Competitive Agricultural Systems in a Global Economy
Meat By-Products

Issue

Meat animals, including cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and poultry animals such as ostrich and emu yield both edible and inedible by-products at slaughter. At the request of ranchers and processors, John Marchello, UA meat scientist, developed an array of meat by-products (anything that comes from the slaughter of a meat animal) to increase the value of each animal.

What has been done?

Various meat by-products were developed at the UA Meat Lab for the pet feed industry, primarily for treats. Products include cooked and smoked beef bones; cooked and dried organs such as heart, liver and kidney; and products from connective tissue, including tendons and neck straps, to be eaten as "chews." Poultry products include smoked and dried ostrich, turkey and emu necks; emu and ostrich jerky, and ostrich and emu Italian and summer sausage. The lab meets federal inspection guidelines for sanitation, and each product has label approval from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The UA Meat Lab currently produces these by-products for several different pet food companies.

Impact

These products have improved the value of each animal by $40 to $50. The lab has developed one product so original that the UA is applying for a patent on the formula for it. It's a shelf-stable meat log for pets that includes 50% meat, along with peas, carrots, and other ingredients. Ostrich products, considered lean meat, have been picked up by pet food companies to be marketed in overweight dog products.

Funding

University of Arizona College of Agriculture

Contact

John Marchello, Professor
Department of Nutritional Sciences
The University of Arizona
Shantz Room 309
Tucson, AZ 85721
Tel.: (520) 621-1188 FAX: (520) 621-9446
Email: jam@ag.arizona.edu

This report is one of 29 impact statements submitted by the University of Arizona College of Agriculture to the USDA's 1999 CSREES Science and Education Impacts database in Washington, D.C. An impact statement is a brief summary, in lay terms, of the economic, environmental and/or social impact of a land-grant program. It states accomplishments and their payoff to society.
Located at http://ag.arizona.edu/impacts/2000/meatbyproducts.html
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