ESSENTIAL

RENDERING
All About The Animal By-Products Industry

Edited by
David L. Meeker

PREFACE
The first book written about the rendering industry was produced by the
National Renderers Association in 1978 and was titled The Invisible Industry. In
1996, a second book entitled The Original Recyclers was published to tell everyone
in government, academia, and the public what renderers areenvironmentally aware
producers of safe productsthe original recyclers.
That book was to move us into the twenty-first century, but with the pace of
change, we find ourselves already in need of a new book on the rendering industry.
So much has happened in the past decade that it has become necessary to publish this
book, Essential Rendering. This book documents the technologies, manufacturing
procedures, capabilities, research, and infrastructure that make the industry so
important to the United States and Canada.
Two cases of indigenous bovine spongiform encephalopathy discovered in
the United States and eight in Canada, as well as high pathogenic avian influenza
around the world, challenge renderers today. Thus, society needs to know how
renderers handle, in a biosecure manner, over 59 billion pounds of the by-products
from animal food production every year in the United States and Canada.
Government, which promulgates rules to answer todays diverse challenges,
academia, which influences users of rendered products, and the public, which uses
the products of the industrys operations, all need to know about rendering in todays
world. They need to know how rendering prevents both animal and human diseases
and what the ramifications are of not having rendering. Society should not take
renderers services for granted or forget that they operate in a free enterprise system.

David J. Kaluzny II, Chairman, National Renderers Association

ABOUT THE COVER
This painting is on display in the NRA office in Alexandria, Virginia. The
artist, Edward Juarez, worked at the Omar Rendering Company in San Diego, CA
his entire working career. He started working at age 12, picking up cattle hides.
Mr. Juarez painted this scene in 1980, one of ten paintings he did in the plant where
he worked. The renderer/artist said this scene was of workers loading the batch
cooker with feathers at the end of the day. The previous batch was blood from
packing houses made into blood meal. Edward Juarez said, We worked as hard as
we couldwe worked our butts offbut we took pride in our work and it was fun
for us. We would work all day and then go to the bar. He said he also had three
brothers that worked in packing houses skinning cattle and they were top butchers
because of their skill in producing flawless hides. Mr. Juarez lives in San Diego,
CA and still paints. This image appears with his permission.
RENDERING ASSOCIATION WEB SITES
For updates and current industry information, visit the following sites:
[Link]

[Link]
i

[Link]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to the officers and committees of NRA, APPI, and FPRF for
providing the resources to make this book possible and to each of the authors for
their academic contributions. Thanks especially to Tina Caparella, Nancy K. Cook,
Tom Cook, Glenda Dixon, C. Ross Hamilton, David J. Kaluzny II, David Kirstein,
Kevin Kuhni, and Sergio Nates for detailed reviewing this work at many stages.
This book contains information from highly regarded sources and industry
experts. Sources are indicated wherever possible, reprinted material is quoted with
permission, and hundreds of references are listed. Great care has been taken to
publish accurate data and reliable information, but the authors and the publisher do
not assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of use.
Written permission from NRA is necessary before this book or any part
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or by any
information storage or retrieval system.

National Renderers Association

801 N. Fairfax Street Suite 205
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
This book was produced under the auspices of:
The National Renderers Association (NRA), David J. Kaluzny II, Chairman
The Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), C. Ross Hamilton, Chairman
The Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI), Carl Wintzer, Chairman
With direction from the NRA Communications Committee:
Kevin Kuhni (Chairman); John Kuhni Son, Inc.
Larry Angotti (Vice Chairman); Darling International, Inc.
Rita Schneider; HRR Enterprises, Inc.
Doug Anderson; Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Ridley Bestwick; West Coast Reduction, Ltd.
Stan Gudenkauf; American Proteins, Inc.
Robert Desnoyers; Lomex, Inc.
John Griffin; Griffin Industries, Inc.
Tim Guzek; Anamax Corporation
David Kaluzny II; Kaluzny Bros., Inc.
Tom Cook; NRA President
Neville Chandler; NRA Regional Director, London
Tina Caparella; Editor, Render
Copyright 2006 by the National Renderers Association
ISBN: 0-9654660-3-5
Printed in September of 2006 by
Kirby Lithographic Company, Inc.
Arlington, Virginia
ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
An Overview of the Rendering Industry ...............1
David L. Meeker, NRA, and C. Ross Hamilton, Darling International, Inc.
A History of North American Rendering.17
Fred D. Bisplinghoff
Rendering Operations................31
Doug Anderson, Smithfield Foods
The Rendering Industrys Role in Feed and Food Safety..53
Don A. Franco, Center for Bio-security, Food Safety and Public Health
The Rendering Industrys Biosecurity Contribution to Public and Animal Health....... 71
Richard E. Breitmeyer, CA State Veterinarian; C. Ross Hamilton, Darling
International, Inc.; and David Kirstein, Darling International, Inc.
Edible Rendering--Rendered Products for Human Use.95
Herbert W. Ockerman and Lopa Basu, The Ohio State University
Rendered Products in Ruminant Nutrition...............111
Thomas C. Jenkins, Clemson University
Rendered Products in Poultry Nutrition...125
Jeffre D. Firman, University of Missouri
Rendered Products in Swine Nutrition......141
Gary L. Cromwell, University of Kentucky
Rendered Products in Pet Food......159
Greg Aldrich, Pet Food and Ingredient Technology, Inc.
Rendered Products in Fish Aquaculture Feeds....179
Dominique Bureau, University of Guelph
Rendered Products in Shrimp Aquaculture Feeds...195
Yu Yu, NRA
The Global Market for Rendered Products...213
Kent Swisher, NRA
Industrial and Energy Uses of Animal By-Products, Past and Future...229
Stewart McGlashan, Meat and Livestock Australia, Ltd.
Environmental Issues in the Rendering Industry.245
Gregory L. Sindt, Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Research in the Rendering Industry.......259
Gary G. Pearl, FPRF (retired)
Future Research for the Rendering Industry....273
Sergio F. Nates, FPRF
What Would a World Without Rendering Look Like? .......277
Stephen Woodgate, European Fat Processors and Renderers Association
Historic Images29, 30, 52, 70, 94, 140, 158, 178, 212, 244
Index...........................................................................................295
iii

THE AUTHORS
Greg Aldrich is president of Pet Food and Ingredient Technology, Inc. Dr. Aldrich
is a consulting nutritionist specializing in foods and nutrition for companion
animals. His work encompasses new product development, nutritional advice and
support, and technical communications for pet food companies and ingredient
suppliers. He writes a monthly column for Petfood Industry magazine on ingredient
issues and is a frequent speaker at industry and scientific forums. He received his
B.S. in agriculture from Kansas State University, his M.S. in animal science from
the University of Missouri, and his Ph.D. in nutrition from the University of Illinois.
Dr. Aldrich has held several management and technical positions with Co-op Feeds,
the Iams Company, Kemin Industries, Inc., and Menu Foods, Ltd. He and his wife
Susan manage their consulting firm from Topeka, Kansas.
Douglas P. Anderson is a fourth generation renderer. He joined Smithfield Foods,
Inc., in April 2002 and is vice president, Rendering for Smithfield Foods, Inc., and
president/COO of Smithfield BioEnergy, LLC. As vice president of rendering for
the multi-national food company, he is responsible for inedible by-products
recycling at all company locations worldwide. He has recently been named
president/COO of Smithfield Bioenergy, LLC, the bio-energy subsidiary of
Smithfield Foods, Inc. He is currently president of the World Renderers
Association, the immediate past chairman of the National Renderers Association,
and immediate past chairman of the North American Rendering TSE Coalition. His
lifelong career in the industry includes previous experience as president of
American Proteins, Inc., Cumming, Georgia; chief operations officer of Darling
International, Inc., Irving, Texas; President of Stord, Inc. (Stord Bartz Americas),
Greensboro, North Carolina; general manager of Milwaukee Tallow Co., Hide
Service Corporation, Carrie Shortening Corporation, Justro Feeds, and West Wis.
Pet Food; and vice president of Indianhead Rendering, Inc., Barron, Wisconsin. He
is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lopa Basu is pursuing a Ph.D. in animal science (international foods) at Ohio State
University under the direction of Dr. Ockerman. She is a native of India and has an
M.S. in muscle biochemistry from the University of Bombay. She has served as a
field scientist in the UN World Food Program in many countries and as a young
professional officer in the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. She has received
numerous academic awards in the United States and India.
Fred D. Bisplinghoff graduated from the University of Missouri in 1951 with a
B.S. degree in animal nutrition and a D.V.M. He was a large-animal practitioner
until 1956, and subsequently joined Faber Industries, an Illinois rendering company
with six plant locations, where he served as general manager of animal feed, solvent
extraction, and fat and protein blending operations. By 1959, Dr. Bisplinghoff was
executive vice president with management of all rendering operations. Faber was
purchased by National By-Products in 1965. Dr. Bisplinghoff was then responsible

About the Authors

for all former Faber facilities, which included a barge terminal and hide operations.
At the time of his retirement from National By-Products in 1985, he supervised all
of Nationals operations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and
eastern Missouri, and had served in many rendering industry positions, including
president of NRA 1971-1972. After retiring in 1985, he consulted for Holly Farms
Poultry. He simultaneously filled three positions in the rendering industry for five
years, including president and director of Technical Services of the Fats and
Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), 1988 1993; director of Scientific Affairs of
National Renderers Association (NRA), 1988 1993; and president of Animal
Protein Producers Industry (APPI), 1983 1993. From 1993 to 2006 he consulted
for 11 rendering companies.
Richard E. Breitmeyer has been director of Animal Health and Food Safety
Services, California Dept. of Food and Agriculture since 1993. He oversees an
annual budget of $28 million and 250 employees engaged in programs for animal
health, milk and dairy foods control, meat and poultry inspection, and livestock
identification. He works closely with the California Animal Health and Food Safety
Laboratory System that is operated by the School of Veterinary Medicine,
University of California at Davis (UCD), under a contract with the department. He
also serves as the state veterinarian, and has broad responsibility for animal health
regulatory issues, including quarantine authority. Dr. Breitmeyer is a graduate of
the School of Veterinary Medicine at UCD and also holds a masters in preventive
veterinary medicine degree from UCD. He is an active member of many state and
national animal health and veterinary medical associations and currently serves as
chairman of the U.S. Animal Health Associations Food Safety Committee, is on
the executive committee of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture, and is a
former member of the USDA Secretarys Advisory Committee for Foreign Animal
and Poultry Diseases.
Dominique P. Bureau is an assistant professor with the Department of Animal and
Poultry Science, University of Guelph. He holds [Link].A. and [Link]. degrees in
animal sciences from Laval University and a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the
University of Guelph. Since, he has been leading an independent research program
focusing on macronutrients utilization by salmonids and development of feed
requirement and waste outputs models.
Gary L. Cromwell is a professor of nutrition at the University of Kentucky. He
received a B.S. degree in agricultural education from Kansas State University and
M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in animal nutrition from Purdue University. He joined the
faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1967, where he is a professor in the
Department of Animal Sciences. Dr. Cromwell has served the swine and feed
industries through outstanding research for more than 35 yearsresearch that has
identified him as a world expert in swine nutrition. His broad-based research has
included assessment of amino acid and mineral requirements of swine, copper as a
growth promoter, efficacy and safety of antibiotics, nutritional value of genetically
v

About the Authors

modified crops, and environmental aspects associated with use of phytase in swine
diets. He developed a slope-ratio assay to determine the bioavailability of
phosphorus in feedstuffs, allowing the formulation of diets on an available
phosphorus basis. Dr. Cromwell is the author or co-author of more than 900
publications, including 137 refereed journal articles. He has directed 60 graduate
students, many of whom have prominent roles in the feed industry or academia. He
is the chair of the National Research Councils Committee on Animal Nutrition and
chaired the subcommittee that prepared the 10th edition of Nutrient Requirements of
Swine in 1998. He has received the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS)
Industry Service Award, ASAS-AFIA Nutrition Research Award, and Morrison
Award recognizing research excellence with direct importance to livestock
production.
Jeffre D. Firman attended the University of Nebraska for both B.S. and M.S.
degrees. He also worked for several years in the commercial turkey industry. He
received his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland studying neural regulation of food
intake in broilers. He has been at the University of Missouri in a teaching, research,
and extension position for almost 20 years and has been at the professor rank for
eight years. His research revolves around protein and energy utilization in meat
birds as well as use of rendered products. He does consulting for a number of
entities and has visited 27 different countries.
Don A. Franco has degrees in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and public health
and has made concerted efforts during his professional career to heighten the
linkages of these three disciplines to enhance the principles of biosecurity, food
safety, and food borne disease control. Dr. Franco continues to work for the
integration of all the basics of animal agriculture, proper animal disease control and
prevention to ensure a safe food supply. He practiced for four years in a mixed
veterinary practice in the country of his birth, Trinidad, before migrating to the
United States to accept a position with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection
Service in 1968, where he served in several supervisory positions throughout the
country, culminating in his appointment as the director of Slaughter Operations in
Washington, D.C. Dr. Franco received numerous awards during his tenure with the
USDA over the years including a departments Superior Service Award from the
Secretary of Agriculture in June 1990, For notable authorship which has brought
national and international recognition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food
Safety and Inspection Service. He co-authored two major texts, Food Animal
Pathology and Meat Hygiene and Poultry Diseases and Meat Hygiene, and is
published in major professional journals worldwide. He held adjunct academic
professorial appointments at Emory University in Atlanta, George Washington
University in Washington, D.C., and the University of Panama Central America
School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. After his retirement from the USDA, Dr.
Franco joined the National Renderers Association (NRA) as vice president for
Scientific Services and the Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI) as president.
vi

About the Authors

After his retirement from NRA/APPI, he formed the Center for Bio-security, Food
Safety and Public Health (CBFSPH) in Lake Worth, Florida.
C. Ross Hamilton is director of Government Affairs and Technology for Darling
International, Inc. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas Tech
University and Ph.D. in animal nutrition from the University of Missouri. He was
on the faculty of South Dakota State University for 12 years as an extension
specialist (1984-1988) and as an associate professor (1988 to 1996) with a teaching
and research appointment. Dr. Hamilton joined Darling International, Inc., in 1996.
He has co-authored more than 150 scientific papers and publications. He is a
Registered Professional Animal Scientist, Charter Diplomate of the American
College of Animal Nutrition and is active on the American Feed Ingredient
Association (AFIA) Nutrition Council. Dr. Hamilton is the current chairman of the
Board for the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF) and is active on
several National Renderers Association (NRA) committees.
Thomas C. Jenkins earned the B.S. degree in animal science and M.S. degree in
animal nutrition at Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in animal nutrition
from Cornell University. He was a faculty member at Ohio State University prior to
joining Clemson in 1986. At Clemson, he has received several patents for
development of novel rumen-protected fat supplements. Also, Dr. Jenkins has
maintained a basic research program studying the process of lipid biohydrogenation
in ruminal contents using staple isotopes of unsaturated fatty acids and mass
spectroscopy in metabolic tracer studies. Dr. Jenkins received the American Feed
Ingredient Association Nutrition Research Award presented by the American Dairy
Science Association in 1999 and the Godley-Snell award for excellence in
agricultural research by Clemson University in 2005. Dr. Jenkins has given more
than 60 invited lectures in six countries and has authored or co-authored more than
220 publications including book chapters, journal articles, and patents.
David Kirstein received his B.A. from Seattle Pacific University in 1975 with a
double major in biology and chemistry, and his M.S. in nutrition from Washington
State University in 1979. He has over 25 years experience working in animal
agriculture. Currently, he serves as director of Technical Services for Darling
International, Inc., as he did at National By-Products, LLC for 14 years prior to
2006. Darling International, Inc., is a leading independent renderer in the United
States, producing animal fat and protein by-products used by feed and chemical
manufacturers worldwide. Earlier in his career, Kirstein spent eight years with a
ConAgra company formulating complete feeds and supplements for livestock and
poultry that contained rendered products. However, he has gained an in-depth
understanding of the nature of rendered products during the past 14 years. His
current responsibilities include leadership for corporate and industry product safety
initiatives, oversight for in-house research targeting new product development, and
managing the corporate analytical laboratory. Kirstein is a former chairman of and
currently serves on the steering committee of the American Protein Producers
vii

About the Authors

Industry whose focus is on the biosecurity and safety of rendered products. He also
serves on the research committees for the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation
and as a vice chairman for the Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center
at Clemson University.
Stewart McGlashan directs the Environment and Co-Products program for the
Meat and Livestock Australia. He completed his Ph.D. in chemical engineering in
1998 in the fields of polymer processing and rheology. After a post-doctoral fellow
at McGill Universitys Polymer McGill, Dr. McGlashan joined the Co-operative
Research Centre for International Food Manufacture and Packaging Science. In his
two years as a researcher there he published several papers and invented a
biodegradable plastic which was developed via a startup company and patented in
the European Union, the United States, and Australia. Dr. McGlashan currently
manages the research and development portfolios of Environment and Co-Products
on behalf of the Australian Red Meat Industry. He is also on the board of directors
of, and scientific advisor to, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation. He is also
an adjunct senior lecturer of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland
in colloidal and interfacial/surface science, and fundamental biopolymer research.
David L. Meeker is vice president, Scientific Services of the National Renderers
Association (NRA). He serves as the scientific/technical advisor to the North
American rendering industry on science, animal disease, and feed safety issues. He
also served as president of the Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI) prior to its
merger with NRA in 2006. Dr. Meeker previously served in scientific and
management positions at the National Turkey Federation and National Pork
Producers Council, was director of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
for the National Research Council at the National Academy of Sciences, and was an
associate professor at The Ohio State University. Over the past two decades he has
served as an advisor and consultant to numerous governmental, professional, and
business organizations in the United States and internationally. He is currently a
member of the scientific advisory panel to the World Renderers Organization
(WRO), a member of the newly appointed USDA Secretarys Advisory Committee
on Foreign Animal and Poultry Disease, and a member of the advisory committee
for the Beef industry Food Safety Council of the National Cattlemens Beef
Association. He received his B.S., M.S., Ph.D., and M.B.A. degrees from Iowa
State University in Ames, Iowa.
Sergio F. Nates is president and director of Technical Services of the Fats and
Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF). Prior to joining FPRF, he was vice president
of research and technology at Zeigler Bros., Inc., a Pennsylvania specialty feed
company providing products for aquaculture, exotic bird, reptile, and research
animal diets. Dr. Nates earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the National
University of Costa Rica in marine biology and aquaculture, respectively, and was
awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
viii

About the Authors

Herbert W. Ockerman received his B.S. and M.S. from the University of
Kentucky, College of Agriculture in 1954 and 1958. He is a teacher and research
scientist in food chemistry and muscle biology, and has been a professor at The
Ohio State University Department of Animal Science since 1961. He received a
Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in 1962. In addition to his academic
field in research and teaching, he has made contributions to international
understanding through education, research, and private diplomacy. He has been
involved in initiating cooperative teaching and research programs between Ohio
State and many other international universities, governments, research, and private
institutions. He has authored or co-authored over 1,100 publications. In
recognition of his accomplishments he has received 19 international and national
awards, such as Honorary Member of the Polish Veterinary Society; The Badge of
Merit for Service in Agriculture from the Polish government; Professor Award from
National Chung Hsing University and Pintung Agriculture College, Republic of
China; Special Recognition from Argentina and Spain; Animal Science Award in
International Agriculture from France; the American Society of Animal Science
International Award, and in 1991 he received both the local and national Phi Beta
Delta Outstanding Faculty Awards. Dr. Ockerman was named to the Hall of
Distinguished Alumni at the University of Kentucky in 1995.
Gary G. Pearl retired in 2005 as president and director of Technical Services of the
Fats and Proteins Research Foundation. He is currently an adjunct professor in the
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at Clemson University. Dr. Pearl
received his D.V.M. in 1963 from Purdue University. He was given the School of
Veterinary Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001 for his distinguished
service to applied dietary research, to veterinary practice, to community service, to
organized veterinary medicine, and to directing excellence in research.
Gregory L. Sindt, P.E., is principal owner of the consulting engineering firm
Bolton and Menk, Inc. His specialty area of practice is environmental engineering
for the rendering, meat packing, and food processing industries including design
and operation of wastewater treatment processes and environmental permitting.
Sindt has B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Iowa
State University and is a licensed professional engineer in several states. He is
active in several professional and trade organizations including the American Meat
Institute Environmental Committee, the Water Environment Federation, and the
National Renderers Association.
Kent Jay Swisher is vice president of International Programs for the National
Renderers Association (NRA). He works with the NRA International Market
Development Committee in implementing marketing programs for rendered
products throughout the world. The NRA is a cooperator with the USDA Foreign
Agricultural Service in the Foreign Market Development and Market Access
Programs with offices in Hong Kong, London, and Mexico City. Prior to coming to
NRA, he served as senior director, International Marketing for the American Seed
ix

