotes urinary tract health. Contains high concentration of anthocyanin, enhancing retinal health.
Bones, Ground Bone: A significant course of glucosamine and chondriotin, naturally occurring compounds associated with joint health.
Brewer's Rice: is the small milled fragments of rice kernels that have been separated from the larger kernels of milled rice. (AAFCO definition). Brewers rice is a processed rice product that is missing many of the nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice thus reducing the quality.
Brown Rice: the entire product obtained in grinding the rice kernels after the hulls have been removed.
Carrots: Rich in vitamins A, C, beta carotene, potassium, and fiber. Helps promote eyesight and strengthen the immune system.
Chelated Minerals: Minerals, which are absorbed more easily and retained longer.
Chicken: The clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken or a combination thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet and entrails.
Chicken By-Product Meal: Consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered chicken, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.
Chicken Fat: Obtained from the tissue of chickens in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting.
Note: A very palatable high quality source of fat. Is the highest of all animal sources in Linoleic Fatty Acid, over 23%.
Chicken Hearts and Livers: Rich in Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. Provides essential fatty acids helping to maintain the cardiovascular, immune systems. Rich in minerals such as iron, manganese, potassium, and selenium.
Chicken Liver Meal: Chicken livers which have been ground or otherwise reduced in particle size.
Chicken Meal: The dry product from a combination of flesh and skin, with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of chicken, exclusive of feathers, heads, feed and entrails.
Chicken Necks and Carcass: Provides essential amino acids helping maintain cardiovascular, immune systems. Protein source, rich in minerals and calcium. Enzyme source assisting with absorption of nutrients in the body.
Corn Gluten Meal: Source of Natural Protein. The dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm. Used in many foods as a way to keep the pH of urine in the 6.5-7 range.
Cottage Cheese: Curds that are low in fat and carbohydrates while high in protein. Often added to diets to help with digestion and palatability.
Cracked Pearl Barley: cracked pearl barley resulting from the manufacture of pearl barley from clean barley.
Curcumin:Wiki site Bit much for me to explain. Found in Royal Canin veterinary diet foods.
Digest of Beef By-Products: Material from beef which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed tissue from non-rendered clean parts, other than meat, from cattle which includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defated low-temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves.
Digest of Poultry By-Products: material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed tissue from non-rendered clean parts of carcasses of slaughtered poultry such as heads, feet, viscera, free from fecal content and foreign matter except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice.
DL-Methionine: an essential amino acid. Excess amounts in the diet can cause lowering of urinary pH.
Dried Beet Pulp: Source of natural dietary fiber.
Dried Egg Product: Source of natural protein.
Dried Milk Protein: Obtained by drying the coagulated protein residue resulting from the controlled co-precipitation of casein, lactalbumin and minor mild proteins from defatted milk.
Duck Necks, wings and carcass: Provides essential mino acids helping maintain cardiovascular, immune systems. Protein source, rich in minterals and calcium. Enzyme source assisting with absorption of nutrients in the body..
Duck hearts and livers: Rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. Provides essential fatty acids helping to maintain the cardiovascular, immune systems. Rich in minerals such as iron, manganese and selenium.
Eggs-Chicken, Duck, Quail, and Pheasant: Often known as one of the best complete foods, eggs provide a complete amino acid profile including other essential nutrients necessary to ensure optimal health.
Fish Meal: the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.
Fish Oil: Source of natural DHA
Flaxseed: Source of natural Omega-3 fatty acids and alpha-linolenic acid. Provides fiber helping to prevent constipation and maintain metabolism. Used for coat improvement, arthritic, cancer, heart, and reproductive problems.
Flaxseed Meal: the ground product obtained from the seed of the flax plant.
Note: This is a very high quality source of fat. Rich in Omega 3 fatty acid, Alpha Linolenic Acid.
Fructooligosaccharide:also sometimes called oligofructose or oligofructan, is an oligosaccharide used as an artificial or alternative sweetener. FOS is extracted from fruits and vegetables like bananas, onions, chicory root, garlic, asparagus, barley, wheat, and tomatoes.
Garlic: Helps immune system fight infections and disease. Strengthens digestion and stimulates intestinal tract. Helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Grape Seed Oil: Excellent source of linoleic acid and other important unsaturated fatty acids. Stimulates a healthy coat and skin. Effective broad spectrum bactericide, fungicide, antiviral and antiparasitic natural compound synthesized from the seeds and pulp of grapefruit.
Grapefruit Seed Extract: Useful as an antibiotic, antifungal, antiseptic, and disinfectant. Kills parasites that breed harmful viruses in the intestinal tract. Useful to the body as an antioxidant against free radicals. helping to prevent constipation and maintain metabolism.
