Kidney

The kidney is an offal used as a source of protein and micronutrients in some foods, treats and home rations, belonging to the category of rich offal alongside [liver](/glossary/liver). It supplies good-quality protein, iron, selenium, zinc, vitamin B12 and other B-group vitamins, and its density in certain nutrients makes it a useful complement to muscle meat in a varied ration (USDA FoodData Central). Like other rich offal, the kidney is best used in measured amounts, because too large a share of offal can unbalance the supply of certain micronutrients. In a [home-cooked diet](/glossary/home-cooked-diet) or raw feeding, glandular offal such as kidney and liver are generally recommended as a small fraction of the total, the rest resting on muscle meat such as [heart](/glossary/heart) and a calcium source (NRC, 2006). The kidney also contributes to palatability, and its fat content stays moderate. On a food label, the word kidney denotes an identifiable raw material, more precise than the generic term offal. The marker: the kidney is a micronutrient-dense offal complementary to liver, to be included in a small proportion within a balanced ration rather than in large amounts. Note that the dietary term should not be confused with the organ disease covered under [chronic kidney disease](/glossary/chronic-kidney-disease) in the [Petipedia glossary](/glossary).

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