Kibble. It has been around forever and we've been taught to believe that it is healthy for our pets. It is affordable, easy and a convenient option. But where are these ingredients coming from? What is a "by-product meal"?

The list of mystery ingredients found on most commercial pet food labels contain fillers and "meals" that most of us never question. But it is about time we did.

So to begin, most "by-product meals" are meat cuts that are sourced from diseased farm animals that could not be sold for human consumption. This list includes: slaughterhouse waste (organs, heads, hooves, beaks, feet), road kill, spoiled supermarket food, dead zoo animals, euthanized pets and more.

All of these ingredients go through a rendering process where everything is thrown into a grinder and mixed together until you end up with some kind of mystery paste. There are no strict guidelines in the pet food industry so other things like plastic and metal can end up getting into this mix and still be processed into pet food. The idea of safety and nutrition is entirely nonexistent in commercial pet food.

The pet food industry is filled with companies that try to profit off this kind of waste. Most kibble is sprayed with some kind of fat to make it appetizing for our pets to eat. But what's really inside is shocking. So please be aware the next time you are at the store shopping for your pet's next meal.