Ground Corn (ground ear corn): the entire ear of corn ground, without husks, with no greater portion of cob than occurs in the ear corn in its natural state.
Ground Whole Grain Wheat: Course of natural Digestable carbohydrate. The entire grain kernel, ground or chopped.
Note: Ground corn and ground wheat are good source of carbohydrates. These sources contain the entire kernel, they contribute additional protein, oil, corn, and wheat bran, vitamins, and minerals to the diet. The downside to both corn and wheat is that they are considered to be common allergens in dogs.
Ground Rice: the dehulled rice kernel, without the pericarp, ground or chopped.
Note: Good source of carbohydates. Ground rice is a highly digestable grain and is considered to be relitively hypoallergenic.
Ground Yellow Corn: Same as ground corn, except that the corn used is yellow in color.
Honey: High in protein and enzymes and contain much of the necessary dietary amino acids. Other concentrated essential nutrients found in honey are minerals, B-complex vitamins, and vitamins C, D, and E. It has natural antiseptic characteristics and is a good source of energy.
Inulin: Stimulates growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system.
Kale: Rich source of vitamins A, C, and calcium. Contains superior levels of anticancer and antioxidant properties.
Kelp: A source of numerous trace minerals and is known for it’s anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory qualities. The iodine content of help is believed by some nutritionists to be useful in treating some cases of hypothyroidism. Dried seaweed of the families Laminaricae and Fu-caeae.
Kelp Powder: Rich in trace minerals promoting a healthy coat of fur. Promotes healthy and clean digestive tract. Aids the correcting of mineral deficiencies in the body.
Kibbled Corn: Obtained by cooking cracked corn under steam pressure and extruding from an expeller or other mechanical pressure device.
L-Arginine: an essential amino acid
L-ascorbyl-2polyphosphate: Source of stabilized vitamin C
L-lysine: An essential amino acid
L-Tryptophan: An essential amino acid. Often used in sleep aids and calming aids.
Lamb: Protein course, rich in iron, vitamin B, phosphorus, and potassium. Provides essential amino acids.
Lamb Bone: Provides natural course of calcium and protein.
Lamb Bone Meal: (steamed) Dried and ground product sterilized by cooking undecomposed bones with steam under pressure. Grease, gelatin and meat fiber may or may not be removed.
Lamb Heart: Rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, and K. Provides essential fatty acids helping to maintain the cardiovascular and immune systems. Rich in minerals such as iron, manganese, potassium, and selenium.
Lamb Liver: Rich in vitamin D. Provides essential fatty acids helping to maintain the immune system.
Lamb Meal:The rendered product from lamb tissues, exclusive of added blood, hair, hoof, hide, trimmings, manure, stomach, and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Note: Lamb meal is simply lamb meat with most of the moisture and fat removed, making it suitable for use in dry food.
Lettuce: Rich in calcium, natural antioxidants, lutein, and vitamins A and C.
Linseed Meal: The product obtained by grinding the cake or chips which remain after removal of most of the oil from flaxseed by a mechanical extraction process. It must contain no more than 10 percent fiber. The words "mechanical extracted" are not required when listing as an ingredient in the manufactured food.
Meat and Bone Meal: the rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices.
Note: Most people associate this ingredient with beef. The truth is it can be ANY animal, i.e. pigs, goats, horses, rabbits, road-kill, and in some cases recycled dogs and cats*. It can also be from 4D animals: Dead, Dying, Diseased, or Disabled.
*According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle Feb. 19 1990
Menhadden Fish: Aids in palatability of food and is a source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids.
Montmorillonite Clay: A sodium-calcium aluminosilicate which contains a combination of over 50 mineral compounds including Antimony, Barium, Beryllium, Boron, Bromine, Cadmium, Carbon, Cerium, Chloride, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Dysprosium, Fluoride, Gadolinium, Gallium, Germanium, Iodine, Lanthanum, Lithium, Manganese, Neodymium, Nickle, Phosphorus, Rhenium, Rubidium, Samarium, Scandium, Silicon, Silver, Strontium, Sulfur, Tellurium, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Vanadium, Ytterbium, Ytttium, Zinc, and Zirconium. Recent feed studied by the Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory at Texas A&M University have shown that montmorillonite clays can effectively bind and remove toxins.
Oil- Norwegian Virgin Salmon Oil and Virgin Olive Oil: These oils are a great source of vitamins and is a source of Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. The source of the salmon is the waters off the North Sea Coast of Norway. It is rich in astaxanthin and other trace elements. This oil blend provides dietary nutrients known to benefit the cardiovascular system, nervous, immune, and reproductive systems and are good for health ailments such as cancer, heart disease, arthritic, and reproductive problems.