About the Authors

Trade Association were he was responsible for implementing international

marketing programs and for trade dispute resolution and policy formulation. He
also previously worked for the U.S. Grains Council as manager for international
operations, Asia, and for the Continental Grain Company, Wayne Feeds Division.
Currently, Swisher serves or has served on the USDA Agriculture Technical
Advisory Committee on Trade for Animal Products; the AgTrade Coalition; Board
of Directors of the Agriculture Export Development Council (USAEDC); and the
Seattle Round Ag Committee. He graduated from Purdue University in agricultural
economics and is finishing his thesis for a masters degree in agribusiness from
Kansas State University.
Stephen Woodgate is the technical director of the European Fat Processors and
Renderers Association (EFPRA). He is also managing director of Beacon Research,
Ltd., a research and development consultancy. Previously, he was technical director
of the PDM Group for five years and prior to this he managed his own consultancy
business for eight years. Before that he worked with the PDM group as the product
development manager and as a research assistant with Unilever plc. Woodgate has
a wealth of experience in many of the technical aspects of the worldwide animal byproducts industry. In particular, he has been involved with the development of
EFPRAs Standing Technical Group (STG) into a source of expertise that interfaces
industry, national governments, and the European Commission. The main areas of
STG activity have been in conjunction with DG Sanco [animal by-products
regulation and TSE regulation] and with DGs Environment and Transport/Energy
in relation to uses of rendered products as energy sources. Woodgate also serves as
chairman of the both the U.K. Renderers Association Technical Committee and as
member of the scientific advisory panel to the World Renderers Organization.
Yu Yu is the Asian regional director of the National Renderers Association (NRA).
Dr. Yu has successfully introduced non-marine animal protein meals to Asias
animal feed industry, with recent emphasis on the aquafeed industry. He has been
active in shrimp and fish nutrition research projects in China, Vietnam, Thailand,
and the Philippines, collaborating with various universities, research institutions,
and aquafeed companies. He is a regular participant and speaker at international
conferences and trade exhibitions related to the animal feed industry. Dr. Yu
completed his B.S. degree in Taiwan, and received his graduate degrees from
Michigan State University in the United States. Prior to joining NRA in 1997, he
had worked for the feed industry in Canada since 1978. He is currently based in
Hong Kong and continues to lead trade excursions from Asia to the United States.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE RENDERING INDUSTRY

David L. Meeker, Ph.D., MBA
National Renderers Association

C. R. Hamilton, Ph.D.
Darling International, Inc.

Summary
One-third to one-half of each animal produced for meat, milk, eggs, and
fiber is not consumed by humans. These raw materials are subjected to rendering
processes resulting in many useful products. Meat and bone meal, meat meal,
poultry meal, hydrolyzed feather meal, blood meal, fish meal, and animal fats are
the primary products resulting from the rendering process. The most important and
valuable use for these animal by-products is as feed ingredients for livestock,
poultry, aquaculture, and companion animals.
There are volumes of scientific references validating the nutritional
qualities of these products, and there are no scientific reasons for altering the
practice of feeding rendered products to animals. Government agencies regulate the
processing of food and feed, and the rendering industry is scrutinized often. In
addition, industry programs include the use of good manufacturing practices, hazard
analysis and critical control point (HACCP), codes of practice, and third-party
certification. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates animal feeds and
prohibits certain ruminant proteins from being used in ruminant diets to prevent the
spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Though often frustrated by the
attention it receives, the rendering industry clearly understands its role in the safe
and nutritious production of animal feed ingredients and has done it very effectively
for over 100 years.
The availability of rendered products for animal feeds in the future depends
on regulation and the market. Renderers are innovative and competitive and will
adapt to changes in both. Regulatory agencies will determine whether certain raw
materials can be used for animal feed. The National Renderers Association (NRA)
supports the use of science as the basis for regulation while aesthetics, product
specifications, and quality differences should be left to the marketplace. Customer
expectations, consumer demand, and economic considerations will dictate product
specifications and prices.
Without the continuing efforts of the rendering industry, the accumulation
of unprocessed animal by-products would impede the meat industries and pose a
serious potential hazard to animal and human health.
Raw Material
A by-product is defined as a secondary product obtained during the
manufacture of a principal commodity. A co-product is a product that is usually
manufactured together or sequentially with another item because of product or
process similarities. Some prefer the more positive connotation of the term coproduct, but for simplicity, this book will mostly use the term by-product. A
1

Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

portion of the profit returned to animal production and processing industries

depends on the utilization of the by-products or co-products ancillary to the
production of meat, milk, and eggs for human food production. The FDA regulates
which materials can be included in animal feed, and in 1997 banned the feeding of
ruminant materials back to ruminant animals. Considerable debate has taken place
recently on whether more bovine materials should be banned from all animal feeds.
The approximately 300 rendering facilities in North America serve animal
industries by utilizing the by-products which amount to more than half of the total
volume produced by animal agriculture. The United States currently produces,
slaughters, and processes approximately 100 million hogs, 35 million cattle, and
eight billion chickens annually. By-products include hides, skins, hair, feathers,
hoofs, horns, feet, heads, bones, toe nails, blood, organs, glands, intestines, muscle
and fat tissues, shells, and whole carcasses. These by-product materials have been
utilized for centuries for many significant uses. The products produced from the
inedible (meaning not consumed by humans) raw material make important
economic contributions to their allied industries and society. In addition, the
rendering process and utilization of these by-products contribute to improvements in
environmental quality, animal health, and public health.
Approximately 49 percent of the live weight of cattle, 44 percent of the
live weight of pigs, 37 percent of the live weight of broilers, and 57 percent of the
live weight of most fish species are materials not consumed by humans. Some
modern trends, such as pre-packed/table ready meat products, are increasing the raw
material quantities for rendering. The current volume of raw material generated in
the United States is nearly 54 billion pounds annually with another 5 billion pounds
generated in Canada. Raw materials vary, but an overall approximation of content
would be 60 percent water, 20 percent protein and mineral, and 20 percent fat
before the rendering process. These organic materials are highly perishable and
laden with microorganisms, many of which are pathogenic to both humans and
animals. Rendering offers a safe and integrated system of animal raw material
handling and processing that complies with all of the fundamental requirements of
environmental quality and disease control.
The Rendering Process
Rendering is a process of both physical and chemical transformation using
a variety of equipment and processes. All of the rendering processes involve the
application of heat, the extraction of moisture, and the separation of fat. The
methods to accomplish this are schematically illustrated in Figure 1 (Hamilton,
2004). The processes and equipment are described in detail in the chapter in this
book on operations.
The temperature and length of time of the cooking process are critical and
are the primary determinant of the quality of the finished product. The processes
vary according to the raw material composition. All rendering system technologies
include the collection and sanitary transport of raw material to a facility where it is
ground into a consistent particle size and conveyed to a cooking vessel, either
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

continuous-flow or batch configuration. Cooking is generally accomplished with

steam at temperatures of 240 to 290F (approximately 115 to 145C) for 40 to 90
minutes depending upon the type of system and materials. Most North American
rendering systems are continuous-flow units. Regardless of the type of cooking, the
melted fat is separated from the protein and bone solids and a large portion of the
moisture is removed. Most importantly, cooking inactivates bacteria, viruses,
protozoa, and parasites. Alternative methods of raw material disposal such as
burial, composting, or landfill applications do not routinely achieve inactivation of
microorganisms.
Fat is separated from the cooked material via a screw press within a closed
vessel. Following the cooking and fat separation, the cracklings or crax, which
includes protein, minerals, and some residual fat, are then further processed by
additional moisture removal and grinding, then transferred for storage or shipment.
Storage of the protein is either in feed bin structures or enclosed buildings. The fat
is stored and transported in tanks.
Figure 1. The Basic Production Process of Rendering.

Raw Materials

Heat Processing
(Time x Temperature)

Sizing

Protein

Press

Grinding

Fat Clean-up
Storage/Load out

Processes and technology of rendering have changed over the years and
continue to improve. Modern rendering facilities are constructed to separate raw
material handling from the processing and storage areas. Process control is
performed and monitored via computer technology so that time/temperature
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

recordings for appropriate thermal kill values for specific microorganisms are
achieved. Temperatures far in excess of the thermal kill time requirements are
unnecessary and avoided because they can lower nutritional values and digestibility.
Processes in North America generally do not incorporate cooking under pressure
except for feathers and other high keratin containing tissues.
Research has demonstrated that raw material derived from food animal
processing is heavily laden with microorganisms. Data illustrating the high
incidence of foodborne pathogenic microorganisms within raw animal by-product
material and the efficacy of the rendering process in killing these pathogens are
listed in Table 1. It is recognized that handling of ingredients after cooking can be
responsible for re-contaminationa concern for all feed ingredients and not
restricted to animal protein. Salmonella is a bacteria species that is commonly
associated with feed and often wrongly suspected of originating from the animal byproduct ingredients. Data from around the world illustrate that all feed ingredients,
including vegetable proteins and grain, may contain Salmonella (Beumer and Van
der Poel, 1997; Sreenivas, 1998; McChesney et al., 1995; European Commission,
2003). Thus, it is important to follow industry feed safety guidelines or codes of
practice in both pre- and post-handling of ingredients and manufactured feed.
Table 1. Efficacy of the U.S. Rendering System in the Destruction of
Pathogenic Bacteria.
Pathogen
Clostridium perfringens
Listeria species
L. monocytogenes
Campylobacter species
C. jejuni
Salmonella species

Raw Tissue
% samples positive
71.4
76.2
8.3
29.8
20.0
84.5

Post Process
% samples positive
0
0
0
0
0
0

Source: Troutt et al., 2001. Samples from 17 different rendering facilities taken during the
winter and summer.

Though research has demonstrated that rendering lowers the infectivity of

the prion, the agent most commonly believed to be the cause of the transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), is not totally inactivated with any of the
currently available rendering processes (Taylor et al., 1995). This is why the FDA
requires that raw materials containing ruminant by-products not be used to make
ingredients used in ruminant feed.
The North American rendering industry recognizes its role in ensuring
food safety and in protecting human and animal health and has developed programs
for biosecurity, Salmonella reduction, and third-party certification for compliance to
feed regulations. In addition, North American rendering companies have endorsed
the APPI Code of Practicea voluntary HACCP-based program.
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

Rendered Animal By-Products

The rendering process converts raw animal tissue into various protein, fat,
and mineral productsrich granular-type meals and liquid fats with specific
nutritional components. Annual volume in the United States is approximately 11.2
billion pounds of animal derived proteins and 10.9 billion pounds of rendered fats.
About 85 percent of this production is utilized as animal feed ingredients.
Applications for rendered fats in the chemical, metallurgy, rubber, and oleochemical
industries combined account for the second largest market, with over 3,000
industrial uses identified. The manufacture of soaps and personal care products
remain a major use for animal fats, especially tallow, and new uses such as biofuels
are increasing.
Animal Fats and Recycled Greases
Fats are the most caloric-density feed ingredient available. The animal
feed and ingredient industry is a major user of rendered animal fats and recycled
restaurant and cooking oils which provide valuable dietary energy. Also, fats and
fatty acids provide for essential and indispensable body functions separate from
their caloric function. Including recycled vegetable oils from restaurants, the
rendering industry processes some 10.9 billion pounds annually of fats (Table 2).
Table 2. Fats Produced by the U.S. Rendering Industry Annually.
Edible Tallow
Inedible Tallow
Lard
Yellow Grease
Other Grease
Poultry Fat
Fats Used in Pet Fooda
Total

1.8 billion pounds

3.9 billion pounds
0.3 billion pounds
1.5 billion pounds
1.2 billion pounds
1.2 billion pounds
1.0 billion pounds
10.9 billion pounds

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Current Industrial Report M311K, 2005.

a
Editors note: Poultry, beef, and pork fats used in pet foods (estimated to be approximately
1.0 billion pounds) are not included in the U.S. Census Bureau categories.

The term lipid includes both fats and oils. Lipids are chemically structured
primarily as triglyceridesa structure consisting of one unit of glycerol and three
units of fatty acid. The fatty acids are the components that give the respective fats
their individual chemical and physical characteristics. Most fatty acids found in
natural fats vary in chain lengths from eight to 24 carbons. Feeding fats contain
mostly fatty acids of 14 to 18 carbon lengths. Fatty acids are considered
unsaturated if they have double bonds within their chemical structure. Structures
without double bonds are saturated fatty acids. If more than two double bonds are
present in the structure, fatty acids are referred to as polyunsaturated. As a
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

triglyceride contains more saturated fatty acids, the melting point increases, and the
physical nature of the fat is referred to as a harder. A measure of hardness is titer,
determined by the solidification point of the fatty acids. Iodine value (IV) is
another measurement of hardness/softness with unsaturated fats having higher IV
values than saturated fats. Table 3 provides a guide of various animal fats
comparing titer and IV.
Table 3. Titer and Iodine Values for Fat from Various Livestock Species.
Species
Sheep
Cattle
Hogs
Poultry

Titer
111 118F (44 48C)
108 113F (42 45C)
97 104F (36 40C)
89 95F (31 35C)

Iodine Value
42 43
43 45
63 65
77 80

Source: Fats and Proteins Research Foundation Directors Digest No. 269.

Feed grade fats are often stabilized blends of animal and vegetable fats.
They are produced (1) by rendering the tissues of mammals and/or poultry, and (2)
through recycling cooking oils. Feed fats consist predominately of triglycerides of
fatty acids and contain no added free fatty acids (NRA, 2003).
Products bearing a name descriptive of its kind or species origin must
correspond thereto as beef, pork, or poultry. Poultry fat consists of fats derived
from 100 percent poultry offal. Blended feed fat is a category that includes blends
of tallow, grease, poultry fat, and restaurant grease/cooking oils. Blended animal
and vegetable fats include blends of feed grade animal fats, poultry fats, vegetable
fats, and/or restaurant grease/cooking oil. It may also include by-products such as
soap stock. Fats within this category may be referenced as animal/vegetable blends.
Though specifications are clearly defined and guarantees specified under
several references, including the Association of American Feed Control Officials
(AAFCO), suppliers of feeding fats can provide products that are labeled and
guaranteed outside the trading standards. Suggestions for quality specifications for
animal feed fats are listed in Table 4. As with any feed ingredient, specifications
should be thoroughly understood between supplier and purchaser. The following
are common feeding fat guidelines:
1. Fats should be stabilized with an acceptable feed- or food-grade
antioxidant added at levels recommended by the manufacturer. Stability
tests can be performed to monitor.
2. No cottonseed soap stock or other cottonseed by-products should be
included in fats for layer, breeder, or broiler rations.
3. Fats must be certified that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticide
residues are within the allowable state and federal limits.
4. The supplier should make every effort to provide a uniform fat structure in
each delivery. A specification for minimum and/or maximum IV can be
established for the type of fat purchased. Monitoring IVs can determine if
the products fat structure is uniform.
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

Table 4. Suggested Quality Specifications for Feed Fats.

Total Fatty Acids

Free Fatty Acids
Moisture
Impurities
Unsaponifiable
Total MIU

Animal

Poultry

min.
max.
max.
max.
max.
max.

90
15
1
0.5
1
2

90
15
1
0.5
1
2

Blended Fat
Feed
Animal/
Grade Vegetable
Animal
90
90
15
15*
1
1
0.5
0.5
1
1*
2
2

Vegetable
Soap
Stock
90
50
1.5
1
4
6

MIU = moisture, impurities, and unsaponifiables.

* When blended feed fats contain acidulated soap stock, this specification can be adjusted to
allow higher free fatty acids found in this fat (i.e., five FFA per 10 percent added). Blended
fats containing soap stock may also have higher unsaponifiable levels.

Fat Terminology
Total fatty acids (TFA) include both the free fatty acids and those
combined with glycerol (intact glycerides). Fat is composed of approximately 90
percent fatty acids and 10 percent glycerol. Glycerol contains about 4.32 calories
per gram compared with 9.4 calories for fatty acids. Since fatty acids contain over
twice the energy of glycerol, the TFA content in fat acts as one indicator of energy.
One measure of fat quality is the FFA content. Fats are normally
composed of three fatty acids linked to glycerlol via ester bonds. FFA are produced
when those fatty acids are freed by hydrolysis. Therefore, the presence of high
levels of FFA indicates the fat was exposed to water, acids, and/or enzymes. Fats
should be processed to contain as low a moisture level as feasible so that hydrolysis
does not occur during storage.
In the past, some have associated increased FFA with increased oxidation
of the fat during processing or storage. Oxidation is not the same as hydrolyses and
it occurs when oxygen and unsaturated fatty acids combine in the presence of a
catalyst, such as heat, iron, copper or light. The role of heat in promoting both
oxidation and fat hydrolysis may be the root of the confusion. Adding antioxidants,
the most common practice to prevent oxidation, to prevent FFA production is not
recommended because many antioxidants are acidic and may contribute to higher
FFA measurements.
Insoluble impurities usually consist of small particles of fiber, hair, hide,
bone, or soil. These can cause clogging problems in fat handling screens, nozzles,
and other equipment, and contribute to the build-up of sludge in fat storage tanks.
Moisture is detrimental in fats since it accelerates corrosion of fat handling
equipment and may promote the formation of rust, which is a powerful catalyst of
oxidation and rancidity. Moisture also contributes no energy, lubricity, or other
benefits to feed and should be kept to a minimum. Moisture settles in fat storage,
making accurate sampling difficult.
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

Saponification value (SV) is an estimate of the mean molecular weight of

the constituent fatty acids in a fat sample and is defined as the number of milligrams
of potassium hydroxide required to saponify one gram of the fat. Higher SV
indicate lower mean chain lengths of the triglycerides.
Unsaponifiable fats contain a number of compounds such as sterols,
hydrocarbons, pigments, fatty alcohols, and vitamins, which are not hydrolyzed by
the alkaline saponification. Normal unsaponifiables have unknown and variable
feeding values comparable to the fats involved and can dilute the energy content.
Iodine value: Each double bond in a fatty acid will take up to two atoms of
iodine. By reacting fatty acids with iodine, it is possible to determine the degree of
unsaturation of the fat or oil. The IV is defined as grams of iodine absorbed by 100
grams of fat. Unsaturated fats naturally have higher IVs than saturated fats so IV
can be used to estimate complete fat structures.
Titer value is determined by melting the fatty acids after a fat has been
hydrolyzed. The fatty acids are slowly cooled and the congealing temperature in
degrees Centigrade is the titer. Animal fats are referred to as tallow if they
possess a titer of 40 or higher, and are considered grease if the titer is below 40,
regardless of the animal origin, though most tallow is a by-product of beef
processing.
Fat color varies from the pure white of refined beef tallow, to the yellow of
grease and poultry fat, to the very dark color of acidulated soap stock. Color does
not affect the nutritional value of fat but may be a consideration in pet foods and
other consumer oriented products because of the potential to affect the appearance
of finished products.
Fat stability and antioxidants: To prevent the development of oxidative
rancidity, which can destroy vitamins A, D, and E and cause other problems in
feeds, antioxidants are recommended for all feed fats. Rancidity is a descriptive or
qualitative term that was derived from human thresholds in detecting off-flavors
associated with the oxidation of fats. Rancidity is not chemically defined, nor is it
quantifiable. As a result, the industry has tried to describe rancidity by measuring
various intermediates or products of oxidation. Two such tests that are commonly
used as indicators of the stability of fats are:
1. Peroxide value (PV) This test measures the milliequivalents (me) of
peroxide per kilogram (/kg) and reveals the current state of oxidative
rancidity. A low PV (sometimes defined as less than 10.0 me
peroxide/kg) indicates a non-rancid sample.
2. Active Oxygen Method (AOM) test for 20 hour stability This is a
measure of the peroxide value after 20 hours of bubbling air through
the sample. This test is intended to determine the ability of the fat to
resist oxidative rancidity in storage.
Tallow is primarily derived from rendered beef tissue but could contain
other animal fat. Most chemical and soap manufacturers require a minimum titer
of 40.5 to 41.0. A titer of at least 40 is required for a tallow designation.
Choice white grease is derived primarily from pork tissue. The soap
industry requires color specifications, but color is less important for feeding fats.
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

Thus, considerable savings can often be acquired by developing feeding fat

specifications that concentrate on the nutritional value of the respective fat.
Yellow grease has been a term used for a number of years and often
confused with off-color choice white grease. Yellow grease is primarily restaurant
grease/cooking oil sources but can contain other sources of rendered fat.
There are several documented benefits for use of animal fats in livestock,
poultry, aquaculture, and companion animal diets including enhancing energy
concentration of diets. Depending on the species to which it is being fed, the energy
contributions of fat range from 2.6 to 3.8 times the energy content of corn. Energy
values for the commonly used animal fats are listed in Table 5. In addition to the
nutritional contribution, fat addition to animal diets contributes to dust control, feed
mill cleanliness, worker comfort, enhanced pelleting efficiencies, improved
palatability of feed, reduced respiratory disease, increased stability of fat soluble
vitamins and other nutrients, and enhanced life of feed equipment.
Table 5. Energy Values for Fats Commonly Added to Swine and Poultry Feeds.1

Fat Source
Yellow Grease3
Poultry Fat
Choice White Grease
Brown Grease
Tallow
Palm Oil

Poultry ME, kcal/lb

3,582
3,539
3,424
3,332
3,167
3,069

Swine ME, kcal/lb2

3,663
3,641
3,585
3,534
3,452
3,401

Calculated using equations from Wiseman et al. (1991) for poultry and Powles et al. (1995)
for swine.
2
These equations calculate digestible energy (DE). Metabolizable energy (ME) was
calculated as 96 percent of DE.
3
Recovered frying fat.

