Metabolizable energy of meat and bone meal

Assaying meat and bone meal as separate fractions rather than complete meal yields substantially higher metabolizable energy (ME). Past research has indicated that elevated mineral levels in meat and bone meal depress the metabolizable energy of this ingredient under assay conditions. Samples of meat and bone meal from pork and from beef origin were separated into ''bone'' and ''meat + fat'' fractions by chloroform flotation. When meat + fat fractions were assayed and an ME value estimated for residual protein and fat in the bone fractions, the energy for samples of beef and of pork meat and bone meals used in this study were 2449 kcal/kg (1115 kcal/lb) and 2847 kcal/kg (1275 kcal/lb, respectively (94% DM).