What does 'enhanced' refer to?

If I want to take advantage of specials at Costco or a local market, how do I know the meat is suitable to be fed to my dogs? What does enhanced mean? I looked at some chicken breasts with bone in and they had substantial amounts of sodium in them - is that natural or is that a preservative and is it harmful? What do I look for and what do I avoid when buying meat from the local markets? Are there questions to ask a local meat market butcher when I am purchasing meat there?

Thank you

I don't like seeing newbie questions go unanswered so even though I can't answer your question very well I'll give it a go.

Enhanced can mean it's either had broth or sodium added to it to enhance the flavour. The reason I have difficulty with your question is because I'm not in the US (I'm in the UK) and here enhanced meat doesn't seem to be so common but is creeping in. Here when meat is enhanced salt or sodium is included in the ingredients list - unenhanced meat has no ingredients list.

To tell the difference in the supermarket you might need to look VERY VERY closely at the label because they will often hide the fact that it's enhanced but they do have to include it. One thing that I will do with labels, because we have to have clear labelling of such things, is compare salt/sodium levels with a similar produce that I know is not enhanced. This will give you some idea.

As I said, not the best answer but hopefully some help before others answer you too.

As for a butcher/meat market - one of the beauties of such places is that if you ask someone should have a clue as to whether it's been enhanced. Although you might wish to be a little tactful in your questioning.

When I buy meat from a supermarket I will if it's chicken or pork check for enhancements, other meats are less likely to be enhanced, from the butcher I would only bother checking the pork. The chicken from the butcher generally has a better taste and therefore less need for enhancements (my butcher sells only free-range chicken).

As far as I know enhanced meat should be avoided. That usually means they add salt which is no good for kitty. If the meat is not enhanced and doesn't say anything about adding salt then the salt amount should be safe.

I feed pork sometimes which is always enhanced if you buy it from the store. Pork is so lean now that it dries out quickly when cooking (no fat to keep it moist anymore).. therefore broth/solution is added to avoid that. With as many people that feed pork, I don't think feeding enhanced chicken is a sin. I wouldn't use it as my sole source of protein but fed once or twice a week won't hurt anything and when you find some unenhanced chicken down the road then replace the other.

I've bought (whole) Costco chickens for like the first 2 years and fed them 3-4 times a week and no issues but if you are dead set on not buying anything like that then check the nutrition labels on the back and if the sodium content is above 90 mg you're looking at some type of broth added.

Great tips, thank you all. I have been feeding backs with the fat and skin cut off and boneless, skinless breast meat. I just spent 2 hours preparing meals for the next 6 days, but I would like to include a little more meat and less of the backs because of all the bones. I am looking forward to moving on to another protein source in a week and hopefully introducing some organs into the mix within a few weeks as well. Tonight, I will be adding an egg to each their meals.

In Canada, we call meat that has been soaked in brine "seasoned meat" and most often it is pork. Chicken is often injected with brine solution to up the weight, and increase the flavour too, why unseasoned meats taste so much better. Look for free range chicken, if you can get it at a good price, not only does it taste better, it has more nutrients than factory farmed, and isn't as much of an environmental disaster as those from the large factory farming complexes.

Enhanced meat can also refer to meat that was injected with hormones before butchering it, or preservatives after, not that that is done so much here, but if it concerns you as to what exactly is meant by enhanced, is it seasoned, or is it chemically altered, then checking for sodium content is smart, though not always available on a label.

Ask the butcher, they love to talk about their trade, and may give you some good stuff to take home with you for your interest.

I do feed seasoned pork to Charlotte when it is really cheap, I bought a whole pork leg at .50 a pound last year and couldn't pass it up. She sometimes has softer poops, but I anticipate that when I feed her a lot of pork anyway, so I always interfeed with chicken, because it is soooo bony.