Animal Protein Ingredients

Proteins are essential constituents of all biological organisms and are found
in all body tissues of animals. Proteins are found in higher concentrations in organ
and muscle tissue, and range from very insoluble types in feather, hair, wool, and
hoofs, to highly soluble proteins such as those in serum or plasma. Animal derived
foods are primary sources of protein and other nutrients in human diets. Similarly,
the tissues from animal production and processing not utilized in human food are
processed into an array of protein meals used in animal feeds.
AAFCO defines the composition of all legally used feed ingredients
including rendered animal products. The 2006 AAFCO Ingredient Manual
references some 125 individual animal by-products, and is updated annually. The
primary animal protein by-products are meat and bone meal (MBM), meat meal,
blood meal, poultry by-product meal, poultry meal, feather meal, and fish meal.
Using MBM as an example, AAFCO defines it as the rendered product from
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

mammalian tissues including bone but exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide
trimmings, manure, and stomach and rumen contents. MBM as defined by AAFCO
must contain a minimum of four percent phosphorus with a calcium level not to
exceed 2.2 times the actual phosphorus level. Ingredients of lower phosphorus
content must be labeled meat meal.
Meat and Bone Meal
In addition to the above AAFCO description, MBM shall contain not more
than 12 percent pepsin indigestible residue and not more than nine percent of the
crude protein shall be pepsin indigestible. Pepsin is a proteolytic enzyme which is
secreted by the stomach where it hydrolyzes proteins to polypeptides and
oligopeptides. If a protein is pepsin indigestible, animals may not be able to digest
it. MBM can be used in all species of livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feed, but
only non-ruminant source material must be utilized for ruminant feed (by FDA
regulation).
Poultry By-Product Meal
Poultry by-product meal (PBM) consists of ground, rendered, clean parts
of the carcass of slaughtered poultry such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and
intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in the amounts as might occur unavoidably
in good processing practices. The label shall include guarantees for minimum crude
protein, minimum crude fiber, minimum phosphorus, and minimum and maximum
calcium. The calcium level shall not exceed the actual level of phosphorus by more
than 2.2 times. The quality of PBM, including critical amino acids, essential fatty
acids, vitamins, and minerals along with its palatability, has led to its demand for
use in pet foods and aquaculture.
Hydrolyzed Poultry Feather Meal
Hydrolyzed poultry feather meal (FeM) is pressure-cooked, clean
undecomposed feathers from slaughtered poultry, free of additives and/or
accelerators. Not less than 75 percent of its crude protein content must be digestible
by the pepsin digestibility method. Modern processing methods that cook the
feathers under pressure with live steam partially hydrolyze the protein and break the
keratinaceous bonds that account for the unique structure of feather fibers. The
resulting feather meal is a free-flowing palatable product that is easily digested by
all classes of livestock. Modern feather meals greatly exceed the minimum level of
AAFCO required digestibility. In cattle, 64 to 70 percent of FeM protein escapes
degradation in the rumen and remains highly digestible in the intestinal tract. A
specific characteristic is its excellent source of the sulfur containing amino acids,
especially cystine.
Blood Meal, Flash-Dried
Blood meal flash-dried is produced from clean, fresh animal blood,
exclusive of extraneous material such as hair, stomach belchings, and urine, except
as might occur unavoidably in good manufacturing processes. A large portion of
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

the moisture (water) is usually removed by a mechanical dewatering process or by

condensing by cooking to a semi-solid state. The semi-solid blood mass is then
transferred to a rapid drying facility where the more tightly bound water is rapidly
removed. The minimum biological activity of lysine shall be 80 percent.
Blood products are the richest natural sources of both protein and the
amino acid lysine available to the feed industry. However, throughout the 1960s
and 1970s its use was limited because blood meal was considered to be unpalatable.
Blood meal is inherently low in the amino acid isoleucine and the vat-drying
procedures used at the time to process raw blood were severe enough to lower the
bioavailability of lysine.
Processing changes have improved the product
considerably. Newer methods of processing (ring or flash-drying) produce blood
meals with amino acid digestibilities of 90 percent or greater. Improved amino acid
availability, in combination with improved formulation techniques, allows
nutritionists to balance more of the essential amino acids, including isoleucine,
which also eases concerns about the palatability of blood meal. Today, nutritionists
are interested in blood meal because it is high in protein and is considered to be an
excellent source of lysine. Its properties as a high rumen bypass protein have been
highlighted in research findings in dairy, feedlot, and range cattle.
Fish Meal
Fish meal is generally considered in the animal protein class of ingredients
though it is described in the marine products section of AAFCO. Fish meal is the
clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or
both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil. It must contain not more than
10 percent moisture. If it contains more than three percent salt, the amount of salt
must constitute a part of the brand name, provided that in no case must the salt
content of this product exceed seven percent.
Menhaden and anchovy are the main wild-caught fish species used for
meal manufacture, with lesser quantities of herring used for meal. With an increase
in aquaculture directed at the human food industry, by-products from these
processing sites are being utilized. Fish meal is usually an excellent source of
essential amino acids and fat soluble vitamins. Digestibility of its amino acids is
excellent, but as with other ingredients, highly correlated to processing. Fish meals
can be used in all types of rations. In some products, such as companion animal
food diets, the palatability factors and the fishy smell and flavors are benefits.
When used for other species, strong fishy odors and flavors in eggs, milk, or meat
can be a disadvantage.
Other Products
There are several other specialty ingredients of animal protein origin such
as plasma. Plasma in recent years has become a common component of early pig
and calf formulas. Plasma is a highly digestible protein source in addition to
providing immune response benefits in young animals.

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Nutrient Value of Proteins

The major animal protein ingredients, MBM, meat meal, and PBM, are
important feed ingredients for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and companion
animal diets throughout the world. These products contribute over three million
tons of ingredients annually to the U.S. feed industry. In addition to protein, these
meals are also excellent sources of essential amino acids, fat, essential fatty acids,
minerals, and vitamins. The typical nutrient composition of the four most common
animal proteins is shown in Table 6.
As can be noted, all of these ingredients are higher in protein than soybean
meal and other plant proteins. In addition, MBM is higher in phosphorus, energy,
iron, and zinc than soybean meal. The phosphorus level in MBM is seven-fold
greater than that found in soybean meal and is in a form that is highly available to
livestock and poultry. The phosphorus in both MBM and poultry meal is similar in
bioavailability to feed-grade mono-dicalcium phosphate.
Table 6. Nutrient Composition of Animal Proteins.1
Item

Crude Protein, %
Fat, %
Calcium, %
Phosphorus, %
TMEN, kcal/kg
Amino Acids
Methionine, %
Cystine, %
Lysine, %
Threonine, %
Isoleucine, %
Valine, %
Tryptophan, %
Arginine, %
Histidine, %
Leucine, %
Phenylalanine, %
Tyrosine, %
Glycine, %
Serine, %

Meat and
Bone Meal
50.4
10.0
10.3
5.1
2,6663

Blood
Meal2
88.9
1.0
0.4
0.3
3,625

Feather
Meal
81.0
7.0
0.3
0.5
3,276

Poultry ByProduct Meal

60.0
13.0
3.0
1.7
3,120

0.7
0.7
2.6
1.7
1.5
2.4
0.3
3.3
1.0
3.3
1.8
1.2
6.7
2.2

0.6
0.5
7.1
3.2
1.0
7.3
1.3
3.6
3.5
10.5
5.7
2.1
4.6
4.3

0.6
4.3
2.3
3.8
3.9
5.9
0.6
5.6
0.9
6.9
3.9
2.5
6.1
8.5

1.0
1.0
3.1
2.2
2.2
2.9
0.4
3.9
1.1
4.0
2.3
1.7
6.2
2.7

National Research Council, 1994.

Ring or flash-dried.
3
Dale, 1997.
TMEN = true metabolizable energy nitrogen corrected.
2

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Individual suppliers of animal protein meals can often provide more

detailed specifications than derived from published papers based on averages or
dated analyses. Analytical precision for chemical and nutrient availability values in
animal protein ingredients is improving (Parsons et al., 1997). However, the most
precise values have been derived from animal feeding studies.
Modern rendering processes, improved equipment, and computer
monitored systems have resulted in significant improvements in the digestibility of
animal proteins. Data collected from 1984 to the present demonstrate the
digestibility improvements in the essential amino acids of lysine, threonine,
tryptophan, and methionine. These data are summarized in Table 7.
Table 7. Digestibilities of Meat and Bone Meal Analyzed in Different Years
Have Shown Improvement.

Amino Acid
Lysine, %
Threonine, %
Tryptophan, %
Methionine, %
Cystine, %

1984 a
65
62
--82
---

1989 b
70
64
54
-----

1990 c
78
72
65
86
--d

Jorgensen et al., 1984.

Knabe et al., 1989.
c
Batterham et al., 1990.

1992 d
84
83
83
85
81

1995 e
94
92
--96
77

2001 f
92
89
86
92
76

Firman, 1992.
Parsons et al., 1997.
f
Pearl, 2001.

Lysine digestibility in high quality MBM improved from 65 percent to

over 90 percent during this time period. Dramatic improvements in the digestibility
of tryptophan and threonine have also been documented. Cystine digestibility is
between 76 percent and 81 percent but values were not reported in studies
conducted prior to 1992. Similar improvements in amino acid digestibility have
occurred in poultry meal, feather meal, and especially in blood meal.
Competition
Rendered protein meals and fats compete with vegetable products on a
daily basis. Shifts in usage, as well as new developments can change the business
atmosphere in the future. One example is the development of the fast growing fuel
ethanol industry. Currently, there are 97 ethanol plants in production, with an
additional 33 ethanol plants under construction. These ethanol plants have an
annual production capacity of 4.5 billion gallons (Renewable Fuels Association,
August, 2006). Dry-grind ethanol plants represent the fastest growing segment of
the fuel ethanol industry in the United States, and produce the majority (60 percent)
of fuel ethanol. By-products from dry-grind ethanol plants include wet and dry
distillers grains, wet and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), modified
wet cake (a blend of wet and dry distillers grains), and condensed distillers
solubles. Of these dry-grind ethanol plant by-products, distillers grains with
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Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

solubles is the predominant by-product being marketed domestically (Shurson,

2005). Approximately 40 percent of the distillers grains with solubles are
marketed as a wet by-product for use in dairy operations and beef cattle feedlots.
DDGS is marketed domestically and internationally for use in dairy, beef, swine,
and poultry feeds. More than 15.4 billion pounds of DDGS was produced in the
United States in 2005. Corn is the primary grain used in wet mills and dry-grind
ethanol plants because of its high fermentable starch content compared to other
feedstocks. Shurson (2005) identified the following challenges facing DDGS in the
animal feed marketplace.
Product identity and definition
Variability in nutrient content, digestibility, and physical characteristics
Lack of a quality grading system and sourcing
Lack of standardized testing procedures
Quality management and certification
Transportation
Research, education, and technical Support
International market challenges
Lack of a national distillers by-product organization and industry
cooperation
There is considerable variation in nutrient content and digestibility among
DDGS sources compared to soybean meal (Shurson, 2005). Tables 8 and 9
compare the nutritional characteristics of DDGS to meat meal and soybean meal.
Research shows that higher levels of DDGS in swine diets increases the amount of
unsaturated fat and reduces fat firmness in pigs, which impacts the quality of the
meat and consumer acceptance (Shurson, 2001). Meat quality concerns may limit
the amount of DDGS that can be used in swine diets and the relatively high fiber
content of DDGS may restrict its use in poultry diets. Also, since DDGS contains
polyunsaturated fats, there are concerns about high levels in cattle diets that can
result in the accumulation of unwanted trans-fats in meat animals and depressed
milk fat production in dairy cows.
Table 8. Dry Matter, Energy, and Fat Composition of Meat Meal, Dehulled
Soybean Meal, and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS).

a
b

Feedstuff
Meat meal a
Soybean meal a
DDGS

Dry
Matter
%
94
90
89

Digestible
Energy
kcal/lb
1,224
1,673
1,819

Metabolizable
Energy
kcal/lb
1,178
1,535
1,703

NRC, 1998.
University of Minnesota, [Link]/[Link]

14

Net
Energy
kcal/lb
987
917
829

Fat
%
12.0
3.0
10.8

Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

Table 9. Protein and Amino Acid Composition of Meat Meal, Dehulled

Soybean Meal, and Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (Percent).

a
b

Feedstuff
Meat meal a
Soybean mealb
DDGS

Prot.
54.0
47.5
30.9

Lys
3.07
3.02
0.91

Thr
1.97
1.85
1.14

Trp
0.35
0.65
0.24

Met
0.80
0.67
0.64

Cys
0.60
0.74
0.60

Ile
1.60
2.16
1.17

Val
2.66
2.27
1.57

NRC, 1998.
University of Minnesota, [Link]/[Link]

While the rendering industry is much more mature than the fuel ethanol
industry in the United States and renderers have faced many of these same issues,
and have solved some, it is instructive to keep an eye on the competition.
Future Availability
The availability of rendered products for animal feeds in the future depends
on regulation and the market. In the FDA Docket No. 2002N-0273, the agencys
proposed rule on substances prohibited from use in animal food or feed, FDA
announced its intent to prohibit brains and spinal cords from cattle 30 months of age
or older from being used in all feed, including for non-food animals. They are also
proposing to ban all dead and downer animals (they term these cattle not inspected
and passed for human consumption) from any feed unless the brains and spinal
cords are removed. The FDA estimates the rule will decrease the annual production
of MBM available for feed by about 15 million pounds, which would be a tiny 0.3
percent of the total volume produced in the United States (Federal Register, 2005).
Many renderers believe this restriction on dead stock will end the service of dead
stock collection all together (about 2.2 billion pounds of raw material; Informa
Economics, 2004). If this were the case, the proposed rule could decrease the
annual production of MBM available for feed by about four percent of the total
volume produced in the United States.
Renderers are innovative and competitive and will adapt to changes in both
regulations and the market. Regulatory agencies will determine whether certain raw
materials can be used for animal feed. Customer expectations, consumer demand,
and economic considerations will dictate product specifications and prices.
References
Batterham, E.S., L.M. Andersen, [Link], S.A. Beech, and R. Elliot. 1990. Utilization
of ileal digestible amino acids by pigs: lysine. British Journal of Nutrition. 64:679.
Beumer, H., and A.F.B. Van der Poel. 1997. Effects on hygienic quality of feeds examined.
Feedstuffs. 69(53): 13-15, (excerpted from: Expander Processing of Animal Feeds
Chemical Physical and Nutritional Effects; Wageningen Feed Processing Centre,
Agricultural University, Wageningen, Netherlands).
Dale, N. 1997. Metabolizable energy of meat and bone meal. J. Applied Poultry Research.
6:169-173.
15

Essential RenderingOverviewMeeker and Hamilton

European Commission. 2003. Trends and sources of zoonotic agents in the European Union
and Norway, 2003. Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General Report on
Salmonella. pp. 51-62.
Federal Register. 2005. Docket No. 2002N-0273, Substances Prohibited From Use in
Animal Food or Feed. 70:58570-58601.
Firman, J.D. 1992. Amino acid digestibilities of soybean meal and meat meal in male and
female turkeys of different ages. J. Applied Poultry Research. 1:350-354.
Hamilton, C.R. 2004. Real and Perceived Issues Involving Animal Proteins. In Protein
Sources for the Animal Feed Industry. Expert Consultation and Workshop. Bangkok, April
29, 2002. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome. pp. 255-276.
Informa Economics. 2004. An Economic and Environmental Assessment of Eliminating
Specified Risk Materials and Cattle Mortalities from Existing Markets. Prepared for
National Renderers Association, August 2004. pp. 5-10.
Jorgenson, H., W.C. Sauer, and P.A. Thacker. 1984. Amino acid availabilities in soybean
meal, sunflower meal, fish meal and meat and bone meal fed to growing pigs. J. Animal
Science. 58:926.
Knabe, D.A., D.C. La Rue, E.J. Gregg, G.M. Martinez, and T.D. Tanksley. 1989. Apparent
digestibility of nitrogen and amino acids in protein feedstuffs by growing pigs. J. Animal
Science. 67:441-458.
McChesney, D.G., G. Kaplan, and P. Gardner. 1995. FDA survey determines Salmonella
contamination. Feedstuffs. 67:2023.
National Renderers Association. 2003. A Buyers Guide to Rendered Products, 15-16.
National Research Council. 1994. Nutrient Requirements of Poultry: Ninth Revised Edition.
NRC. 1998. Nutrient Requirements of Swine, 10th ed. National Academy Press, Washington,
DC.
Parsons, C.M., F. Castanon, and Y. Han. 1997. Protein and amino acid quality of meat and
bone meal. J. Poultry Science. 76:361-368.
Pearl, G.G. 2001. Proc. Midwest Swine Nutrition Conf. Sept. 5. Indianapolis, IN.
Powles, J., J. Wiseman, D.J.A. Cole, and S. Jagger. 1995. Prediction of the Apparent
Digestible Energy Value of Fats Given to Pigs. J. Animal Science. 61:149-154.
Shurson, G.C. 2001. Overview of swine nutrition research on the value and application of
distiller's dried grains with solubles produced by Minnesota and South Dakota ethanol
plants. Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul.
Shurson, G.C. 2005. Issues and Opportunities Related to the Production and Marketing of
Ethanol By-Products. USDA Ag Market Outlook Forum, Arlington, VA, February 23-25,
2005, pp. 1-8.
Sreenivas, P.T. 1998. Salmonella Control Strategies for the Feed Industry. Feed Mix.
6:5:8.
Taylor, D.M., S.L. Woodgate, and M. J. Atkinson. 1995. Inactivation of the Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy Agent by Rendering Procedures. Veterinary Record. 137:605610.
Troutt, H.F., D. Schaeffer, I. Kakoma, and G.G. Pearl. 2001. Prevalence of Selected Foodborne
Pathogens in Final Rendered Products. Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), Inc.,
Directors Digest #312.
Wiseman, J.F., F. Salvador, and J. Craigon. 1991. Prediction of the Apparent Metabolizable
Energy Content of Fats Fed to Broiler Chickens. J. Poultry Science. Vol. 70:1527-1533.

16

A HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN RENDERING

Fred D. Bisplinghoff, D.V.M.
IntroductionWhat Is Rendering?
Rendering is the recycling of raw animal tissue from food animals, and
waste cooking fats and oils from all types of eating establishments into a variety of
value-added products. During the rendering process, heat, separation technology,
and filtering are applied to the material to destroy microbial populations, remove
moisture, extract fat from the protein, and remove moisture and proteinaceous
material from the fat.
In the United States, approximately 54 billion pounds of inedible animal
tissue are generated annually, which represents approximately 37 to 49 percent of
the live weight of each slaughtered food animal. Rendering is the safest, most
economical method of inactivating disease-causing microbes while recovering
billions of dollars worth of marketable commodities.
The Beginning
The recycling of animal by-products into useful commodities is not a
recent innovation. The cave people, the ancient Jordanians, the Eskimos, the
Indiansone could go on and onall ate far more of the animal than we do, but
they also were innovative and utilized what they didnt eat to improve their way of
life. The hides and skins provided them with clothing and shelter, bones and teeth
provided weapons and sewing utensils and they burned the waste fat to cook the
meat. Frank Burnham, author of The Invisible Industry, performed an excellent
service for renderers by giving them an insight into the evolution of their industry in
the books first chapter, An Industry is Born. Burnham also wrote the first chapter
of The Original Recyclers, The Rendering Industry: A Historical Perspective, and
these documents served as the primary resource for the first section of this chapter.
As would be expected, tallow was sought after and became the principal
commodity that drove the development of rendering. It continued to be the
dominant economic force in rendering from the Galls, to the Romans, through the
Middle Ages melters, to the twentieth century renderers through the early 1950s. In
The Invisible Industry, Burnham tells the story of the Roman scholar, Plinius
Secundas, otherwise known as Pliny the Elder. He reported a cleansing
compound prepared from goats tallow and wood ashes; this, then, is the earliest
record of soap and, ergo, the first record of renderingthe melting down of animal
fat to obtain tallow.
During the Roman era, soap was described as a means of cleaning the body
and as a medicament. In about AD 800, Jabir ibn Hayyan, an Arab chemist known
as the Father of Alchemy, wrote repeatedly of soap as an effective means of

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

cleaning. Soap seems to have been limited to cleaning hair and body until the mid1800s, when it became a laundry product.
It is important to understand that soap ultimately became the principal
product made from tallow, but soap essentially was a by-product until the latter part
of the nineteenth century. Candles were developed to meet a serious needlight
and since tallow was the major component of early candles, the demand for tallow
contributed significantly to the development of rendering. Whether by dipping or
using molds, tallow produced only a pretty good candle. Then, as now, there was
fierce competition to find superior alternate products to replace a commonly used
ingredient which led to bees wax replacing tallow, then palm oil, and finally
paraffin wax.
Burnham brought forth an interesting trivia question about candle
manufacturing when he described the spermaceti candle. This is a candle
produced from oil from the head cavity of a sperm whale. The candle became the
standard measure for artificial light, the term one candle power being based on the
light given by a pure spermaceti candle weighing one-sixth of a pound and
burning 120 grains an hour.
As mentioned earlier, soap ultimately became the principal product made
from tallow. Marseille, France produced the very best soap and all soap, regardless
of quality, was heavily taxed and was only for the wealthy. When the taxes were
removed and it became available to the middle class, this gave rise to a greater
demand, which led to more sophisticated rendering operations.
The world soap and rendering industry grew in tandem for over 100 years
because the soapers used tallow as their principal ingredient. The superior quality
tallows found their way into toilet soaps and the lower grades produced lowerpriced bar and eventually flake laundry soap. Between 1950 and 1965, the
rendering industry underwent an extremely traumatic period. The advent of
synthetic detergents in the mid-1950s dealt the renderer a massive blow. Actually,
synthetics (primarily based on the use of phosphates) were the result of research by
the soap industry, aimed at resolving a growing problem with the use of natural
soap powders in hard water. The driving force was to get rid of the curd which
tended to remain in the material being washed and which built up from wash to
wash.
In 1950, the U.S. rendering industry sold 1.1 billion pounds of fats to soap
manufacturers. From that high point, it declined to a low of approximately 146
million pounds in 2000 before rebounding to 257 million pounds in 2005 (Figure 1).
It was a linear decline from the 1950s until the mid-1970s, when due to increases in
popularity and advertising investments, tallow registered a recovery. One factor in
the brief boost was the introduction of Dial, a very popular bactericide toilet soap by
Armour and Co. Currently many bar soaps are detergent based, and edible tallow is
the predominant fat in top-quality toilet soaps.
The initial discovery of animal proteins was incidental to rendering
animal fats for edible consumption, soap, and candle production. Generally, they
were treated as wastes, and discarded. The American Indian, not wanting to waste
any part of an animal, placed deer blood or offal from wild animals and fish around
18

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

the stalks of their corn and experienced higher yields and larger ears, thus
establishing an early use of proteins as fertilizer. At the turn of the century, as
animal slaughter plants grew and expanded with the growth of trading centers,
rendering also expanded, becoming a convenient disposal method not only for fats,
but also for offal and bones. The use of animal fats continued with the solid, protein
portion being generally spread on land for what fertilizer value it provided.
Figure 1. Use of Animal Fats in Soap Industry.

1,200.0
1,100

Million Pounds

1,000.0
800.0

770

732

600.0

574

400.0

391
257

224.8

200.0

145.4

0.0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

Meat and bone meal was the first protein supplement to be added to an allgrain ration for swine and it demonstrated the value of balanced rations. The initial
use of animal proteins as a feed ingredient is related in the following story from The
National Provisioners historical Meat for the Multitudes, published July 4, 1981.
One of the most significant developments of the early 1900s was
the discovery that digester tankagepreviously used as a
fertilizer materialwas valuable as an animal feed constituent.
At that time a minimum of nine months was required to produce a
hog of marketable weight and finish. Corn alone was used for
fattening, and farmers were able to raise only one pig crop per
year because of the time needed to bring the animal to market
weight.
In 1901, Professor C. S. Plumb of Purdue Universityperhaps taking a
hint from European feeding practicesadded a quantity of animal protein material
to the corn ration being fed to pigs at Purdue. The protein supplement used was
tankage. Plumbs experiment induced such an acceleration of growth that his pigs
19

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

were ready for market in seven months or less. About the same time other
experimenters were mixing dried blood with various cereals to produce better
feeding rations. Swift & Company took pride in the fact that the 1903 international
car lot champion hogs, 52 animals averaging 365 pounds and dressing out at 84
percent, had been fed on the firms digester tankage. Discovery of this new outlet
for by-products was indicative of the advances being made in and for the industry
through greater use of science and scientists.
The Emergence of a U.S. Rendering Industry
The first soap plants in the United States were located in New England and
they were supplied by rendering operations associated with packing houses. The
demand for soap grew dramatically after the Civil War, and small independent
renderers sprang up to procure fallen animals and service the small slaughtering
establishments. Boston was one of the major meat packing centers in the late
1600s, but most slaughtering was still done on the farm until around 1850 to 1875.
The first record of a combined slaughter and meat packing plant in the United States
was in Alton, Illinois in 1832.
While the meat packing, rendering, and soap industries became more
organized in the eastern United States, there was the beginning of fat melting
operations in the undeveloped western United States in the 1880s. The early
western cattlemen had similarities to the professional buffalo hunters. Buffalo Bill
and his associates only harvested the buffalo hides, leaving the carcasses to rot on
the plains. The cattlemen also highly valued the cattle hide, but did render the fatty
parts of the animals to produce tallow for shipment to the eastern U.S. soap plants.
Burnham, in The Invisible Industry, included the notes of an early western cattle
trader by the name of Cleveland Larkin. In 1846, Larkin was trying to arrive at the
value of a steer. Hides were worth $2.00 and depending on the size of the animal
you could produce two or three arrobas of tallow (25 lb per arroba) at $1.50 an
arroba, thus netting $5.00 a head without the meat value. By salting or drying only
the select cuts, the trader could sell approximately 50 lb of dried beef for 20 cents a
pound, therefore receiving approximately $15.00 per head. The transition from just
slaughtering the animals for their hides to rendering the fat and salting or drying the
meat enabled enterprising cowboys to establish commercial businessescustom
slaughtering operations. These facilities in the western and eastern United States
were the forerunners of the thousands of custom locker plants that sprang up in the
United States in the 1900s. The charge for this service was $4.50 in 1850, and the
same process without rendering was only $15.00 in 1975. The reason for this
nominal increase was that the modern slaughtering plant received the value of the
hide. Small slaughtering plants were one of the major suppliers of independent
renderers until the beginning of their decline in the late 1980s. The closing of these
small slaughterers (5 to 30 head per week) and the small packing houses (50 to 200
head per day) was a major factor that led to a decrease in the number of independent
rendering plants over the past 20 years.
20

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

In 1865, the Chicago Stockyards were built, which led to the establishment
of large packing house centers in cities such as St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, etc.
The advent of central slaughtering centers created a demand for larger volume and
more sophisticated rendering equipment to process the large quantity of raw byproducts from the slaughter of livestock.
Technological Advances in Rendering Systems
The turn of the century brought on increased livestock numbers and a
commensurate increase in fallen animals on farms. Farmers were still raising and
slaughtering their own poultry and pigs, but grocery stores in urban areas began to
generate a limited but growing volume of fat and bones for renderers. All of the
above dictated the need for improved rendering systems, but it wasnt until the
introduction of the dry rendered cooker in Germany in the 1920s that the industry
began to produce quality proteins as well as fat.
The open kettle process, which was dangerous, gave way to the autoclave
in the centralized packing house and independent rendering plants, but open kettle
rendering on the farm continued until the World War II era. The autoclave is a
metal vessel which could be charged with its load of fat, bones, and offal, sealed,
and live steam injected into it. Conducting the melting process at higher than
normal atmospheric pressure not only accelerated the process, but gave the renderer
greater control of the end products. It also enabled him to extract even more of the
fat from the raw material.
The system of rendering which called for adding water to the raw material
(dumping it in the open kettles in the earliest days or injecting it in the form of
steam in the sealed autoclave) was known as wet rendering. Since the main
objective of the rendering process, after all, is to separate the residual moisture in
the raw material from the fat and solids, the introduction of additional moisture,
which in turn would have to be removed, seemed to most renderers as
counterproductive.
In wet rendering, the fat floated to the surface where it was skimmed off.
The fat produced by this process was relatively light in color, but the long contact
with water increased the free fatty acid content. The excess water (stick water)
which contained soluble protein was discharged to the sewer or streams and rivers
which adjoined early rendering facilities.
The first mention of a method to release the fat from the membranous
material was in the London Encyclopedia in 1829. It noted that more fat could be
sold if a manually operated press was used to press the meat material. The resulting
cake was called greaves, or cracklings, and was found to be an excellent feed for
dogs and ducks, the first record of feeding animal proteins to monogastric animals.
The manual iron press was later replaced by the hydraulic press in about 1850, and
in the late 1800s, the mechanical screw press was invented by V.D. Anderson.
For reasons of economy, particularly in the recovery of protein, the wet
rendering process was completely replaced by dry rendering. Many old time
21

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

renderers described the change from wet rendering to dry rendering as going from
cooking the raw material in water to cooking the by-products in their own juices.
In batch dry rendering, the raw animal by-products are added (ground or
un-ground) to a horizontal steam-jacketed cylinder equipped with an agitator. If the
raw product is un-ground, the vents are closed and pressure is built up in the cooker
to disintegrate the bones and other large particle raw material. This pressure
cooking step is eliminated with ground raw material.
In dry rendering, the fat cells open due to changes in the cell walls of the
tissue as moisture evaporates. Four quality-control procedures are especially
important in this cooking process, just as in all modern continuous systems:
1. Grinding and charging of the raw material
2. Control of jacket steam pressure
3. Agitator operation (revolutions per minute or RPM)
4. End-point control, or cooking/drying temperatures
The end point in cooking is reached when the moisture content of the
greasy tankage is reduced to the point which gives the best operation in removing
the residual fat (pressing) and at the same time not overcooking and degrading
protein quality.
In the late 1950s, George Epsy, a maintenance man at Baker Commodities
in Los Angeles, suggested to Frank Jerome, then owner of the company, that he
believed a continuous cooking process could be developed with some engineering
assistance. Jack Keith of Keith Engineering was contacted and the team determined
that ground raw material could be conveyed through large metal tubes. Once that
was accomplished, the first prototype of a continuous cooker was born which
consisted of two pre-cookers (batch cookers in series) and three steam-jacketed
tubes as finishers. It took several years to finalize the design, but after much
dedicated effort, the single-vessel cooker, known as the continuous cooker, was
developed. The very first continuous cooker was installed at Denver Rendering
Company in the early 1960s. The steps in the batch and continuous rendering
processes may be seen in the outline of a continuous cooker system (Figure 2).
Over the years, renderers added sophisticated filtering and bleaching
operations, polishing centrifuges, refining equipment (removing free fatty acids),
and additional processing equipment. Other continuous systems are the multi-stage
evaporator (Carver-Greenfield or Stord Slurry), continuous preheat/press/evaporator
(wet or low temperature rendering) and modified preheat/press/evaporator. Table 1
shows estimates of the various rendering systems utilized by U.S. rendering plants.
Table 1. Breakdown of U.S. Rendering Systems by Type.
Batch Cookers

41

Continuous Multi-Stage Evaporator

Preheat/Press/Evaporator

Tube and Disc Continuous

219
22

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

Figure 2. Continuous Cooker Rendering System.

Raw Material

Size Reduction
(Crushing or Grinding)

Vapors

Particle Size

With or Without Fat Added

Condenser

Steam

Cooking
(Continuous Unit)

1st Stage Separation

(Drainer Screw)

Free Fat Run

Unpressed
Tankage

Residence Time
Discharge Temperature

2nd Stage Separation

(Screw Press)

Press Fat
APPI Sampling for Salmonella

Fat Polishing
(Centrifuge or Filter)

Screening & Grinding

Fat Product Storage

Protein Meal Storage

23

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

An Industry Matures
In 1956, most rendering plants would have been described as
manufacturing facilities in need of a lot of improvement. But in the last 50 years,
major changes have been made in plant technology, housekeeping, finished product
quality, and employee safety. Before World War II, rural independent renderers
depended on diseased, dying, disabled, and dead (called 4-D or fallen animals) as
the main source of raw material. It has been stated that every county in Iowa had at
least one rendering plant. The urban renderers as far back as 1900 were establishing
scrap routes that procured fat, bones, and offal from grocery stores and small
slaughtering plants. Before 1920, the major packers controlled both their own
captive tonnage and most street material as well. In 1920, an investigation by the
Federal Trade Commission (which resulted in a now historic consent decree and the
enactment of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921) appeared to break the
existing monopoly and trigger a major expansion in the number of renderers then
doing business. It was estimated there were 823 rendering plants in the United
States at that time. In 1927, The National Provisioner estimated 913 plants, with
Philadelphia and Baltimore having 15 each and Cincinnati supporting 14. Iowa had
the most plants with 123 facilities. Removing the 4-D animals from the producers
premises in a sanitary manner made a significant contribution to reducing the spread
of animal diseases.
The contribution of the renderer of yesterday and today to overall efforts to
maintain a clean and healthful environment is staggering. Up until the advent of
boxed beef in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the independent renderers had five
principal sources of raw material: shop fat and bones from retail food outlets and
fabrication plants; fallen animals; custom slaughterers fat, bones, and offal; small
packing house by-products; and waste cooking fats and oils. All of the above raw
material sources, except cooking grease, began to decline in the 1960s.
With the emergence of large livestock-producing units with improved
management and health care, and the development of other techniques to dispose of
fallen animals, the rural renderer, in spite of increased livestock numbers, procured
fewer dead animals. More important was the introduction of boxed beef, the
breaking of carcasses at the large packers plants that had their own rendering
plants, into primal, sub-primal, and consumer cuts. The drop of quality tonnage at
the supermarkets had a dramatic impact, not only in loss of tonnage, but in raw
products that produced superior-quality fats. Small packers could no longer
compete with the large packer slaughtering 4,000 cattle or 12,000 pigs a day.
Commensurate with the decline of the small packer, rural housewives of the 1980s
preferred purchasing their meat at the supermarket versus fattening a steer and
having it slaughtered and packaged for her freezer.
During the 1980s and 1990s, we experienced a shift from the independent
renderers handling the majority of the raw material to the large packer and
integrated poultry processors rendering, approximately, more than 75 percent of the
raw material tonnage (Table 2). The only growth areas enjoyed by the independent
renderer over the past 20 years have been waste cooking fats and oils and raw
24

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

poultry by-products. Unfortunately, only a few companies are strategically located

to service the growing poultry industry.
Table 2. Trends in U.S. Raw Material Procurement.
1970

1990

2000

Packer or IndependPoultry
ent
Renderer Renderer

Packer or IndependPoultry
ent
Renderer Renderer

Packer or
Poultry
Renderer

Independent
Renderer

Beef

56%

44%

71%

29%

85%

15%

Pork

60%

40%

65%

35%

70%

30%

Poultry

25%

75%

50%

50%

70%

30%

Source: Darling International, Inc.

All the above factors contributed to a consolidation of the independent

rendering industry while the overall available rendering tonnage (Table 3) increased
from approximately 30 billion pounds in 1977 to 40.5 billion pounds in 1995, and
approximately 54 billion by 2006. After deducting for raw by-products used in pet
food, renderers produce more than 11.2 billion pounds of animal derived proteins
and 10.9 billion pounds of rendered fats each year. Table 4 shows the decline in the
number of U.S. rendering plants since the early 1920s.
Table 3. Raw Material Available for Rendering Increased over the Years.

Billions of Pounds

1977

1989

1995

1998

2004

2006

30

36

40.5

42

52

54

Table 4. Number of U.S. Rendering Plants Decreased over the Years.

Number of Plants

1921

1927

1975

1997

2006

823

913

724

282

273

Note: Similar trends occurred in Canada, where there are currently 29 plants.

Several significant events came about in the 1950s and early 1960s that
enabled the rendering industry to withstand the loss of sales to the soap industry:
High energy rations for poultry, swine, and feedlot cattle (use of fats in
feed)
Emergence of the pet food industry that used fats and proteins
Increased usage of tallow by fatty acid industry
Growth of fast food outlets (making available waste cooking fats and
oils)
25

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

The growth of the poultry industry not only provided an excellent customer
for proteins and fats, but also created raw material for many independent renderers.
Research at the University of Maryland and by Dr. Oliver Wilder of the American
Meat Institute Research Foundation demonstrated that poultry could utilize high
energy rations if the nutritionists maintained the proper caloric-to-essential amino
acid ratio. Along with the increase of fats in feed, the industry developed a method
to process feathers into a high-nutrient ingredient that added another commodity for
renderers to market. Table 5 illustrates the usage of fats in feed by species.
Table 5. Estimated Usage of Fats in Animal Feeds (Millions of Pounds).
19871

19912

Type of Feed

Type of Feed

Yellow
Grease

Added
Fat

Yellow
Grease

Added
Fat

Swine

160

250

250

300

Beef Cattle

195

240

200

250

Dairy Cattle

55

100

50

200

Broilers

310

1,025

400

1,200

Layers

15

30

20

35

Turkeys

120

350

300

500

Dogs

90

365

50

400

Cats

20

75

10

100

Other Species (Veal)

20

40

25

50

985

2,475

1,305

3,035

TOTAL:
1

2
SRI International 1987.
Fats and Proteins Research Foundation.
Editors note: Current usage data by species are not readily available.

When pet owners moved away from feeding table scraps to their
companion animals, there was a significant expansion of pet food manufacturing
plants. With the introduction of nutrient dense extruded pet food, this industry
consumed large quantities of tallow, meat and bone meal, poultry by-product meal,
and poultry fat. Table 6 gives a species breakdown of animal protein utilization.
Table 6. Animal Protein Utilization by Species.
Dogs and Cats

Poultry

Swine

All Cattle

Miscellaneous

39%

38%

15%

5%

3%

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Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

Table 7. Fatty Acid and Lubricant Usage (Millions of Pounds).

Fatty Acids

2001

2002

2003

2004

2,060

2,178

2,235

2,374

2,271

119

112

110

112

364

Lubricants

2005

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Current Industrial Report M311K, 2005.

As the population exploded in the 1960s and 1970s, there was an increased
demand for products that included fatty acids from animal fats. Competitively
priced animal fats were an excellent source for fatty acids since the 1950s. Even
with the increase in animal fat prices and fierce competition from other lipids, usage
of rendered animal fats in the fatty acid and lubricant industry is being maintained at
a reasonable level. Table 7 illustrates the usage pattern in this industry over the past
several years.
By 1950, the rendering industry was producing more than 2.3 billion
pounds of tallow and grease annually. A healthy export market developed, with the
assistance of the USDAs Foreign Agriculture Service, and in 1950 the U.S.
rendering industry exported one-half billion pounds of animal fats. In 1960, the
production figure had increased to more than 3.5 billion pounds and exports were up
to nearly 1.8 billion pounds. In 1970, the same figures stood at 5.4 billion and 2.6
billion pounds, respectively. 1995 was the high water mark for animal fats exports.
Figure 3. Exports of Inedible Fats.

3,500.0

3300

Million Pounds

3,000.0

2920
2770
2700

2600

2,500.0

2260 2270
2100

2,000.0

1800

1,500.0
1,000.0
500.0

500

0.0
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

27

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

As U.S. production of animal fats continued to increase, the proportion

exported steadily declined in recent years, except for 1995. In contrast to this
decline, animal proteins have demonstrated a continued increase in exports over the
past 20 years (Figure 3) until the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and 1998. Chinas
growing protein market helped offset the loss of tonnage in Southeast Asia, until
they became concerned about ruminant material, including cattle, sheep, and goat
tissue in mixed specie meat and bone meal imported for poultry and swine feed.
The level of sheep and goat product in U.S. meat and bone meal is infinitesimal, but
there are sophisticated DNA tests that can detect parts per billion.
There is no scientific evidence that indicates that scrapie-infected (scrapie
is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy disease) tissue causes bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the so-called mad cow disease. BSE is just
another trade barrier. Only two indigenous U.S. cows have been diagnosed with
BSE, and those were born well before the 1997 ruminant feed ban. But this has
been an excuse for many foreign customers to ban U.S. beef, tallow, and meat and
bone meal without scientific justification. This challenge will be discussed in more
detail in other chapters.
The rendering industrys ability to address its many challenges would have
been severely hampered without the excellent associations organized within the
industry. With the assistance of many dedicated volunteer renderers and skilled
professional leadership, the National Renderers Association, Fats and Proteins
Research Foundation, and Animal Protein Producers Industry have all become
organizations that renderers can point to with pride. These groups have commanded
the respect of both the business and government communities. Publishing this book
illustrates the strength and contribution of these organizations. Industry maturity
and prosperity are assured by the ability of these trade groups to properly represent
U.S. renderers domestically and throughout the world.
References
Bisplinghoff, Fred. 1995. Cooking Primer. Render. Vol. 24, No 5.
Burnham, Frank. 1978. The Invisible Industry. National Renderers Association.
Burnham, Frank. 1996. The Rendering Industry: A Historical Perspective. The Original
Recyclers. National Renderers Association.
Cleland, Robert C. 1928. March of Industry. Powell Publishing Co.
Monier-Williams, Randall. 1897. Londons Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers.
Cheswick Press.
Swisher, Kent. 2004. Market Report. Render. Vol. 33, No 2.
The National Provisioner. 1981. Meat for the Multitudes.
The National Provisioner. 1927. Rendering.
Underhill, Reuben L. 1939. Cow Hides to Golden Fleece: a Narrative of California, 18321858, based upon...Correspondence of Thomas Oliver Larkin. Stanford University Press.

28

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

Early Organization Record.

29

Essential RenderingHistoryBisplinghoff

Early New York Rendering Company.

Syracuse Rendering (Corenco), 1912.

30

RENDERING OPERATIONS
Douglas P. Anderson
Vice-President, Rendering
Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Summary
Whether rendered products are used in feed for ruminants, poultry, swine,
pets, or aquaculture, or for industrial uses of fatty acids, rendering operations and
how they are performed will influence production costs, sales quality, and financial
success. This chapter will include systems descriptions, a brief operating overview
of each system, and challenges, present and future. Also described are systems for
management of the process to fulfill regulatory requirements and ISO- or HACCPlike systems.
Energy consumption, production methods, quality control, process control,
and the resulting products are all primarily dependent on the raw material and the
condition in which it enters the respective processing system. Although it is still
impossible to make a silk purse from a sows ear, the selection and operation of a
particular system can lead to the highest quality finished product possible from a
given raw material. Conversely, any system poorly maintained and operated can
ruin even the highest quality and freshest of raw material. Environmental
repercussions discussed in another chapter are also highly influenced by operations
parameters, the system, and the way it is controlled for its process efficiency.
Through the years, various techniques have also been employed to alter the
finished quality of the rendered products.
Various bleaching techniques,
antioxidants, additives, and sometimes adulterants can facilitate chemical detection
methods used to classify finished products higher on the quality and price scale than
would be possible otherwise. Hence, the basic need for a complete understanding
of each raw material, processing system, operating technique, and quality control
method used in order to maximize the economic gain, while complying with all
requirements and regulations at the same time.
Rendering Systems
Wet Rendering
Wet rendering is a system which leaves a high amount of moisture in the
product, until, or if, it is to be dried. It is most commonly applied today in the
rendering of edible fats and oils and in the production of items such as partially
defatted chopped beef or condensed beef. The earliest of these was an open kettle
fired with wood or coal. Fat rising to the top was skimmed off for use. Open kettle
wet rendering was quite common on a small scale. There is more detail on this
process in the chapter on edible rendering.

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Dry Rendering
Dry rendering is done with or without an initial pressurization stage
(sterilization) and it is the most common system used today. In the middle third of
the twentieth century, the dry rendering batch cooker came to nearly universal use.
In the beginning, before adequate pre-breaking or pre-crushing was used, large
pieces of animals or offal could be pressurized in the batch cooker prior to drying.
This had the same effect as a home pressure cooker and would cause the bones to
become more brittle, softer, and easier to handle. Particle size reduction technology
eliminated the need for the pressure step for size reduction. However, this
pressurization system was re-deployed in Europe as an extra log reduction factor for
their bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) control programs. It is unlikely that
it will be used again in North America, as other control schemes have been
employed to control BSE. There is more detail on the dry rendering process in the
chapter on edible rendering.
Pressure is regularly used for hair and feathers to achieve protein
digestibility. This can be in a batch or continuous process. Drying of hair meal
today is not prevalent, as most of the hydrolyzed hair is added back to the raw
material pit and rendered with the rest of the raw material. This has a negative
effect on fat yield, yet it is the most practical and energy efficient way of handling
the hair. Feathers need the pressure treatment to break the difficult keratin protein
bonds. Digestibility levels of nearly 100 percent can be achieved chemically, but
that may destroy the availability of the amino acids. Research in the 1970s and
1980s demonstrated a level of 68 to 75 percent digestibility by a pepsin test actually
provided the maximum feed value of feather meal. More information on
digestibility of feather meal is presented in the chapter on the use of rendered
products in poultry nutrition.
Edible Rendering
Edible fats and oils are designated as high temperature or low temperature,
as is the resulting tissue. Tissue with enough meat processed at low temperature is
beef or pork with the meat-like definitions. High temperature product that is not to
be designated as cooked or ready to eat, will generally wind up as meat and
bone meal through another rendering system, or possibly go to pet food. Condensed
beef is a newer term, and has certain production characteristics that are specialized.
Please refer to the chapter on edible rendering.
Batch Rendering
When a system is operating in a batch manner, it becomes a batch system.
Even a continuous cooker can be operated in a batch mode. A batch cooker is
designed to be loaded, processed to a percentage dry, and then discharged for fat
separation. A batch cooker can function as a cooker, dryer, hydrolyzer, or
processor, yet it is still the same piece of equipment. With minor modifications,
and with or without internal pressurization, a batch cooker can be used for each
purpose. It can have a heated shaft as well as shell, increasing the heating surface
32

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

and efficiency of heat transfer. When used as a sterilization step, the heated shaft
can minimize the time required to attain temperature and pressure parameters.
Continuous Rendering
Generally defined as continuous in-feed and continuous out-feed with
many still in use, there have been a number of continuous systems employed in the
past. One of the first was the Anco Strata-Flow system. By connecting a series of
modified batch cookers in a unique fashion, this became the first real continuous
system.
Carver-Greenfield systems came on the scene at about the same time that
Dupps, along with Keith Engineering, created the DUKE system. Today known as
Equacookers, they are the most commonly employed units in North America. The
ease of operation before sophisticated computer controls was a major factor in their
success.
Companies such as Atlas and Stord-Bartz brought their fish meal knowhow to North America in the late 1970s, and became well-known in the 1980s. By
using their unique disc dryer/cookers, waste heat evaporators, mechanical vapor
recompression, and improving on the original Carver-Greenfield design, they
developed a large market share in the poultry and red meat industries.
Consolidation has occurred in equipment supply as with the rendering
industry as a whole. Dupps, and now Haarslev (consolidating Haarslev, Svaertek,
Stord Bartz, and Atlas-Stord), along with Anco-Eaglin (the modern ANCO), are the
major providers of equipment to the North American market. Several other
companies provide specialized equipment, rebuilding and repair services,
centrifuges, and other options for the industry. With nearly round-the-clock
operations, it is essential to have a plant and system that remains in an operating
condition, with low downtime and energy efficiency.
Continuous Rendering Material Flows (Figure 1)
Material to be rendered is received for temporary storage in raw material
bins. Raw material is conveyed from the bins by a raw material conveyor and
discharged across a magnet to remove ferrous metal contaminants. A raw material
grinder then reduces the raw material to a uniform particle size for material
handling and improved heat transfer in the cooking step. The ground raw material
is fed at a controlled rate from a metering bin into a continuous cooker.
The continuous cooker is an agitated vessel generally heated by boiler
steam. It brings the raw material to a temperature between 240 and 290F
(approximately 115 to 145C), evaporating moisture and freeing fat from protein
and bone. Dehydrated slurry of fat and solids is discharged from the continuous
cooker at a controlled rate.
The discharged slurry is transported to a drainer conveyor. The drainer
conveyor separates liquid fat from the solids, which are then conveyed from the
drainer conveyor by a discharge conveyor. In the discharge conveyor, solids from
the drainer conveyor are combined with the solids discharge from the settling tank
33

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of a Continuous Dry Rendering Process.

VAPOR CONDENSER

Adapted from a drawing from The Dupps Company.

Available in color at [Link]/Continuous_rendering_system/[Link]

and from the decanter-type centrifuge. The solids from the discharge conveyor go
to the screw presses, which reduce the solids fat content to about 10 to 12 percent.
Solids that bypass the screw presses are recycled back to the cooker. Solids
discharged from the screw presses in the form of pressed cake go to the pressed
cake conveyor for transport to further processing into meal. The fat removed in the
screw presses goes to the press fat conveyor, which separates large particles from
the liquid fat and returns them to the discharge conveyor. The fat from the press fat
34

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

conveyor is pumped to the settling tank. Fat discharged from the drainer conveyor
goes into the settling tank. In the settling tank the heavier bone and protein particles
settle to the bottom, where they are discharged by screw conveyor into the discharge
conveyor. Liquid fat from the settling tank is pumped to the centrifuge, which
removes residual solid impurities from the fat. The solids from the centrifuge go to
the discharge conveyor. The clarified fat is transported to further processing or to
storage as finished fat.
Water vapor exits the continuous cooker through a vapor duct system that
generally includes an entrainment trap to separate and return entrained particles to
the continuous cooker. The vapor duct system transports the vapor stream to a
vapor condenser. Non-condensable gases are removed from the condenser by a
non-condensable fan. Odorous gases generated at various points in the process are
collected by a ductwork system and are transported along with the non-condensable
gases from the condenser to an odor control system for neutralization of odorous
components.
Waste Heat Evaporation
Employing an evaporator with a continuous cooker, a waste heat system
offers energy savings that will continue to be very important as the global energy
balance continues to shift. Some systems installed in the early 1980s are still
operating efficiently. Waste heat is also very important to the meat processing
industry for generation of hot water. Rising energy costs have a negative effect on
plants that do not employ waste heat to generate their hot water.
Low temperature separation, originally used in fish meal production,
allowed many of these waste heat systems to achieve very low energy consumption
numbers, especially on materials with high water content. Finished product fat
quality is also enhanced in any low temperature system. However, care must be
taken to prevent rancidity in this fat. Generally heating the dry fat past 250F, one
time, will accomplish this. It also serves to dry the fat to a lower moisture level.
Waste heat recovery evaporators can be falling film, rising film, or forced
flash designs. All have certain advantages and disadvantages, and selection for the
characteristics of the liquid is critical. Pre-heating the feed liquid may be required
for coagulation of the soluble protein generated in the preheating process, and a glue
breaking step may have to be added to allow the easy use of the concentrate into a
dryer or cooker. Fish and porcine materials typically have more issues with glue
due to the temperatures at which it is released from the material.
Continuous Slurry Systems
These were the various systems such as Carver-Greenfield, and have
undergone subsequent changes and improvements by a number of manufacturers.
Both designs by Dupps and Atlas-Stord, as well as others, created slurry evaporators
that have been supplied successfully. These high capacity systems produce a meal
with very good digestibility, as well as good fat quality. They are highly energy
efficient, but did not get good results on log reduction of BSE prion infectivity in
European tests because of the very short residence time.
35

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Fish Meal Systems

Although not employed in a large number of plants, this predominantly
mechanical system is extremely energy efficient and, without a doubt, produces the
highest quality fats and oils from any raw material that is possible to obtain.
Capable of large capacity throughput and energy efficiency, their use may increase
in the North American market in the future.
Low temperature separation is utilized for high product quality in finished
meals and fat. The meals are still subjected to a long drying process, but the low
temperature yields enhanced quality of fats due to a lower thermal stress.
Combination Systems and Retrofits
The innovation of the North American rendering industry is no more
visible than it is in the various combinations of systems that have been created by
connecting equipment from the different equipment companies. Combinations have
been applied to provide the most economical, viable, and operable systems possible
to process each combination of unique raw materials available to the industry.
Many companies employ pieces of equipment from various manufacturers,
constantly seeking the best system to process the unique raw material stream they
may have. There is no one system fits all in modern rendering. Selection of the
ultimate system for each operation will continue to be a challenge in the future.
Managing BTUs
British thermal units (BTUs) are a way of measuring heat energy output.
As any thermodynamic engineer will tell you, BTUs are BTUs, and they all cost
money. Therefore, the loss of BTUs in any operating system is a revenue loss to
the operating company. The paper industry is always held up as the best at hunting,
capturing, and utilizing stray BTUs. The rendering industry has done a good job in
the past, but success in the future will definitely depend on each companys ability
to use each BTU with the utmost efficiency. Energy will continue to be one of the
top three cost categories in every operation.
Steam
As the main driving force in the evaporation of water from the raw
material, steam is the single most costly part of the energy balance. Steam usage for
the evaporation is a main consideration in the selection of a rendering system. As
energy costs appear to be on the rise for the future, it is essential that steam usage be
evaluated, controlled, and conserved. Any leak must be addressed immediately.
Hot Water Generation
Waste heat recovery through hot water generation is a major energy
advantage to meat processors or others that have a need for large amounts of hot
water on-site. The cost of hot water may outweigh the use of other recovery
systems, and dictate hot water recovery as the best recovery method. Engineering a
site for energy efficiency must include all of these comparisons.
36

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Anaerobic Digestion for Methane Production

Rendering wastewater and condensate usually contain sufficient nutrients
to necessitate further wastewater treatment. Anaerobic digestion not only reduces
odor levels, but can provide valuable methane for use in the boiler system. Cost
justification of biogas recovery and use becomes easier as energy prices soar. More
systems based on this principle appear every year.
Availability and Choice of Fuel
The availability and choices of fuels can make or break success in locating
a new plant, or retrofitting an old one. It is helpful to analyze and try to predict the
variability in the future energy market. Any recoverable or recyclable fuel will be a
plus. Risk management in the cost of energy will always be a challenge.
Stand-by or Alternative Fuel
As with the main fuel for a facility, the stand-by capacity must also be
available in good supply. Without such consideration in the stand-by fuels, the
facility may not be able to operate continuously.
Refuse Boilers
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations may or may not allow
the choice of refuse boilers. However, the significant energy savings possible
justify their consideration in the continual plant evaluations necessary today.
Heat Sink for Co-generation
Rendering plants are a perfect heat sink for cogeneration plants as they
have a large steam requirement, and typically operate most hours in a week. A heat
sink captures heat that would otherwise be wasted and uses it for production.
Waste Heat Thermal Oxidizers
A new facility must compare this option, especially if a zero-discharge
facility may be required.
Using Fat as Boiler Fuel
In order to manage supplies and market gluts, fat can often be used directly
as fuel in boilers on the same site at which it is rendered.
Nearby Opportunities
Collecting landfill gas for steam production and cogeneration of electricity
is one way to capitalize on available alternatives.
Managing Quality
Much of this management has to occur at the source of the raw material,
because the fresher, the better. Selecting the balance for economic viability is
always a challenge. Cost of capital and geographic location will have the most
37

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

effect on finished product quality. Selection of the processing system is also

critical. Establishing the balance for individual company success creates the puzzle
to be solved.
A number of other chapters refer to uses and suitability of rendered
products for various purposes. The quality of that rendered product will determine
its ability for a given purpose. Proper operation of the system selected is essential
for achieving quality, as well as the raw material used for production. Nutritional
uses will demand standards of production that guarantee high quality. Some nonnutritional uses have equally stringent quality requirements.
MIU (moisture, insolubles, and unsaponifiables) requirements have now
seen further refinements. The 0.15 percent insoluble requirement for tallow from
the OIE (Office of International Epizootics, now known as the World Organization
for Animal Health) necessitates increased process techniques to achieve. New
technologies will continue to be introduced, and rendering operations must
continually embrace new developments in order to maintain the use of rendered
products in as many areas as possible. Recovering the costs incurred by these
upgrades becomes difficult.
Although expensive, refrigeration is still an alternative to manage the
freshness of the raw material, and hence the quality of the finished products made
from that material. Within an integrated facility of a meat processor, it is much
easier.
Antioxidants in raw material play a key role in maintaining the quality of
the finished products, especially in the poultry industry. When added to raw
material, oxidation is retarded, and good quality pet food grade products can be
recovered from a larger volume of the material. Of course, there is an added cost
for these additives.
Bactericides can be effective in preserving raw material from degradation.
No matter what method is used, retarding putrefaction results in higher quality
products. Research continues in this and many other areas to provide solutions to
everyday problems.
Raw Material
Selecting an operating system can be dependent on the freshness and type
of raw material available. Downstream use is also dependent on properly processed
raw material. Operating, maintaining, and constantly evaluating the raw material
collection system is mandatory. And, as strange as this may sound, this holds true
for on-site rendering at a meat processor. The cleanest, freshest, and most valuable
raw materials can be ruined on-site, as well as being degraded due to weather, time
of hauling, distance, and equipment breakdowns. Natural putrefaction begins
immediately upon death, and there are no exceptions. Methods exist to retard this
process, yet they also add to the cost and must be evaluated accordingly.

38

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Regulatory Influence
Although the North American industry has been successful in cooperation
with the regulatory agencies, it has not been without difficulty. As one of the most
highly regulated industries before and after the advent of BSE, and after watching
the European debacle, the industry has survived by continuing its proactive work
with all of the regulatory agencies. Operations, and operating costs, can be
influenced every day by the regulatory environment. Operations personnel must
therefore be trained in the severe consequences resulting from non-compliance.
The availability of raw material for rendering can also be stopped by
regulation. BSE has caused tremendous upheaval in rendering in many areas
around the world. The precautionary principle will likely continue to alter the
way the industry functions in the future.
Figure 2. Raw Material Receiving.

39

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Evaluating a System from Beginning to End

Raw In-feed
Condition of the Raw Material: Consider worst case scenarios.
Type of Raw Material: A system can be modified if there are changes in
materials (hard, soft, hair, blood, feathers, restaurant grease, other). Choosing a
flexible system will reduce future costs.
Capacity of the System: Typical plans are made for full production plus
cleanup each 24 hours. In a packinghouse environment, cleanup must occur each
day to satisfy federal inspection requirements. If rendering is on the same site as
slaughter and meat processing, a separate building may relieve the daily cleanup
requirements, but cleanliness is still a requirement.
Capacity of Raw Material Holding Bins: Plans must be made to allow the
incoming raw material to be stored with buffer capacity for fluctuations in
volume. Requirements will vary greatly depending on the type of operation as well
as the type of raw material. The cost of downtime to a meat processing facility has
to be understood. Decisions on repair, replacement, and alternative means can only
be made properly if good information is available.
Covered or Uncovered Bins: The latest designs in covered bins with
hydraulic closure can help eliminate even more of the odors associated with the raw
material. They are not mandatory, but offer an excellent opportunity to make a
plant more fully enclosed and odor-free.
Product Storage Tanks: Storage logistics often depend on the geographic
location of the plant. Heating coils and good insulation are mandatory for
Minneapolis or Calgary, but these considerations are much different in Houston.
Confined Space Creation and Management: Work spaces such as tanks,
bins, and pits, and their design mandate rules of use for confined spaces. Because
of the possible accumulation of harmful gases, treat the area or item with respect.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other North
American agencies have issued many guidelines for worker safety and health.
Bin Drainage: Raw material composition will dictate the level of drainage
necessary in bins. Bin design will also impact their ability to convey any watery
substance. Pumps can move liquids efficiently and can overcome some bin or pit
design problems.
Floor Drainage: Scupper systems (a type of drain) added to the original
building design will permit the most effective collection of liquids from the floor
surface to be treated or reprocessed. Dry cleanup is preferred in meal areas, but
liquids must be able to reach a collection pit or sump.
Truck and Floor Wash Waters: Plant economics drive the decision to either
cook this protein-laden water, or deal with it in a waste treatment system. The level
of sanitation required, biosecurity, and other disease or disaster issues may alter the
need and method. For example, an animal disease outbreak may require a higher
level of pathogen control.

40

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Grinding Raw Material

Single Stage: Some grinding systems will allow one simple grinding step
that fulfills all requirements of the raw material processed. It is important to make
that decision in consideration of all of the parameters for the plant. Maintenance of
close-tolerance grinders without metal detection can be extremely costly.
Multi Stage: Some process systems employed today require multiple
grinding steps to achieve the optimum particle size. Slurry evaporator systems are a
good example of systems in which small-sized raw material is necessary.
Size Control for HACCP-like Programs: Grinders require enhanced
maintenance to produce consistent results. Any quality control system will include
the grinding step as critical to process outcome. Ultimate particle size dictates the
thermal efficiency of the system and is important to meet regulatory requirements.
Ease of Maintenance: Maintenance is always a decision factor, whether for
raw material or finished product equipment.
Thermal Requirements of Regulations: Time and temperature may become
part of the regulatory requirements in the future. These can be precisely controlled
in modern rendering systems.
Pressure Cooking: This is a regulatory requirement in other countries as a
disease control measure. Hair and feathers will continue to be processed with
pressure cooking to improve digestibility and product quality.
Figure 3. Grinder/Pre-breaker.

41

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Conveyance of Materials - Raw or Cooked

Cold Materials: Screw conveyors and pumps can be effectively utilized to
convey cold products. Maintenance and cost of capital are part of the decision
process.
Hot Materials: Cooked products can be effectively pumped, and pumps
have become an alternative to conveyors for that purpose. This technology will
continue to improve.
Salmonella and Other Pathogen Control: APPI has published many
guidelines for the control of Salmonella. The rendering process effectively
eliminates it, yet preventing meal from being re-contaminated continues to be
challenging.
Conveyors: Construction is a critical factor and there are many levels of
quality and construction. This can be one of the most confusing choices to make in
a plant. Carbon versus stainless, longevity, and maintenance costs must be
evaluated.
Pumps: Both raw materials and cooked products can be pumped
effectively. The type, style, capacity, and material of construction should all be
considered when a choice is made.
Distance Restrictions: Transportation costs have significantly reduced the
service area of a rendering plant. This will certainly continue as energy costs
escalate.
Cost Comparisons: The basic economics have to be carefully studied, and
all variables must be evaluated in predicting the overall cost structure of the process.
Materials of Construction versus Cost: Longevity of equipment will make
or break the financial model of a business. The ability of a constructed plant to
outlive its depreciation schedule is important. Thin carbon steel screw conveyors,
although very prevalent in initial construction due to costing, are not the economic
answer in all cases. In fact, they may actually increase the cost of operation over
the initial five years. Use of stainless steel and other alloys to increase the service
life of equipment can be compared economically to achieve the most cost-effective
mix for an operation.
Pressurization/Sterilization
Requirements for Regulations: Europe instituted pressure sterilization
requirements to help stem the amplification of BSE. These requirements were
intended to add extra logs of reduction in infectivity of contaminated materials.
(Since BSE was not able to establish or amplify in North America, these
requirements have not been instituted as of September 2006.)
Requirements for Optimum Use (Hair/Feathers): The keratin protein
characteristics of feathers and similar characteristics in hair have necessitated the
pressure hydrolysis of these products to increase their digestibility and amino acid
availability to animals so they can be used as feedstuffs. Subjected to pressure over
time, the tough protein bonds are severed, and the product is nearly
indistinguishable from other protein meals.
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Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Figure 4. Feather Cooker Hydrolyzers.

Cooking Step
System Dependent Characteristics: Different systems require different
parameters in the cooking step to achieve good finished product quality.
Quality Control Parameters: Temperature, condensing capacity, fat
content, and others must be used to control the quality parameters of the finished
product. Some of these are due to inherent advantages or disadvantages of the
system employed.
Heat Transfer Comparisons: Evaluating heat transfer must include the
materials of construction of the heating vessel, as there are significant and
insignificant differences in the metals used. Other factors such as longevity are also
part of this economic calculation.
Operating Cost Comparisons: It is always good to have benchmarks to
compare to when possible. Companies with multiple plants have access to such
data. Single plant operations must continually compare only against their past
performance. Using simple engineering calculations for BTU consumption is the
easiest. However, the BTU consumption of electricity must be added to the BTU
consumption of the steam or liquid heating in order to have an accurate comparison.
Only then can evaporator systems be effectively compared to cooker systems in
their overall efficiency. Theoretically you will not achieve better than 0.76 pounds
of steam to evaporate a pound of water, and anything over 1.50 pounds may indicate
poor efficiency. If you can achieve BTU usage of 800 BTU per pound of water
43

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

evaporated, it is fantastic. Usage should not exceed 1,500 BTUs per pound of water
evaporated.
Ease of Use: Control systems today are far advanced from the batch cooker
days. Trend lines and nearly instant control have made a quality output easier to
obtain. However, this does not eliminate the human factor that can introduce errors
and variability in performance.
Multi-Stage Evaporators or Cookers: As capacity requirements increase,
the size of the system must increase also. All of the considerations discussed in this
and other chapters become inputs to these decisions.
Residence Time for HACCP-like Quality Controls: Modern systems allow
easy tracking of time and temperature requirements needed to satisfy any regulatory
authority as well as product quality specifications.
Particle Size Required by System Consistent with Preparation Step: In the
selection of the operating system, particle size has to be viewed from beginning to
end to ensure that all parts of the system have size requirements satisfied.
Drainage Post Cooking
Static Screens: Static screens can be effective for certain products, but
provide difficulties with others. Each method has its proper place in modern
systems.
Drainage Screws: Efficiency of drainage screws must be judged by their
mechanical tolerance, drainage hole size, downstream fat handling, whether inclined
or not, and other factors. The efficient separation of the fats and oils from the
cooked product is a measure of profitability when the value of fat versus meal is
considered.
Rotary Screens: In high volume slurry systems, rotary screens have been
successful in fat separation and often have been less expensive alternatives to
centrifuges.
Vibrating Screens: Their smaller size and high efficiency have proved
effective in this separation step. Modern designs are leak-proof and made to easily
control the vapors emitted.
Percolation Pans: All drainage options other than centrifuges are
modifications of the original percolation pans used in front of batch cookers. The
more modern means have proven superior to this old technology.
Centrifuges: In high-volume slurry systems, centrifuges have been used to
make the initial separation before high-pressure pressing. Expensive in capital cost
as well as operating cost, discussion of alternative means continues.
Waste Heat Usage
Evaporation: The use of waste heat evaporators on low yielding raw
material will find favor when energy costs rise. Technology available today will
continue to improve and be employed in plants as energy costs continue to escalate
and yields fall.
Hot Water: Using steam to generate hot water gives an easily replaceable
energy gain to any processor that has the cooker vapors available. Condensers to
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Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

heat water are reasonable in cost, and the savings are substantial. Virtually all hot
water needs of a processing plant can be met with the waste heat from an on-site
rendering plant.
Other: Potential uses for waste heat include tank heating, raw material preheating, and building heat. Each plant and site will have a different matrix to use in
their comparisons of energy cost and use to analyze in choosing equipment.
Pressing
Fat Residual Goals: High-pressure pressing comes with a relatively high
maintenance cost. Therefore, good data must be kept to compare the myriad of
choices that exist today.
Types of Presses: High pressure presses for cooked material are varied as
much in size as they are in original equipment manufacturer. There are many good
options. Careful evaluation of options and past practices need to be part of the
selection process. Maintenance accessibility and wear part longevity dictate the
economics.
Cost/Benefit Analysis: As more refined measurement systems have come
into being, more data have become available for analysis.
Meal Fraction
Cooling: Cooling meal in a controlled fashion to prevent contamination
with Salmonella and other pathogens can improve both yield and quality.
Sizing: Since customers have different requirements in their systems, the
finished meal sizing will be varied as well. It may require separate systems for
different customers or regular maintenance changes of screens and so on to comply
with customer needs.
Grinding: A variety of choices also exists in the selection of the best means
for grinding the product. Is the product ground hot or cold? Is a hammer mill, cage
mill, or roller mill used? What does the customer want? What is the specification
an industry standard, or a differentiation?
Classifying: High-quality, low ash, pet food grade meals can be achieved
by classifying poultry meal. Raw material selection is also important. There are a
number of different ways to physically classify the meal, including air
classification.
HAACP-like Programs Identifying Hot Spots for Pathogen Control:
Post-process contamination of meals must be addressed in order to eliminate
pathogens. This requires a system of timely maintenance to eliminate any hot
spots where the pathogens can multiply. APPI education programs provide good
insights into this issue and solutions.
Storage Capacities: The length of time lapse before finished products are
shipped is important when planning storage capacity. Weather, geography,
transportation, service availability, and natural disasters all affect that decision.
Whatever the decision made, it will be soon tested. A balance must be made
between risk and reward while considering cost.

45

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Load-out Requirements (Trucks, Rail, or Container): A companys

customer base will influence load-out capability. Capacity and speed of transfer are
also important to satisfactorily service customers.
Figure 5. High Pressure Press.

Fats/Oils Handling
Settling Tanks: Allowing insoluble impurities to settle out is still one of the
most successful means of achieving good quality finished quality fats and oils.
Various washing techniques and additives are also available to achieve desired
results.
Centrifuges: Whether horizontal or vertical, clarifier or polisher, two-phase
or three-phase, centrifuges are the most common means of producing finished fats
and oils with a low MIU result.
OIE Purity Requirements: The upper limit of 0.15 percent MIU set by the
OIE for fats and oils in trade is prompted by BSE. Trade in the fats and oils should
not be impeded if this specification is met. Contractually avoiding this requirement
may not be allowed in the future.
Fines Handling: Centrifuges separate fines that will accumulate in tanks
over time. Handling them immediately is the best quality solution, and the method
used becomes yet another choice for the renderer.
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Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Figure 6. Hammer Mill.

47

Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Figure 7. Centrifuge.

Tank Storage Capacities: As with the meals, the same criteria apply.
Careful calculation and deliberation are necessary to meet the intended goals.
Load-out Capabilities: As with protein meals, the amount of time
allowable before shipping impacts the planning of storage capacity as does weather,
geography, transportation, service availability, and natural disasters.
Tank Designs (Heated Coils): Climate must be considered in tank design.
Shape (whether cone bottom or not) is as critical as heating coils, recirculation
pumps, and the piping configuration chosen.
Ease of use and maintenance
requirements are important.
Agitation: Exposing fats and oils to heated coils in a stagnant environment
can degrade quality. Agitation can be a solution.
Odor Control
Air Scrubbing: This technology has been around for a long time and it is
effective. Chemicals have changed, been modified, and have been specifically
implemented for different sources of odor. Regulatory requirements can often be
met with scrubbing systems.
Incineration of Odors: Incineration achieves the most complete destruction
of odors. Thermal oxidizers, with or without waste heat recovery, are extremely
effective in eliminating odors. The costs are substantial, but may be justified if a
high volume of volatile organic compounds are present.
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Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Biofilters: Biofilters are one of the most cost effective means of

eliminating the odors associated with rendering. Properly designed biofilters
include a good air humidification system. The medium used in the biofilter is also
critical to the effective operation of the unit.
Waste Heat Incinerator Boilers: This form of heat recovery has become the
accepted standard in Europe, and can also provide a means of creating a zerodischarge facility for wastewater.
Figure 8. Air Condensers on Roof.

Water Treatment
There are multiple choices for wastewater treatment. Fortunately, there are
a large number of reputable firms that possess a good understanding of the
wastewaters created by rendering processes.
Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW): A public system can be as
much of a burden as a blessing if the plant cannot meet their discharge
requirements. It bears mention that anyone going into a new city needs to
physically evaluate the municipal system, no matter the representations made. The
wastewater stream from rendering can prove to be more than the municipality can
handle.
Direct Discharge: Obtaining a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit is one of the most difficult items on a plants list.
Maintaining that permit, once obtained, is tantamount to the survival of the business
at that location.
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Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Zero Discharge: With the new waste heat incinerator boilers, zero
discharge is possible, but at significant cost. Backup systems are required in the
event of a problem, and the operating cost may prove prohibitive to evaporate some
of the water streams. However, the cost to construct and maintain a wastewater
system is far from insignificant.
Lagoons and Spray Fields: Under the new nutrient management plans
required by EPA, lagoons and spray fields will still offer an acceptable alternative
for wastewater management in the future. The nitrate loading in many of the first
systems employed has surpassed critical levels and must be re-evaluated.
Nutrient Management Plans: Although the concept of nutrient management
plans has been around farming for a long time, it was not given consideration
because of the high concentration wastewaters generated by rendering. These may
be useful in the future.
Novel Systems Created for Special Purposes
Enzymatic Hydrolysis: This may not be a novel concept, but it will
continue to be evaluated for certain raw material streams.
Chemical Hydrolysis: Alkaline hydrolysis technology (WR2) was designed
as an alternative disposal method for contaminated tissues and dead animals, and it
has certainly proven to be effective. The economic justification of such a system
without government intervention will be difficult.
Mesophilic-Thermophilic Digestion: This process is a new two-step
concept for treating municipal wastewater sludges. Much more research is needed
in this area to adapt technologies to materials diverted away from rendering. Since
most composting alternatives do not seem to provide sufficient pathogenic
reduction, it is essential that this means of disposal receive some attention. Our
society is also now forced to look at potential bioterrorism acts that could create
huge disposal problems. We await that research with much impatience.
Major Equipment Suppliers
Anco-Eaglin, Inc. [Link]
The Dupps Company [Link]
HAARSLEV [Link] or [Link]
Equipment Suppliers
AC Corporation [Link]
Advance Industrial Mfg., Inc. jimwintzer@[Link]
Alloy Hardfacing & Eng. [Link]
Andritz Bird, Inc. [Link]
Bliss Industries, Inc. [Link]
Brown Industrial, Inc. [Link]
Clapper Corporation [Link]
Crown Iron Works Co. [Link]
DGA & Associates dgaassociates@[Link]
Duske Engineering [Link]
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Essential RenderingOperationsAnderson

Forest Air, Inc. [Link]

Frontline International, Inc. [Link]
Gainesville Welding & Rendering Equip. gwrenderingequipment@[Link]
Genesis III [Link]
Gulf Coast Environmental Systems [Link]
Industrial Filter & Pump Mfg. Company [Link]
Industrial Steam [Link]
KWS Manufacturing [Link]
Millpoint Industries, Inc. millpnt@[Link]
Onkens, Inc. [Link]
Par-Kan Company [Link]
Redwood Metal Works [Link]
Scan America Corp. [Link]
SCP Control, Inc. info@[Link]
Summit Trailer Sales, Inc. [Link]
Superior Process Technologies [Link]
Travis Body and Trailer, Inc. [Link]
V-Ram Solids [Link]
Weiler & Company, Inc. [Link]
Brandt Southwest Centrifuge [Link]
Centrifuge Chicago Corporation [Link]
Jenkins Centrifuge Company, LLC [Link]
United Centrifuges [Link]
C.A. Picard, Inc. [Link]
Industrial Hardfacing, Inc. [Link]
There are many engineering firms that also provide consultation to the
rendering industry and specialize in certain parts of the process. Each company
must select the combination they deem necessary to provide the results they seek.
Many firms supporting the rendering industry are associate members of the National
Renderers Association and are listed in the member directory on the Internet found
here: [Link]/Member_Directory/[Link].
The Complete Business
Operating an independent rendering plant is indeed a complete business,
with similar issues encountered in any business. Management, plant operations, air
and water environmental quality, marketing, quality control, accounting, legal, and
every other aspect challenge the renderer. Captive plants have the same issues, yet
are a part of a larger entity that may centralize many of these areas.
Recycling is the renderers way of life, as it has been for centuries since the
first soap makers. Only after recycling was defined in the twentieth century were
renderers ordained as the original recyclers.

51

G.A. Wintzer & Son Co., Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1938.

Rendering Truck, Circa 1909.

THE RENDERING INDUSTRYS ROLE IN FEED AND FOOD SAFETY

Don A. Franco, D.V.M., M.P.H.
Center for Bio-security, Food Safety and Public Health, Lake Worth, Florida
Summary
The role of the rendering industry in feed and food involves the
formulation and administration of progressive, forward-looking programs under the
auspices of the Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI), the biosecurity arm of
the rendering industry. While end-product testing for Salmonella has played a
historic role in the industrys endeavors to assure the safety of feed ingredients of
animal origin, the industry recognizes that the current and future challenges of
feed/food safety necessitate innovation and new modeling. The industry has
approved a robust Code of Practice that mandates long-term commitment and
accountability, while accepting that the success of such a program could only be
realized through a comprehensive third-party certification audit. The production of
safe feed ingredients for the manufacture of feed/food for livestock, poultry,
aquaculture, and pets is the ultimate goal.
Introduction
A little over two decades ago, the industrialized societies of the world
recognized the urgent necessity to address the broad realm of issues linked to safe
food production. In the United States, this was exemplified by two major
conferences in 1984. At the National Conference for Food Protection held in
Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the
keynote speaker extolled the countrys plentiful, wholesome, nutritious, and safe
food supply (Knauer, 1984), recognizing that the benevolent food supply took hard
work, imagination, and cooperation among the food producing industry, consumers,
and government.
This initial conference was followed three months later by an international
symposium on Salmonella held in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the keynote
speaker highlighted the challenging dimensions of Salmonella control
internationally that confronts government, industry, and the scientific community
as both a challenge and a reproach. It is a challenge because it taxes our ingenuity
in dealing with its various dimensions. It is a reproach because it sometimes
appears that with our science and technology we are better able to strive toward a
certain well-defined objective, like the moon, than to overcome a chronic, foodpoisoning hazard (Houston, 1984). This symposium was one of the earliest
proponents, using Salmonella as a prototype, to heighten the interrelationship of
animal feed, food animal production, food processing, public health, and global
trade.
These two conferences clearly had an impact on the policy-making
directions that government agencies took during that period, including the

Essential RenderingFeed and Food Safety Franco

subsequent consideration of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) as

an interactive, scientifically based protocol that can be used to eliminate food safety
hazards, or at least reduce them to acceptable levels. It is interesting to note,
although not necessarily surprising, that HACCP was operational as a concept in the
private sector (the Pillsbury Company) as early as 1973, and was later embraced by
FDA as a regulatory mandate for canned acidified and low acid foods packed in
hermetically sealed containers (Corlett, 1998).
These two early conferences had a definite impact on the United States
direction of food safety policy. Amplification followed in 1989 at an international
symposium of the World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists held in
Stockholm, Sweden, and co-sponsored by the European Association for Animal
Production, the International Union of Food Science and Technology, and the
World Health Organization. The theme of the symposium was: Healthy Animals,
Safe Food, Healthy Man. One of the keynote addresses reviewed the challenges of
the coming decades and included the need to control latent infections in livestock
and poultry, including those that are readily transmitted to humans (zoonoses)
through monitoring programs. It was also stated that future initiatives should
prioritize detection methods through monitoring the health status of farm animals
through the process of slaughtering and processing, including the assessment of risk
using the HACCP concept (Grossklaus, 1989).
While it is obvious that conferences/symposia were not the sole factors in
molding the food safety agenda at the time, they played a significant role in
bringing together in a transparent environment, a broad spectrum of academia,
government, research, consumers, and the industry to examine the changing
dimensions of feed/food safety and the establishment of priorities. It was
recognized that the complexities of food production needed the elements of
cooperation, collaboration, and communication to succeed and that no one group
could do it alone. Since each segment of the food chain had distinct challenges,
working together in unison was the most logical and progressive approach.
The purpose of this chapter is to review the rendering industry from a
holistic perspective and profile the contributions the industry makes in supplying
safe feed ingredients and sources of energy to enhance the health of livestock in
producing safe food. Clearly inherent to safe food production is the acceptance and
responsibility that feed ingredients meant for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture are
part of the food chain. Manufacturers must conform to standards of sanitation and
hygiene in production to preclude hazards that could impact the health of animals
and humans, directly or indirectly.
Historical Background
The historical record clearly demonstrates that feed and food safety policy
progressed because of cumulative influencing factors to create change. While
dramatic and distinct changes were clearly evident in the early 1980s, these
developments were related to earlier events that brought new or changing
dimensions to the broad realm of both policy and safety issues. In essence, no
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Essential RenderingFeed and Food Safety Franco

single force has the capability to create a long-lasting momentum in complex

industrialized societies such as the United States and Canada. However, a policy
decision at the FDA in 1967 by then Commissioner Goddard served as a significant
force for change. Goddards policy expanded the meaning of adulteration that was
hitherto limited to human food, to include food for animals. Therefore, ingredients
used in food for animals are included within the definition of food in Section 201 (f)
of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Further, Salmonella contamination of
such animal feeds having the potential to produce infection and disease in animals
must be regarded as an adulterant within the meaning of the Act (Franco, 1999).
This established the genesis of the regulatory implications associated with
Salmonella microorganisms in animal feed.
Interestingly, prior to Goddards Salmonella adulteration policy, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal Health Division, had already started
surveillance sampling of animal by-products and meals at varying periods from
1965-1970 for the incidence of Salmonella (Franco, 1999). This active surveillance
program was done in collaboration with FDA, the agency with regulatory
responsibility for feed safety. It is logical to assume that Goddards decision in
1967 was based on some of the initial findings of the collaborative surveillancetesting program. Additionally, over a period of years starting in the late 1950s,
there were several research publications that could have added impetus to
Goddards policy.
Research by Boyer and colleagues (1958) found that some serotypes
identified in animals and man can be isolated from feed ingredients and animal
feeds. In another study, Watkins et al. (1959) recovered 28 different serotypes from
37 (18.5 percent) of 200 samples of poultry and other animal by-products used in
feeds. Pomeroy and colleagues (1961) reported on one comprehensive study in
which 43 different serotypes of Salmonella were recovered from 175 (18 percent) of
980 samples of by-products of animal origin used in animal feeds from 22 states.
The National Academy of Sciences Committee on Salmonella of the
National Research Council (NRC) published a scholarly text, An Evaluation of the
Salmonella Problem (Anon., 1969) that examined the concerns of Salmonella in
the United States with the intent of advising both the USDA and FDA on the
aspects of the problem relating to both regulatory agencies responsibilities in
animal and human health. The study also made comprehensive assessments of feed
ingredients from a risk perspective, indicating that prior to the report, it was
generally accepted that animal feeds were of little importance of transmitting
Salmonella to animals. This theory was promoted based on the observation that S.
Typhimurium, the most common isolate of both animals and man, was infrequently
isolated from feeds. Nonetheless, the report further implied that rendering plants
could play a role in the transmission of Salmonella because of investigations that
affirmed the presence of various serotypes in finished processed meals of animal
origin. Similarly, Salmonella serotypes were also isolated from protein meals of
vegetable origin used in animal feed rations.
Concurrent with the National Academy of Sciences Salmonella report in
1969, and the resulting heightened visibility of the subject, scientists of the Bacterial
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Essential RenderingFeed and Food Safety Franco

