Turkey Gizzard

It is the muscular part of the turkey's stomach that grinds up what the bird eats. In cat food it counts as an organ meat.

Turkey gizzard is the muscular stomach of the turkey, a lean organ meat that supplies protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. In commercial cat food it is cooked. Tufts veterinary nutritionists note that organ parts often carry more nutrients than muscle meat per weight. If your cat has a food allergy or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian before switching.

Source: sites.tufts.edu

Gizzard adds a lean, firm-textured protein from a named bird. Because it is a working muscle, it is high in protein and low in fat, and it brings minerals like iron and zinc. Using gizzards also puts more of each bird to use. It shows up mostly in recipes built around turkey or poultry organ meats.

It sits in between. The gizzard is a thick muscle that grinds food in a bird's digestive tract, so its texture and protein are close to muscle meat. Because it is part of the digestive system, it is usually grouped with organ meats, along with heart and liver, under the name giblets.

Cats need certain nutrients that come from animal tissue, and organs are one source of them. Cornell's Feline Health Center describes cats as obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products. A complete commercial food can meet those needs with added vitamins and minerals, so organ meat is not required by name. Tufts nutritionists note that organs are often nutrient dense.

Source: vet.cornell.edu

Pettings gives turkey gizzard 5 out of 5 and lists it as a named animal protein. It appears on 1 of the 149 dry cat foods we list. It earns the top score as named organ meat from a named bird. Each food's page shows how the whole recipe scores overall.