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Ingredient file // Animal protein

Pork By-Products

Useful pork protein with an undisclosed mix

Pork by-products are parts from slaughtered pigs outside the main meat cuts, including organs and sometimes blood or bone. They add animal protein and minerals to dog food. The label identifies the species but leaves the parts and their proportions undisclosed.

Role in the food Main nutrition
Pork By-Products
What it is
Suitable, non-rendered pork parts outside the main meat cuts, potentially including organs, blood and bone.
Made from
Parts of slaughtered pigs
Main job
Animal protein
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
The parts and proportions are undisclosed
Not the same as
Pork by-product meal

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 76 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

1%

41 of the 3,105 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 4 brands. 40 wet dog food, 1 dog food topper.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 3. In the top five of 35 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $3.12
All foods $3.25

Median of the cheapest bag price across 2 priced foods, 4% below the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

59%

of the foods that list it are from Royal Canin. 4 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Pig slaughter and meat cutting leave organs and other parts outside the main meat cuts. Some have separate markets; suitable parts also go into animal food. Pork by-products enter recipes without first being rendered into meal.4,5,6

  1. 01 // Source Slaughtered pigs Organs and other parts are separated as pigs are prepared for meat production.
  2. 02 // Process Parts selected Suitable material may include liver, lung, kidney, blood or bone; the ingredient name does not specify the mix.
  3. 03 // Process Kept unrendered The selected parts enter food manufacturing without the cooking and drying used to make a meal.
  4. 04 // Output Pork by-products The material enters a recipe; canned food is heat-treated during manufacturing and packaging.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

36-93

% protein

Measured raw pork parts span this protein range. The figure describes separate parts, not the undisclosed blend in a dog food.

Crude protein 36-93.3%3
Iron 79.4-1,822 mg/kg3
Phosphorus 2,794-13,850 mg/kg3
Zinc 19.9-232.9 mg/kg3

These ranges come from separate raw pork parts, including blood, not a commercial by-product blend. Both the choice of parts and variation between batches change the result; bone could change it further.3,5

Why it is in the bag

A main source of animal protein in wet food

  1. Main nutrition
  2. Supporting nutrient
  3. Does a job
  4. Mostly filler

Makers use pork by-products because slaughter leaves organs and blood with real protein and minerals outside the meat cuts. Labels list ingredients by weight, so when pork by-products sit near the top of a wet food or topper, they are likely a main source of its animal protein. They go in unrendered and carry their own water, so a high rank by weight overstates their dry share.3,4,6,7

  1. 01

    Supplies animal protein

    Organs and blood contribute protein to a complete recipe. The amount depends heavily on which parts are used: measured raw pork esophagus and blood differed sharply on a dry basis.3,5

  2. 02

    Uses slaughter output

    USDA puts all hog by-products at about 30% of live weight. Suitable parts sold for animal food give processors another market for material outside the meat cuts.4,5

  3. 03

    Adds minerals

    Pork organs and blood supply iron, phosphorus and zinc in differing amounts. The maker must balance the finished food because the ingredient name does not reveal its mineral contribution.3,5

How much A 90-day dog study fed canned food listing pork by-products after water, but published no percentage for the ingredient.2

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Brands say

    Pork by-products provide usable animal protein

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A four-batch analysis found substantial protein in the pork parts tested. A 90-day dog study fed food containing pork by-products, but did not isolate their digestibility or measure their individual contribution.2,3

  2. Owners say

    Pork by-products cause food allergies

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Pork triggered reactions in 7 of 297 dogs with identified food reactions across reviewed studies. The challenges did not test this particular mix, and the count cannot predict an individual dog's risk.1

  3. Brands say

    Organ parts give dogs an iron boost

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Measured iron ranged from 79.4 mg/kg dry matter in tongue to 1,822 mg/kg in blood. The label does not identify the parts used, and the composition study measured no health benefit in dogs.3

  4. Critics say

    Pork by-products are worthless filler

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    The tested pork parts supplied protein and minerals. The fair criticism is disclosure: the ingredient line does not reveal which parts are present or their proportions, so it cannot show the blend's precise nutritional value.3,5

  5. Critics say

    Pork by-products are unsafe slaughter waste

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    AAFCO describes meat by-products as suitable parts from slaughtered animals and says canned pet food is heat-treated. Raw animal material needs careful handling, but the ingredient name alone does not show a safety failure.5,6

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    It supplies animal protein and minerals. The useful criticism is that “pork by-products” names neither the parts nor their proportions, so you cannot judge the ingredient's precise nutrient profile from that line.3,5

  2. Q02

    Is it pork by-product meal?

    No

    Pork by-products enter the recipe without first being rendered. By-product meal has been cooked and dried, so the ingredients carry different amounts of water when weighed for the label.5,6

  3. Q03

    Does this mean liver is included?

    Not necessarily

    Liver is allowed in the category, alongside other parts. A separate “pork liver” line tells you liver was added, but the “pork by-products” line does not disclose what is inside its own mix.5

  4. Q04

    How much is in the food?

    Not disclosed

    Ingredients appear in order by weight, but the list gives no percentage. One studied canned food placed pork by-products after water, yet its published ingredient list did not state the amount.2,7

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Royal Canin 24
  2. Cesar 15
  3. Hill's 1
  4. Eukanuba 1

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Chicken Liver 71%
  2. Powdered Cellulose 61%
  3. Water Sufficient for Processing 59%
  4. Chicken 49%
  5. Pork Liver 46%
  6. Calcium Carbonate 41%
  7. Water 39%
  8. Chicken By-Product 39%
  9. Beef Lung 37%
  10. Chicken Broth 37%
  11. Chicken Heart 37%
  12. Fish Oil 32%

On the shelf

Foods that list it

41 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.

Cesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Beef Grain-Free Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Filet Mignon Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Grilled Steak & Eggs Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Porterhouse Steak Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Top Sirloin Wet Dog Food50.0% proteinCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Angus Beef with Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog Food47.1% proteinCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Ham & Egg with Potato & Cheese Wet Dog Food47.1% proteinCesar Loaf & Topper in Sauce Rotisserie Chicken with Bacon & Cheese Wet Dog Food47.1% protein
Show 33 more Hill’s Science Diet Adult Light Wet Dog Food22.7% proteinRoyal Canin Comfort Care Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food38.9% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Grilled Chicken Wet Dog Food47.2% proteinRoyal Canin Large Puppy Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Dog Food37.2% proteinRoyal Canin Shih Tzu Loaf In Sauce Wet Dog Food35.1% proteinRoyal Canin Weight Care Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food44.1% proteinRoyal Canin Starter Mother & Babydog Ultra Soft Mousse In Sauce Wet Dog Food43.6% proteinRoyal Canin Veterinary Canine Weight Control loaf in sauce Wet Dog Food32.6% proteinRoyal Canin Veterinary Canine Renal Support E loaf Dog Food Topper12.5% proteinEukanuba Puppy with Lamb & Rice , case of 12 Wet Dog Food39.1% proteinRoyal Canin Veterinary Health Nutrition Canine Advanced Mobility Support loaf in sauce Wet Dog Food32.5% proteinRoyal Canin Veterinary Health Nutrition Canine Renal Support Early Consult loaf in sauce Wet Dog Food23.8% proteinRoyal Canin Size Health Nutrition Medium Puppy Thin Slices in Gravy Wet Dog Food34.9% proteinRoyal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Labrador Retriever Adult Wet Dog Food38.4% proteinRoyal Canin Veterinary Health Nutrition Canine Urinary SO Loaf Wet Dog Food21.1% proteinRoyal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Yorkshire Terrier Adult Wet Dog Food35.0% proteinRoyal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Golden Retriever Adult Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food33.2% proteinRoyal Canin Breed Health Nutrition French Bulldog Loaf In Sauce Wet Dog Food39.6% proteinRoyal Canin Size Health Nutrition Puppy Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food38.1% proteinRoyal Canin Size Health Nutrition Mature 8+ Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food31.8% proteinRoyal Canin Breed Health Nutrition Boxer Adult Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food35.0% proteinRoyal Canin Veterinary Canine Urinary SO thin slices in gravy Wet Dog Food35.1% proteinRoyal Canin Canine Care Nutrition Digestive Care Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food37.4% proteinRoyal Canin Canine Care Nutrition Adult In Gel Wet Dog Food28.9% proteinRoyal Canin Canine Care Nutrition Beauty Adult Loaf in Sauce Wet Dog Food34.4% proteinRoyal Canin Canine Care Nutrition Mature Adult in Gel Wet Dog Food34.9% proteinRoyal Canin Breed Health Nutrition German Shepherd Adult Wet Dog Food34.2% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Turkey Wet Dog Food47.2% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Smoked Bacon & Egg Wet Dog Food47.2% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Lamb Wet Dog Food47.2% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Duck Grain-Free Wet Dog Food47.2% proteinCesar Classic Loaf in Sauce Chicken & Veal Wet Dog Food47.2% proteinCesar Loaf Topper Sauce Filet Mignon Flavor With Bacon & Potato Wet Dog Food47.1% protein

Our read // On the bag

Judge the food and ask about the parts

Near the top of a can's ingredient list, pork by-products signal a substantial weight of wet animal material, but not its protein contribution. Check the nutritional adequacy statement and compare protein on a dry matter basis. If the organs or bone content matter to you, ask the maker what goes into the mix.

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats BMC Veterinary Research, 2016 // Journal
  2. 2 Identification of Canine Markers Related to Obesity and the Effects of Weight Loss on the Markers of Interest International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine, 2006 // Journal
  3. 3 Batch-to-batch differences in nutritional quality of selected raw and cooked pork offal LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2024 // Journal
  4. 4 Where's the (Not) Meat? Byproducts From Beef and Pork Production USDA Economic Research Service, 2011 // Government
  5. 5 Frequently Asked Questions AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  6. 6 Byproducts AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  7. 7 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

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