Whitefish Meal

In dry food, whitefish meal provides much more protein than the same weight of fresh fish, because most of the water and part of the fat have been removed.

Whitefish meal is a dried protein made from white-fleshed sea fish such as cod, whiting or pollock. AAFCO explains that meals are cooked, have most of their water and fat removed, and are then ground. The specific fish is usually not named. Fish is a common food allergen in cats, so if your cat has an allergy or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian about it.

Source: aafco.org

Whitefish meal is ground, dried fish made from pale, lean ocean fish. Rendering removes most of the water and fat, so it delivers more protein per pound than the same weight of fresh fish. It also carries calcium and phosphorus from the bones. Dry food makers use it as a protein base, and many cats like the fish flavor it adds.

Source: aafco.org

Whitefish is the fish as caught, with its natural water content, while whitefish meal has been cooked, dried and ground. On an ingredient list, which is ordered by weight, fresh whitefish is heavy with water and can sit high on the list even though much of that weight leaves during cooking. Whitefish meal is already dry, so its position reflects more of the protein it actually adds.

Source: aafco.org

It is not certain, so a veterinarian should guide the choice. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists both chicken and fish among the most common food allergens in cats and mentions experimental evidence of cross-reactivity between chicken, whitefish and salmon, though its clinical relevance is not yet clear. Merck also advises that a diet trial avoid proteins the cat has eaten before, so a cat already fed fish may not suit whitefish meal.

Source: merckvetmanual.com

Pettings gives whitefish meal 4 out of 5 and files it under its general cat food ingredient category. It appears on 9 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It loses a point because the exact fish species is not named. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores overall.