Chicken meal is the dry rendered (cooked down) product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of chicken, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, or entrails. (AAFCO, 2003) Not all chicken in pet foods is the same. It is important that the manufacturer of the pet food use human-grade chicken, preferably free of hormones and antibiotics. Additionally, make sure the manufacturer does not use chemical preservatives on the chicken such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin.