An animal product is any material derived from the body of a non-human animal or their excretions.[Unklesbay, Nan. World Food and You. Routledge, 1992, p. 179ff.]
The word animals includes all species in the biological kingdom Animalia, except humans. This includes, for example, tetrapods, arthropods, and mollusks. Generally, products made from decomposed animals, such as petroleum, or crops grown in soil fertilized with animal remains or manure are not characterized as animal products. Products sourced from humans (e.g. breast milk) are not typically classified as animal products.
Increased production and consumption over the past 50 years has led to widespread environmental and animal welfare impacts. These range from being linked to 80% of Amazonian deforestation
Several popular diet patterns prohibit the inclusion of some categories of animal products and may also limit the conditions of when other animal products may be permitted. This includes but not limited to secular diets; like, Vegetarianism, Pescetarianism, and Paleolithic diet diets, as well as religious diets, such as Kashrut, halal, mahayana, Macrobiotic diet, and Sattvic diet diets. Other diets, such as veganism-vegetarian diets and all its subsets exclude any material of animal origin.[Stepaniak, Joanne. Being Vegan: Living with Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2000, p. 7.] Scholarly, the term animal source foods (ASFs) has been used to refer to these animal products and by-products collectively.
In international trade legislation, the terminology products of animal origin ( POAO) is used for referring to foods and goods that are derived from animals or have close relation to them.
Effects of production
Net Animal Losses
Farmed animals needs to eat more food than their products can deliver. Net animal losses are the difference between the calories in human-edible crops fed to animals and the calories returned in meat, dairy and fish. These losses are higher than all other conventional food losses combined.
This is because on average livestock eat more human-edible food than their products provide. Research estimated that if the US would eat all human-edible plant food instead of feeding it to animals in order to eat their meat, dairy and eggs, it would free up enough food to feed an additional 350 million people.
At a global level livestock is fed an average of 1738 kcal/person/day of human-edible food, and just 594 kcal/p/d of animal products return to the human food supply, a net loss of 66%.
Animal by-products
Animal by-products, as defined by the USDA, are products harvested or manufactured from livestock other than muscle meat.
In the EU, animal by-products (ABPs) are defined somewhat more broadly, as materials from animals that people do not consume.
Thus, chicken eggs for human consumption are considered by-products in the US but not France; whereas eggs destined for animal feed are classified as animal by-products in both countries. This does not in itself reflect on the condition, safety, or wholesomeness of the product.
Animal by-products are Carrion and parts of carcasses from slaughterhouses, animal shelters, zoos and veterinarians, and products of animal origin not intended for human consumption, including catering waste. These products may go through a process known as rendering to be made into human and non-human foodstuffs, fats, and other material that can be sold to make commercial products such as cosmetics, paint, cleaners, polishes, glue, soap and ink. The sale of animal by-products allows the meat industry to compete economically with industries selling sources of vegetable protein.[Ockerman, Herbert and Hansen, Conly L. Animal by-product processing & utilization. Technomic Publishing Company Inc., 2000, p. 1.]
Slaughterhouse waste
Slaughterhouse waste is defined as animal body parts cut off in the preparation of carcasses for use as food. This waste can come from several sources, including
,
, stores and
. In the UK, slaughterhouse waste is classed as category 3 risk waste in the Animal By-Products Regulations, with the exception of condemned meat which is classed as category 2 risk.
Animal by-products in pet food
The leftover pieces that come from the process of stripping meat from animals tends to get used for different purposes. One of them is to put these parts into pet food.
Many large, well-known pet food brands use animal by-products as protein sources in their recipes. This can include animal feet, livers, lungs, heads, spleens, etc or an admixture in the form of meat and bone meal. These organs are usually not eaten by humans
offal, but are safe and nutritious for pets regardless. By-products can also include bad-looking pieces. They are always cooked (rendered) to kill pathogens.
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Just under half of all animal products in pet food is still human consumable,
Additives
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Carmine, derived from crushed cochineal beetles, is a red or purple substance commonly used in food products.
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L-cysteine from human hair and Pork (used in the production of , bread and dietary supplements)
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Rennet (commonly used in the production of cheese)
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Shellac (commonly used for food dye, food glaze and Resinous glaze)
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Swiftlet's nest (made of saliva)
Food
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Bee pollen, also known as “bee bread” (which is made from both plant pollen and the insect’s secretions)
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Arachnids
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Blood, especially in the form of blood sausage ( see also Blood as taboo food)
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Bone, including bone char, bone meal, etc.
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and stocks are often created with animal fat, bone, and connective tissue
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Caviar
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Casein (found in milk and cheese)
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Civet oil (food flavoring additive)
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(e.g., milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)
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Eggs and egg products (e.g., mayonnaise, eggnog, custard, etc.)
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Snail caviar
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Animal fat (e.g., lard, lardon, schmaltz, suet, tallow, etc.)
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Gelatin (used to make candy, ice cream, and marshmallows)
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Roe (as food is used as a raw or cooked ingredient in various dishes)
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Honey (including comb honey products)
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Honeydew
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Isinglass (used in clarification of beer and wine)
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Insects (some edible insects are consumed whole or made into a powder, like cricket flour. The flours are then used to make products like insect fitness bars or burger patties.)
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Kopi luwak and Black Ivory Coffee
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Meat (which includes fish, shellfish, sauces made from them, and poultry in addition to livestock, game, and "exotic dishes" made from frog legs or turtle soup)
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Offal
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Skins (remaining skin scraps as a by-product of meat production or fat rendering are made profitable by being fried/roasted and sold as snacks, like; gribenes, rinds, scratchings, and krupuk kulit)
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Snake wine (also used as medicine)
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Soft roe, also known as “white roe” (commonly fried, used as an ingredient in a larger dish, or used as a condiment in some European and Asian countries)
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Whey (found in cheese and added to many other products)
Non-food animal products
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Animal fiber
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Ambergris
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Beeswax
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Bear bile (used to make medicine)
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Blood and some blood substitutes (blood used for transfusions is always human in origin, though some blood substitutes are made from animal sources. Many diagnostic laboratory tests use animal or human sourced reagents)
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Casein (used in plastics, clothing, cosmetics, adhesives and paint)
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Castoreum (secretion of the beaver used in perfumes and possibly in food flavoring)
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Civet oil
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Coral rock (Precious coral in particular is beloved for jewelry making)
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Donkey milk
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Egg oil (used in skin care products as a preservative and as skin conditioning agent)
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Emu oil (serves as a ”natural” emollient in cosmetic preparations, especially in products that claim it has the ability enhance and anti-aging cream beauty.)
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Ejaculate (used in artificial insemination)
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Fishmeal
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Fur clothing
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Gallstones (from livestock for Traditional Chinese Medicine)
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Gelatin used in non-food applications, such as photographic films and papers.
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Guano
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Hide
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Horse oil (used in East Asian skincare masks and creams for similar purposes as emu oil.)
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Keratin, including antlers etc.
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Ivory
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Lanolin
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Limulus amebocyte lysate (a chemical in horseshoe crab blood used to detect bacterial endotoxin)
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Leather
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Manure
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Mink lashes
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Mink oil
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Musk
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Nautilus (decorative shell or pearl alternative)
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Ovine Placenta
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Pearl or nacre (Treated as a precious gem for making jewelry or adorning clothing & accessories. Pearl powder is used as a natural skincare product for hydrating & healing the skin as well as lightening, brightening and maintaining youthfulness of the complexion)
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Royal jelly (used as a dietary supplement)
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Scales (fish scales are often used in makeup to impart a refractive & pearlescent finish)
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Silk
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Sponges
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Skunk oil
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Snail slime (used in topical medications and skincare products as a treatment for lesions and acne or as an antioxidant to brighten and hydrate the skin)
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Stearin
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Tallow, may be used in food and soap
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Tortoiseshell
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Urine
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Venom (used to produce human and veterinary antivenin)
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Whale oil
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Wool
See also
Further reading
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Extensive list identifying animal-derived and vegan ingredients
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FDA Consumer Magazine: The Lowdown on Labels
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Heinz, G. & Hautzinger, P. "Meat Processing Technology" , Food and Agriculture Organization, 2007, accessed March 30, 2012.
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Leoci, R., Animal by-products (ABPs): origins, uses, and European regulations, Mantova (Italy): Universitas Studiorum, 2014.
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Mian N Riaz, Riaz N Riaz, Muhammad M Chaudry. Halal Food Production, CRC Press, 2004.
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Tsai, Michelle. "What's in a can of dog food?, Slate, March 19, 2007.
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Earthly Origin of Materials, is a material animal, vegetable, or mineral?