Ocean Fish: Source of natural Omega-3 fatty acids and DHA.
Peanut Hulls: Consists of the outer hull of the peanut shell.
Note: This is used exclusively as a "filler" ingredient. It has no nutritional value whatsoever. There are concerns regarding the level of residual fungicides that soak into the peanut hulls as they are grown.
Parsley: High in vitamins A, C, and calcium. Useful as an antibiotic, antifungal, and antiseptic.
Persimmons: Nutritional source of vitamin A, C, carotenoids, and dietary fiber.
Poultry By-Product Meal: Consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in suck amounts as may occur unavoidably in good rendering practices.
Note: It is very in consistent ingredient because the origin is from any fowl and any organ of that fowl as opposed to a single source like chicken.
Poultry Fat (feed grade): Primarily obtained from the tissue of poultry in the commercial process of rendering or extracting. It shall contain only the fatty matter natural to the product produced under good manufacturing practices and shall contain no added free fatty acids or other materials obtained from fat. It must contain not less than 90 percent total fatty acids and not more than 3 percent of unsaponifiables and impurities. It shall have a minimum titer of 33 degrees Celsius. If an antioxidant is used, the common name or names must be indicated, followed by the word "preservative(s)".
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride: Vitamin B6.
Quinoa:A crop currently limited in production. Grown for the edible seeds. High protein content (12-18%) an unusually complete in essential amino acids. Good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus.
Riboflavin: Vitamin B.
Rosemary, Sage and Clove: Herbal ingredients with antioxidant characteristics.
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Solubles, Dried: A form of bakers yeast.
Salmon, Cooked: Provides essential amino acids helping maintain cardiovascular and immune systems. Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids enhancing cardiovascular, immune and nervous system health. Excellent for skin and coat health.
Salmon Oil: Essential source of omega 3 fatty acids. Promotes healthy cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. Promotes healthy skin and coat..
Sea Salt: Improves assimilation and digestion of essential fatty acids.
Rice Bran: the pericarp or bran layer and germ of the rice, with only such quantity of hull fragments, chipped, broken, or brewer's rice, and calcium carbonate as is unavoidable in the regular milling of edible rice.
Soybean Hulls: consist primarily of the outer covering of the soybean.
Soybean Meal (Dehulled, solvent Extracted): obtained by grinding the flakes remaining after removal of most of the oil from dehulled soybeans by a solvent extraction process.
Soybean Meal (Mechanical Extracted): obtained by grinding the cake or chips which remain after removal of most of the oil from the soybeans by a mechanical extraction process.
Soybean Mill Run: composed of soybean hulls and such bean meats that adhere to the hulls and such bean meats that adhere to the hulls which results from normal milling operations in the production of dehulled soybean meal.
Sunflower Oil: Obtained by extracting the oil from sunflower seeds.
Note: This is a very high quality, palateable source of fat. Linoleic Fatty Acid content is approximately 73%.
Spinach: Rich in calcium, natural antioxidants, tutein, and vitamins A and C.
Sweet Potatoes: A root vegetable sometimes used instead of grains in some dog foods to create an easy to digest formula. It has a high amount of Vitamin A and is a good source of fiber. As a complex carbohydrate it is one of the vegetables that provides beta carotene.
Tallow: Animal fats with titer above 40 degrees Celsius.
Taurine: Enhances optium retinal health. It also helps maintain skeletal muscle health and help prevent heart problems.
Thiamine Mononitrate: Vitamin B1
Tocopherols, Mixed (Source of Vitamin E): Antioxidant helping to fight disease and minimize the effects of pollution. Helps to preserve and protect the vitamin A and fatty acids in foods.
Turkey Meal: the group clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of turkey or a combination therof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails.
Note: Usually lower in fat.
Wheat Flour: Consists principally of wheat flour (soft, finely ground, sifted meal obtained from the milling of wheat, containing essentially the starch and gluten of the endosperm) together with fine particles of wheat bran, wheat germ and the waste-leftovers from the mill.
Note: This is a highly proprocessed ingredient. All the naturally occuring vitamins have been leeched out of this ingredient. This applies to flour from other grains, including rice flour.
Wheat Mill Run/Middlings/Mids: Consists of course and fine particles of wheat bran, sheat shorts (fine particles of bran, germ flour, or the waste from the tail of the mill from commercial flour milling).
Note: Commonly referred to as "floor sweepings," this ingredient is an inexpensive "filler" and should not be found in premium pet foods.
Yams: Excellent source of vitamin A, fiber, and niacin. Promotes healthy vision and skin.
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