Diseases Branch of the Center for Disease Control (now Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention) in Atlanta, Georgia, reported on the epidemiology of an
international outbreak of Salmonella agona. The authors cited S. agona as a public
health problem in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and
Israel during 1969 and 1970 (Clark et al., 1973). The investigators stressed that in
each country an initial isolation from Peruvian fish meal was followed by recovery
of S. agona from domestic animals and subsequently from man. By 1972, S. agona
was the 8th most commonly isolated serotype in the [Link] the second most
common serotype in the U.K. Investigation of a food borne disease outbreak in the
United States associated with this serotype occurred in Paragould, Arkansas, that
traced infections between March and May 1972, to 17 residents of a town of 10,500
people. The source of the outbreak was traced to a local restaurant, and then back to
a Mississippi poultry farm that fed Peruvian fish meal. The epidemiological data
indicated that Peruvian fish meal was the vehicle of introduction of S. agona into
the United States. This was the first inference that implicated an animal by-product
as a potential source of disease transmission to humans.
The outbreak also heightens the complexity involved in the transmission of
human salmonellosis and illustrates problems inherent in making finite conclusions
(Clark et al., 1973; Franco, 1999). Nonetheless, the Clark report has been used by
regulatory authorities to authenticate concerns for the use of rendered animal
proteins in feed rations as a potential for disease transmission in animals and man.
Unfortunately, the evidence remains anecdotal and nothing more than a hypothesis,
because even though the assumption implicated a possible common source, a link
between Peruvian fish meal and the Mississippi poultry farm was not substantiated
by the isolation of S. agona from the feed. The study of the outbreak provided an
excellent and provocative discussion of Salmonella epidemiology but did not
contribute to a conclusive determination of cause and effect.
In September 1990, the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
announced a goal of zero Salmonella contamination in animal feed ingredients and
finished feed. While zero tolerance remains a contentious issue, the philosophy of a
concerted program to limit contamination was a definite message from the CVM,
and it was recommended that preventive controls could be realized by applying the
principles of HACCP to the manufacturing process (Franco, 1999).
A publication by Crump et al. (2002) stated that contaminated animal feed
results in infection or colonization of food animals and this could result in human
illness. Unfortunately, the theme of the inferences highlighted the Salmonella
agona report of Clark and colleagues inappropriately. The 1973 study contained
interesting analogies, but lacked validity and affirmation necessary for a causal
linkage. In reality, the work of Clark and colleagues was nothing more than a
compelling hypothesis worthy of professional consideration.

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Essential RenderingFeed and Food Safety Franco

The Rendering Industrys Food Safety Programs: Responding to Change

The subject of food safety in the 1980s took on a definite holistic approach,
and different themes emerged in the discussions during that period. The emphasis
started to examine safety assurances from the farm to the table, or farm to fork, with
accompanying suggestions that the country needed new approaches to address the
challenges. Consumers and consumer groups began to become more actively
involved in the food safety movement as a result of what was perceived to be an
increase in the incidence of food borne diseases. The rendering industry, cognizant
of the changing dimensions of safety and the emerged new order, began to examine
formal options to ensure the safety of the ingredients produced by the industry for
farm animal nutrition.
With a goal to be futuristic and proactive, the industry founded APPI in
1984. APPI has become the arm of the industry responsible for the broad realm of
biosecurity with specific and well-defined objectives: the administration of a
Salmonella testing program; the coordination and provision of advice on chemical
residues that could adulterate product and the needed testing methodologies; the
development of guidelines to assure product integrity, such as HACCP; and the
presentation of diversified continuing education programs for the membership.
Especially challenging, and a form of mockery to the industrys resolve,
shortly after APPI had started to function, bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) was diagnosed in 1986 in the United Kingdom.
The concurrent
epidemiological hypothesis was that meat and bone meal (MBM) of ruminant origin
fed to cattle was the likely cause. That theory of causation had gained wide
acceptance as a logical assumption based on the investigative findings of
government epidemiologists.
This incident still has an impact on the rendering industry to this day,
characterized by regulatory changes and perceptions of risk. While the United
States did not have any evidence of the disease based on extensive surveillance and
risk assessments, the anxiety and concerns initially demonstrated by the U.K.
government had direct and indirect inferences globally for all industrialized
societies because of the likelihood that the newly defined cattle disease could have
human health implications. This all transformed into reality when it was announced
in the Spring of 1996, approximately a decade after the first diagnosis of BSE, that
there was compelling evidence that the new disease had infected an identified
cluster of 10 people linked to the consumption of beef products of affected cattle.
This new development, with the supporting conviction of the scientific community
that BSE could cause disease in humans, added unknown dimensions to the subject
that would influence regulatory changes for future years, including those specific to
the rendering industry.
During these frenetic times, the industry became hyper-conscious about
every conceivable aspect of biosecurity. APPI decided to modify the organizations
by-laws in December 1994 to include safety aspects of animal fats and oils as an
extension of the traditional surveillance responsibility. The rapidly changing
circumstances of the industry forced APPI to establish a HACCP Council, a
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Essential RenderingFeed and Food Safety Franco

Regulatory Affairs Committee, and a Forward Planning (21st Century) Committee

to address the diverse issues of the future while introducing innovative measures to
conform to the new challenges.
Dioxin remains a major concern in the food safety cycle because of its
classification as a carcinogen. Dioxins potential source as a contaminant was
exemplified by a global food safety issue in the Spring-Summer of 1999 after the
government of Belgium banned the slaughter of poultry and pork and placed about
1,000 farms that bought and fed dioxin-contaminated feed under quarantine.
Preventive controls were examined because of the potential for inadvertent dioxin
ingestion by animals. While dioxin contamination is rare, the rendering industry is
conscious of its responsibility and has traditionally tested for pesticides (including a
dioxin screen) using company laboratories or contract laboratories prior to shipment
of fats to feed mills and pet food manufacturers. The industry is equally aware that
dioxin is a natural by-product of combustion generated by the elements of life and
livingmotor vehicles, wood stoves, medical waste incinerators, garbage burning,
and even cigarettes. The compound, therefore, is just another toxic component of
natural origin that must be considered in context, while recognizing the serious
implications for regulatory concerns and the importance of the potential effects to
public health especially associated with accidental or malicious contamination.
APPI also established training initiatives during this period to familiarize
the industry with the concepts and principles of HACCP in different regions of the
country. This expanded the organizations educational efforts beyond the
Salmonella testing, prevention, and control objectives of the time. APPI published
basic HACCP guidelines in 1994 to assist companies considering the
implementation of HACCP or HACCP-like programs prior to any formal
government requirements. APPI considered an industry voluntary commitment to
product safety a logical necessity, since government promoted the attributes of
HACCP but did not establish a timeframe for whether HACCP would be the
acceptable program for assuring product safety. As of this writing, FDA/CVM is
still assessing options for a mandated Feed Safety System.
While these educational innovations were positive and gained much
support and encouragement from the membership, APPIs leadership considered it a
mandate to keep moving forward and formed an institute charged with the
development and oversight of a training program in 1998. Founding the Institute
for Continuing Education was to actively address the current challenges to the
rendering industry associated with product safety and the prevention and control of
hazards with a comprehensive program. A diversified faculty brought academic,
industry, regulatory, and research experience to the presentations. The forum
provides an interactive environment for participants and opportunities for discussion
of the topics. This ambitious program set the stage for acquainting the rendering
industry with the concepts of biosecurity to address the current and future needs of
the industry. As a result of these introductory educational offerings, many member
companies established HACCP or HACCP-like programs within their operations
that would benefit them long into the future.
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Essential RenderingFeed and Food Safety Franco

Research Assessments of the Safety of Animal Protein Ingredients

Salmonella
There has been a substantial amount of data indicating rendered protein
meals are free from Salmonella, other genera of bacteria, molds, and viruses coming
out of the cooker. This can be maintained if the product can be handled to prevent
recontamination and the potential for microbial growth after processing. The most
pertinent aspect of recontamination is the control of moisture. Ideally, meals
contain moisture levels of four to seven percent, so the water activity of protein
meal would be too low to support microbial growth. For organisms like Salmonella
and other pathogens to grow, moisture content of meal must be around 40 percent.
Thus, even if contaminated material (Salmonella) is accidentally introduced into the
cooked product, proliferation will not take place unless the meal is moist (Meat
Research Corporation, 1997).
During the period between 1978 and 1989, researchers at the University of
Minnesota reported findings of the ten most frequently isolated Salmonella in
MBM: S. montevideo, S. cerro, S. senftenberg, S. johannesburg, S. arkansas, S.
infantis, S. anatum, S. ohio, S. oranienburg, and S. livingstone (Franco, 1999).
These were compared with the four major serotypes isolated from cattle,
representing 64.3 percent of total isolates during July 1992 and June 1993, and none
were compatible. A similar comparison of the MBM isolates were made to the four
major serotypes of swine during the same period, representing 82.9 percent of the
total clinical swine isolates, and there was similarly no compatibility with the MBM
isolations. The same was done with clinical isolates of chickens for the same period
(July 1992-June 1993), representing 54.9 percent of total isolates, and there was
also no compatibility to Minnesotas MBM isolates (Franco, 1999).
An assessment of the isolates found during the 11 year research initiative
in Minnesota were compared to findings in Japan and the United Kingdom during
the same approximate timeframe, and the only two serotypes isolated from MBM in
all three countries were S. livingstone and S. senftenberg. This becomes an
important consideration in the ongoing debate on serotype comparisons. The
question is this: Does MBM in feed rations, at inclusion rates varying from three
percent to five percent contribute to clinical salmonellosis in livestock and poultry?
Existing data do not support the extrapolation that Salmonella in MBM is the cause
of salmonellosis in food animals. In reality, the major serotypes isolated from
MBM throughout the world appear to be relatively innocuous, and do not contribute
to clinical salmonellosis in animals, nor are they significant in human food borne
illnesses.
Comprehensive research work by Davies and Funk (1999) on Salmonella
epidemiology and control indicates that while feeds of animal origin tend to receive
the most intense scrutiny, often overlooked is the extent to which vegetable protein
feed ingredients are contaminated. While the identified Salmonella serotypes
exceed 2,300, only a few have been linked to clinical manifestations in animals and
man, in spite of the acceptance that all feed ingredients may be contaminated with
Salmonella. Additionally, Salmonella organisms are not highly resistant to either
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physical or chemical agents, being killed at 55C in one hour or at 60C in 15 to 20

minutes (Franco, 1999).
In field trial studies, Troutt and colleagues (2001) demonstrated that
samples of raw materials going into the rendering stream from 17 rendering plants
in seven mid-western states were highly contaminated with Salmonella species,
Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium perfringens, all
index-potential food borne pathogens. In another trial, processed protein materials
from the expeller were sampled at nine rendering facilities in six mid-western states
during winter and summer months. The researchers were unable to isolate any of
the same group of index pathogens that were source contaminants in the raw
materialshowing that the time-temperature rendering process readily inactivated
this broad range of potential food borne pathogens of public health relevance.
In an evaluation of the role of contaminated feed in Salmonella
transmission in swine, Davies (2004) posited that feed is only one of many
potential sources of Salmonella introduction to farms, and risk of infection from
non-feed sources appears to greatly exceed the risk presented by contaminated feed
on modern U.S. swine farms. These findings have been substantiated by other
research workers, both domestically and globally. In extensive longitudinal studies
using two modern multiple site production systems, Harris and colleagues (1997)
demonstrated an insignificant role of feed in transmitting Salmonella to swine.
According to work done by Cooke (2002) and Lo Fong Wong (2001), testing of
commercial animal feeds in several European countries generally indicates a low
level of Salmonella contamination (less than one percent), and serovars of greatest
concern to transmitting human disease (S. typhimurium and S. enteritidis) are very
rare in feed isolates.
A publication (Franco, 2005a) described a research survey by APPI to
determine the pertinence of Salmonella population numbers and serovar identity in
197 animal protein meal samples that tested positive over a 12-month period. The
Salmonella most probable numbers/gram (MPN/g) values ranged from less than
0.03 to 1,100, with a mean MPN/g value of 16.3 and a median MPN/g value of
0.09. The 10 most common serovar isolates in order of occurrence were: S.
senftenberg, S. livingstone, S. mbandaka, C2 Group Salmonella, S. havana, S.
lexington, S. agona, S. arkansas, S. infantis, and S. johannesburg. These top 10
serovars accounted for 48 percent of the serovars isolated. Four serovars associated
with food borne illnessS. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. infantis, and S. agona
accounted for only 7.5 percent of the Salmonella isolated.
The isolates of rendered animal protein meals, in general, have historically
not been linked to the customary cause of clinical syndromes in animals and man.
An evaluation of the 10 most frequently isolated serovars in this study affirms this
inference. In both animals and man, three clinically significant isolates serotyped
were: S. enteritidis (0.5 percent), S. typhimurium (0.5 percent), and S. infantis (1.0
percent) of the total samples serotyped (Franco, 2005a).

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Viruses
Viruses are submicroscopic infectious organisms that are incapable of
independent existence but can grow and reproduce when they enter the cell of a host
(plant or animal) causing altered metabolism or cell death as they multiply. Since
viruses are important transmitters of disease, it was prudent for the rendering
industry to assess viral inactivation, even though the logical assumption was that the
time and temperature of the rendering process would inactivate all viruses that are
normally associated with diseases in domestic animals.
Since the United States slaughters approximately 100 million pigs
annually, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF) thought that
determinants of the stability of an important viral disease of pigs, pseudorabies virus
(PRV), could be used as an ideal prototype and be evaluated for the likely presence
in intermediate rendering products and the finished product in the manufacture of
MBM.
The research was completed in a series of six experiments at Iowa State
University to determine whether PRV could survive the rigorous processing steps of
rendering. The experiments varied from a worst-case scenario of swine heavily
infected with PRV being rendered, to an end phase of finished product surveillance
of MBM for the presence of PRV. The findings showed there was little or no
possibility that PRV survived the rigorous processing steps in the production of
MBM (Pirtle, 1999).
Using PRV as a disease model for other potential viral pathogens of
interest to animal agriculture and the rendering process, the research findings
substantiated what has commonly been assumed but never researchedthat the
time and temperature of the rendering process inactivates viruses readily, and a viral
load is unlikely to exist in rendered protein meals to transmit disease to livestock or
poultry.
Prions
The diagnosis of BSE was confirmed in the United Kingdom in 1986. It
was suggested that MBM produced from sheep infected with scrapie was the source
of origin of the newly described disease. Since sheep are known reservoirs of the
infectious agent, the prion, it seemed reasonable to assume that BSE was caused by
scrapie infection of cattle via contaminated feed (Kimberlin, 1990).
Research by scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in
Ames, Iowa, was undertaken to test the hypothesis that scrapie infectivity does not
survive the rendering process and is not transmitted orally to cattle through the use
of MBM and tallow as feed ingredients. Neonatal calves were fed raw brain or
rendered MBM and tallow from sheep infected with scrapie and subsequently
observed for a varying period from one to eight years for signs, lesions, or prion
protein deposits resembling either scrapie or BSE (Cutlip et al., 2001).
Twenty-four experimental calves were fed MBM at six percent of the
ration for 12 months starting at three months of age and tallow at three percent of
the ration for 20 months, starting at four months of age. Twelve claves were
euthanized one year after the start of the trial, five were euthanized because of leg
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and digestive problems five to seven years in the trial, and the other seven were
euthanized at the end of eight years. During the feeding regimen, cattle were
checked for clinical signs of disease twice daily. Necropsy of all calves were
performed by collecting brain and spinal cord samples and fixed in a 10 percent
formaldehyde solution for at least three weeks prior to staining and detection of
prions using the immunohistochemistry method (Cutlip et al., 1994, Miller et al.,
1993).
Experimental calves fed at the maximum amount of MBM and tallow that
would normally be consumed by calves at that age did not exhibit any clinical signs
during the trial period, nor were lesions present that were compatible with a
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). Additionally, sections of the
spinal cord and brain that were examined did not reveal the presence of prion
protein (Cutlip et al., 2001).
It should also be of general interest to all concerned with TSE research that
representatives (Pearl of FPRF and Franco of NRA/APPI) of the North American
rendering industry visited with government officials in the United Kingdom intent
on obtaining BSE infected tissue, even by purchase, and bring those tissues back to
the United States for trials that could have provided answers to some of the complex
issues linked to BSE. As industry representatives, we felt too dependent on external
research findings and wanted to have some research done in North America,
especially on inactivation of the prion and transmission studies. This objective was
never realized because the U.S. government was in the abundance of caution
mindset, even though all the tissues would have been turned over to them and
subject to whatever controls they deemed necessary.
It is unfortunate that government officials seem to be reluctant to have
industry professionals involved in an activity that makes them uncomfortable, in
spite of the continuing rhetoric how much we need each other, and that we should
collaborate and cooperate with mutual concern for the protection of animal and
human health. It is time that this barrier is examined with the hope of establishing a
system where the industry, government, consumers, and other interested sectors
could truly work together in unison, devoid of old prejudices. The complexity of
the prion diseases would provide an opportunity accomplishment together. If this
turf guarding continues, we will all lose because disease control, food safety, and
public health are everybodys business.
The rendering industry was especially interactive in the process of
collection and submission and the handling of samples from predominantly highrisk animals (including downers and animals dead on farms) to assist the
governments BSE surveillance and testing program. This form of response was
responsible for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) meeting
the objectives of testing the high-risk cohorts and provides a perfect example for the
need to communicate and collaborate in disease control initiatives. In some sectors
of the country, the program would not have accomplished its objectives without the
rendering industrys support.

