Blood Meal Conventionally Dried

Slaughter produces blood that spoils quickly and is difficult to store as a liquid. Feed processors collect it, remove water with heat and sell the dried material as a protein ingredient.^2,3,4

1. 01 // Source Collected blood Blood is collected during slaughter and handled promptly because it deteriorates quickly.
2. 02 // Process Heat to clot Steam coagulates the blood, allowing liquid to be drained from the thickened mass.
3. 03 // Process Cook dry A heated vessel removes more water; excessive heat reduces the availability of lysine.
4. 04 // Output Dry blood meal The dried blood becomes a storable feed ingredient, weighed into a recipe like any other meal.

1. 01

   Raises recipe protein

   Blood meal is mostly protein, so even a small addition raises crude protein in the finished food. Formulators must supply enough isoleucine from other ingredients.²

2. 02

   Contributes dietary iron

   Blood meal brings iron into the recipe. Its iron must be counted with other sources, but the amount present does not show how much a dog absorbs.²

3. 03

   Turns blood into feed

   Drying gives processors a saleable feed ingredient from slaughter blood that otherwise creates a disposal and sanitation problem.^2,4

How much No commercial inclusion percentage appears in the sources reviewed; a dog trial tested a related ingredient, processed red blood cells, at 3%.¹

1. Brands say

   Blood meal raises a food's protein number

   Evidence

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

   Feedipedia's blood meal samples averaged 94.1% crude protein on a dry matter basis. Adding it therefore raises a recipe's crude protein total. That number alone cannot show amino acid balance because blood meal is low in isoleucine.²

2. Critics say

   Dogs prefer food without blood meal

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Dogs preferred the control diet over one with 3% processed red blood cells in a two bowl test. Those cells are related to conventionally dried blood meal but are a different ingredient, so their taste result cannot be assigned to this meal.^1,3

3. Brands say

   Blood meal gives dogs highly digestible protein

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   An enzyme assay estimated 80.4% lysine digestibility across blood protein sources, but it did not measure digestion in dogs. A dog diet with 3% processed red blood cells had lower protein digestibility. Neither result shows the digestibility of conventionally dried blood meal.^1,2

4. Brands say

   Its iron prevents anemia in dogs

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Feedipedia reports 1,459 to 2,732 mg/kg iron in dry blood meal. That measures iron content, not absorption or anemia prevention. The cited dog feeding trial tested neither outcome.^1,2

5. Critics say

   Blood meal is just filler

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Feedipedia samples averaged 94.1% crude protein, giving blood meal a clear nutritional job. The useful questions concern heat damage and whether the complete recipe balances its low isoleucine, not whether the ingredient contains nutrients.²