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Current and Future Industry Initiatives

While the core of APPIs current program remains Salmonella testing,
biosecurity issues, and training, the organization was convinced that to stay ahead of
the entire feed and food safety paradigm, it had to be innovative and forwardlooking. The programs were in need of a new vision to conform to the discussions
throughout industrialized societies about food product safety. In 2000, this
prompted APPI to explore the feasibility of a Code of Practice for the North
American rendering industry to promote the safety of animal proteins and rendered
fats for feed use through the establishment of recommended industry programs and
an accreditation process. This proposal was carefully studied by a dedicated group
who worked diligently over the years considering the options, modifying the
Code and consulting with diverse sources with an interest in the subject. The
initiative was formally approved by the organizations board of directors in October
2004 (APPI, 2004).
The heart of the Code of Practice was to institute a system of process
controls to preclude hazards, conceptually similar to HACCP principle, and it would
be linked to requirements for accreditation with the following objectives:
Promote the safety of rendered products.
Legitimize the Code of Practice.
Provide credibility to the industries.
Promote consistency and conformity with accepted industry practices.
Preserve existing markets and facilitate development of new markets.
Provide assurance to regulatory agencies.
This is a dedicated commitment by the rendering industry to meet
established standards of good manufacturing practices and to assure product safety
through a third-party certification process. This sends a clear message that the
rendering industry continues to be an active leader in the holistic approach to food
safety.
The audit and certification process for the Code of Practice is administered
by a third party, the Facility Certification Institute (FCI) of Arlington, Virginia, and
is a comprehensive system of inspection requirements conducted by professionals
with expertise and knowledge in the field of inspection auditing. The system uses a
detailed matrix of operational procedures to be assessed on-site and covers all the
salient features expected of a rigorous audit to assure that feed safety guidelines are
followed, and the end products manufactured are safe and free of hazards that could
likely impact animal or human health.
It should be of interest to note that this rendering industry/FCI relationship
is expensive and exemplifies the commitment of the industry to the feed/food safety
initiatives. This is especially so for multi-plant facilities and large companies. But,
the industry has used independent third-party auditors beforeto assess compliance
with the FDAs BSE feed rule, in spite of the associated cost. The plants were
found predominantly in compliance with the rule in the audit program as well as by
inspections by FDA and state inspectors.
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Discussion
Rendered animal proteins and fats are an important component of feed
rations and are an integral part of the feed manufacturing chain, playing an
important and significant role in the entire feed/food production cycle. Animal
proteins serve as concentrated sources of protein and amino acids and have been a
standard in feed rations for over 100 years in agriculturally advanced societies of
the world. Fats and oils have been historically potent feed energy sources and have
also been used for years to increase the caloric density of rations. These products
have been subjected to safety assessments and evaluations for decades, including
regulatory scrutiny through inspection audits, but it remains imperative for the
industry to continue to be proactive and transparent in responding to the current
challenges to the use of its products. The higher public profile of the rendering
industry in this new era of food safety is timely, providing assurances of product
safety while addressing the prevailing misconceptions about the industry.
The equation that best addresses the safe food chain from the rendering
industrys perspective is safe feed ingredients safe feed healthy livestock safe
food healthy people (Figure 1). This was the crux of the highlighted theme of the
World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists international symposium in 1989,
and its applicability is still very germane and appropriate to the holistic food safety
movement that has developed in the past two decades. It is fitting that it would be
used to define the rendering industrys role in producing safe feed ingredients
leading to the ultimate objectives of safe food and healthy people.
Figure 1. A Holistic Perspective.
Safe Feed Ingredients

Safe Feed

Healthy Livestock

Safe Food

Healthy People

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The presence of different Salmonella serovars in feed has been an ongoing

element in the feed/food safety debate for decades. What does it mean, and what is
the relevance to animal and human health? It is important because Salmonella has
been used as the indicator organism for determining contamination or adulteration
in feed or food by most industrialized societies intent on control. But, while isolates
of Salmonella in feed ingredients and finished feed have been reported, the animal
and human health impacts are only anecdotal inferences. APPIs Salmonella
reduction program includes a very rigorous testing program for Salmonella in
animal protein meals. This has been a continuous initiative for over 20 years, and
demonstrates a progressive long-term program that used HACCP or similar
concepts that enhance ingredient and feed safety. This is in recognition, however,
that raw agricultural commodities are all potentially contaminated with microbes,
including Salmonella, but processes like extrusion, pressure conditioning, hightemperature/short time treatment, and pelleting employed by feed manufacturers
serve as additional controls to ensure feed safety (Sreenivas, 1998).
While conceding that Salmonella are a resourceful and defiant group of
microorganisms capable of parasitizing a broad range of hosts, and that serovars
possess distinctive host ranges, unique patterns of virulence, and geographic
distribution patterns that complicate both the epidemiology and control, the
historical record still supports the safety of feed ingredients and feed (Franco,
1999). The problems associated with asymptomatic carriage of the organism by
livestock and poultry and linkages to farm environmental contamination by rodents
and other vectors magnify the challenges of the entire Salmonella complex beyond
the dimensions of feed. This serves as a reminder that while there is an excellent
history of feed safety in North America, we must still combine our resources to
pursue workable initiatives to counter the different avenues of contamination. End
product testing by the rendering industry is simply an adjunct to the other controls
recommended by APPI in the quest to assure ingredients of animal origin are safe
and are not a hazard to animal or human health.
Research evidence shows that viruses normally linked to disease
transmission in animals are readily inactivated by the time and temperature of the
rendering process. Nonetheless, the rendering industry is challenged to operate in
disease outbreaks caused by viruses normally associated with high mortalities and
often reportable by law (e.g. high pathological avian influenza or foot and mouth
disease). The ideal approach is for government agencies at the federal, state, or
provincial levels to institute collaborative programs to assure that the industry can
play a meaningful role to dispose of carcasses in compliance with government
policies to assure safe disposal. The industry has played an exemplary role in the
past, working with USDA disease control officials to assist the pseudorabies
eradication program in swine. The joint effort was a success and could be
applicable to other disease control programs if properly planned and coordinated.
Since carcass disposal is an important regimen in disease control, government and
the rendering industry should establish and maintain a working relationship to
accomplish this objective.
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From the onset, the rendering industry in North America was responsible
and proactive as BSE presented risk implications for the United States and Canada.
For example, a representative (Dr. Fred Bisplinghoff) from the rendering industry in
1989, in a joint meeting with government officials and invited members of the
agricultural sector, made a public commitment to stop the rendering of all adult
sheep material to remove it from the ruminant feed chain. Equally important, this
became the industrys policy for years, albeit voluntary, long before any regulatory
decision was made for that requirement. Of course, the rendering industry, totally
conscious of the happenings, consequences, and uncertainty of what was taking
place in the United Kingdom, and not knowing how reactive the U.S. government
(and Canada) was going to be, wisely decided that commitment and cooperation in
an environment with duress had distinct advantages. With utmost candor, and a
source of interim comfort to the industry, was that the cessation of mature sheep
rendering was a minimal economic factor overall. But, more than economics was
involved; the rendering industry was genuinely concerned because of the
uncertainty of the newly defined and complex disease. The industry honestly felt
that overtures to assist were logical based on the existing theory that MBM of sheep
origin could have caused BSE. [Given the effectiveness of the 1997 feed rule and
that the sheep industry has implemented a scrapie eradication program, NRA
discontinued the policy against rendering adult sheep material in 2004.]
The leadership of the rendering industry in North America was cognizant
of what was taking place nationally and globally relative to the prevalence of BSE
in the United Kingdom, and the subsequent spread of the disease to Europe and
elsewhere via imported cattle or contaminated MBM from the United Kingdom.
Modesty aside, many in the industry became well informed of the nature of the
disease and were rightfully convinced that the evolving epidemiology, even though
limited to hypotheses, was defined enough to elicit concern. The possibility of
disease transmission was affirmed by a causal chain proposed by the World
Organization of Animal Health (OIE): the consumption of MBM by cattle; the
importation by countries of cattle and MBM that were infected or contaminated
with the infectious agent of BSE, and animal feeding practices (Franco, 2005b).
The industry readily recognized the disease was associated with an infectious
process and unless the United States and Canada were subjected to the factors
linked to exposure, the risk to generating the disease was minimal. This assumption
was validated by numerous in-house risk assessments performed by APHIS staff
epidemiologists and reported as early as 1993 in agency publications.
After the 1996 report of a cluster of unusual cases of a newly identified
syndrome in humans linked to BSE in the United Kingdom, and defined as variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (v-CJD), the disease dimensions changed rapidly.
Additionally, the supporting epidemiology of the linkage influenced the U.K.
government to institute change and new challenges emerged as a result. This advent
had serious implications for the entire food safety network and heightened the
hysteria-like reactions from some sectors of the media and government, and
involved industries started to examine the immediate and long-term inferences.
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The rendering industry, fully conscious that North America was a minimal
risk region, nonetheless started to examine a series of logical options. There were
meetings of agricultural coalitions, with all organizations intent on highlighting its
biases in spite of the recognized acceptance that BSE risk, assessed from varying
and diverse perspectives, was not a problem at this juncture. But, the concerns at
the time were more intense than the evolving information, and included concerns
about global trade and other political implications. In this changed environment,
politics and the media frenzy also played an active role.
A detailing of the circumstances at the time would be impossible, but they
took on frenetic dimensions and culminated in the FDAs feed rule of 1997. In the
interim, nonetheless, the rendering industry assumed a pragmatic approach,
collaborating with FDA, and engaging in joint ventures, including numerous public
meetings to receive updates on the direction and interpretation of the rule, aspects of
compliance, and training modules to ensure that the rule went through a smooth
implementation. Not only did the rendering industry fully support the rule from its
inception, but officially committed its full support to the measures during a joint
FDA-industry meeting at the agencys headquarters in Rockville, MD.
The rendering industry, regardless of its conviction that BSE would not
transmit and amplify in a manner that would impact animal or human health as it
did in the United Kingdom, nonetheless, took the rule (21 CFR 589.2000) very
seriously. As a result, the industry experienced a 99 percent compliance with the
requirements during the agencys inspection audits. The industry, in a cautionary
mode, introduced its own third party audit through an APPI contract with an
auditing organization. Participation of U.S. rendering plants in the 2001 audit
program in was 99.8 percent. The exemplary compliance with the feed rule found
by the third-party audits in 2001 was very similar to FDA compliance findings.
Despite the existing minimal to non-existent risk of BSE in the country,
FDA, because of the initial 2003 diagnosis of the disease in Washington State in an
imported Canadian cow, and the subsequent case 18 months later in a Texas cow
(although tested negative for the immunohistochemistry (IHC) test, the alleged
gold standard, this cow was subsequently considered positive after extensive
deliberations), published a proposed rule to mitigate the perceived risk in the
Federal Register on October 5, 2005, with solicitation of comments to the proposal
by December 20, 2005. The comments by interested parties are presently being
evaluated by the agency for likely consideration of formatting another final rule. As
per custom, the rendering industry, through its organizational components, NRA,
FPRF, and APPI, submitted well-studied recommendations for the agencys
assessment, affirming the rendering industrys continuing efforts to be both
responsible and accountable as efforts are sought to prevent any possible
transmission and amplification of the infectious agent of BSE from infecting
indigenous livestock, and, in the process, protecting human health.

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Conclusion
Prevention of health risks due to food intake is central in food safety policy
and demands an integrated approach, defining the role of all stakeholders and their
individual responsibilities. Cooperation, collaboration, and communication among
the affected parties are prerequisites to success. Food safety must be based on
sound and verified science, and continued progress is dependent on the commitment
of every level of production to ensure the absence of hazardsfrom feed ingredient
manufacturers that supply feed companies to processors responsible for the safe
production of finished products for the table. This is a realization and acceptance of
the farm-to-fork analogy promoted today by the industrialized countries of the
world using a holistic concept to ensure a safe food supply.
The quality of feed ingredients produced by the rendering industry plays an
important role in this complex system because the practices of the industry are a
reflection of the food cycle of production. Raw materials processed by the
rendering industry are the food residuals that did not enter human food channels, but
are recycled through innovative processing technology to produce proteins and fats
of animal origin for livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and pets. In reality, we are
describing the alpha and omega of the food chain. As a result, the rendering
industry is conscious of its responsibility in this program of progressive integration.
The industry concedes that feed ingredient safety is an important and
attainable factor in total food safety objectives, thus, the rationale for proactive
testing for pathogens and toxins that could influence product integrity. It is also the
reason for educational offerings to train the workforce to achieve safety, including
the applicability of HACCP, the internationally accepted concept for safety
assurance, and the promotion of the APPI Code of Practice, carefully constructed,
with an adjunct program of third party certification to demonstrate accountability,
and the industrys significant role in sustainable food safety. This assures that safe
feed will produce healthy livestock that contributes to safe food, and healthy people.
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Anon. 1969. An Evaluation of the Salmonella Problem. Committee on Salmonella. Nat.
Acad. Sci. USA. 78-95.
Animal Protein Producers Industry. 2004. North American Rendering Industry Code of
Practice. Unpublished. 1-10.
Boyer, C.I., D.W. Bruner and J.A. Brown. 1958. Salmonella Organisms Isolated from
Poultry Feed. J. Avian. Dis., 2, 396.
Clark, G.M., A.F. Kaufman, E.J. Gangarosa and M.A. Thompson. 1973. Epidemiology of
an International Outbreak of Salmonella Agona. Lancet 2:490-493.
Cooke, B.C. 2002. The industrial production of safe animal feeds in Europe. In: Smulders,
F.J.M., Collins, J.D. eds. Food Safety Assurance and Veterinary Public Health. Vol. 1.
Food Safety Assurance in the Preharvest Phase, 1st ed. Wageningen Academic Publishers.
71-86.
Corlett, D.A. 1998. History of HACCP. HACCP Users Manual. Aspen Publishers, Inc. 3-7.
Crump, J.A., P.M. Griffin, and F.J. Angulo. 2002. Bacterial Contamination of Animal Feed
and Its Relationship to Human Foodborne Illness. Clin. Inf. Dis. 35:859-865.
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Cutlip, R.C., J.M. Miller, A.N. Hamir, J. Peters, M.M. Robinson, A.L. Jenny, H.D.
Lehmkuhl, W.D. Taylor, and F.D. Bisplinghoff. 2001. Resistance of cattle to scrapie by
the oral route. Short Communication. Can. J. Vet. Res. 131-132.
Cutlip, R.C., J.M. Miller, R.E. Race, et al. 1994. Intracerebral transmission of scrapie to
cattle. J. Infect. Dis. 169:814-820.
Davies, P.R. and J.A. Funk. 1999. Proc. 3rd International Symposium on the Epidemiology
and Control of Salmonella in Pork. August 5-7; 1-11.
Davies, P.R. 2004. The role of contaminated feed in the epidemiology of Salmonella in
modern swine production. Proceedings, CDC Animal Feeds Workshop/Symposium.
January 23, Atlanta, GA.
Franco, D.A. 1999. The Genus Salmonella. Proceedings of the Animal Protein Producers
Industry. Institute for Continuing Education. 1-22.
Franco, D.A. 2005a. A Survey of Salmonella Serovars and Most Probable Numbers in
Rendered Animal Protein Meals: Inferences for Animal and Human Health. J. Environ.
Hlth. Vol. 67, No. 6. 18-22.
Franco, D.A. 2005b. An Introduction to the Prion Diseases of Animals: Assessing the
History, Risk Inferences, and Public Health Implications in the United States. NRA,
Alexandria, VA. 1-32.
Grossklaus, H.C.D. 1989. Healthy Animals, Safe Foods, Healthy People. Proceedings of the
World Association of Veterinary Food Hygienists. Stockholm, Sweden. 3-6.
Harris, I.T., P.J. Fedorka-Cray, J.T. Gary, and L.A. Thomas. 1997. Prevalence of
Salmonella organisms in swine feed. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 210:382-385.
Houston, D.L. 1984. Science and the Necessity of Salmonella Control. Proceedings of the
International Symposium on Salmonella. USA. 1-6.
Kimberlin, R.H. 1990. Scrapie and possible relationships with viroids. Sem. Virol. 1:153162.
Knauer, V.H. 1984. Keynote Address. Proceedings of the Second National Conference for
Food protection. USA. 7-13.
Lo Fong Wong, D.M.A. 2001. Epidemiology and control options of Salmonella in European
pig herds. Ph.D. Thesis, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen,
Denmark. ISBN 87-988315-1-8, 1-338.
Meat Research Corporation. 1997. Prevention of Post-processing Contamination of Stock
Meal with Salmonella and Other Pathogens. Australian Meat Corporation, Admin. 1912.
Miller, J.M., A.L. Jenny, W.D. Taylor, R.R. Marsh, and R.E. Race. 1993.
Immunohistochemical detection of prion protein in sheep with scrapie. J. Vet. Diagn.
Invest. 5:309-316.
Pirtle, E.C. 1999. Stability of Pseudorabies Virus (PRV) in Meat and Bone Meal and
Intermediate Rendering Products. Submission to the Fats and Proteins Research
Foundation. Bloomington, IL.
Pomeroy, B.S., and M.K. Grady. 1961. Salmonella Organisms Isolated from Feed
Ingredients. Proc. U.S. Livestock Sanit. Ass. 65:449.
Sreenivas, P.T. 1998. Salmonella Control Strategies for the Feed Industry. Feed Mix. Vol.
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Troutt, H.F., D. Schaeffer, I. Kakoma, and G.G. Pearl. 2001. Prevalence of Selected Foodborne
Pathogens in Final Rendered Products. Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), Inc.,
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A Variety of Rendered Products (courtesy of Rothsay).

THE RENDERING INDUSTRYS BIOSECURITY CONTRIBUTION

TO PUBLIC AND ANIMAL HEALTH
C.R. Hamilton, Ph.D., Darling International, Inc.
David Kirstein, M.S., Darling International, Inc.
Richard E. Breitmeyer, D.V.M., M.P.V.M., California State Veterinarian
Summary
Animal proteins are a valuable class of ingredients for animal nutritionists
to use in feed formulas. The U.S. rendering industry manufactures products that are
highly digestible, do not contain antigrowth factors, and are safe to use in livestock,
poultry, pet, and aquaculture feeds. Conserved nutrients within rendered products
help sustain animal agriculture and protect marginal lands from misuse. The
primary outlet that gives economic value to these products is as ingredients in
animal feeds. Restricting feed use of rendered products may inadvertently result in
severe economic and environmental problems, spread of disease to humans and
animals, and a loss of valuable nutrients with consequential health risks for animals,
especially young animals and those in intensive production (FAO, 2002).
Rendering is societys best available control technology for addressing the
disposal of animal by-products and mortalities. An examination of traits, such as
process controls, infrastructure, volume reduction, and timely processing, inherent
to the industry, plus regulatory requirements, such as traceability and environmental
regulations, validate this statement and make rendering the preferred method for the
collection, transportation, and processing of animal by-products and mortalities.
The rendering industry is uniquely structured to provide the critical components
necessary to handle all raw animal materials safely and responsibly, including those
that are considered, by science or perception, to be unsuitable to use in animal
feeds. To accomplish this, it may be necessary for the rendering industry to develop
a two tier system consisting of dedicated facilities. Feed-grade facilities can process
materials for use in animal feed. Disposal facilities can destroy unsuitable raw
animal materials after first removing all or a portion of the unrestricted components
in order to reduce their total volume.
The U.S. rendering industry, through the National Renderers Association
(NRA) has encouraged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to carefully consider the impact new
regulations will have upon the viability and survivability of independent renderers
that serve a vital role in monitoring, controlling, and eradicating animal diseases in
the United States. Agencies must seriously consider creating policy and regulations
that will ensure that these perishable animal by-products are disposed of properly.
Some level of funding may be required to provide the incentive necessary to
maintain a viable infrastructure. Without attention to their disposition, further
regulation of specific finished rendered products will exacerbate the improper and
illegal disposal of animal by-products and mortalities. In effect, efforts to prevent
the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States will

Essential RenderingPublic and Animal HealthHamilton, Kirstein, and Breitmeyer

inadvertently weaken the rendering industry and pathogenic agents that have been
controlled by rendering in the past will become an increasing threat to both animal
and human health.
The Rendering Industry
On a global scale, modern efficient rendering facilities are concentrated in
countries and regions possessing strong and well-established animal production
industries. This is especially true in the United States where the rendering industry
is closely integrated with animal and meat production (Figure 1). These industries
generate approximately 54 billion pounds per year of animal by-products and onfarm mortalities that are subsequently collected and processed by the rendering
industry.
Figure 1. Interrelationships of Rendering with Animal Agriculture.

Animal
Production

Animal Slaughter

By-products

Rendering
Feed Uses

Fat, Bone, Trim

On-farm
deaths

Meat
Processing

Retail
Meat

Non Feed Uses

Table 1. Edible and Inedible Portions of Animals, Percent of Live Weight.
Cattle
Swine
Poultry

Edible
51
56
63

Inedible
49
44
37

Animal by-products are derived directly from the meat processing industry.
Between 37 and 49 percent (Table 1), of the live animal weight is removed during
slaughter and when the meat is further processed (the inedible portion is even higher
for fish). These animal by-products, which include fat trim, meat, viscera, bone,
blood, and feathers are also collected and processed by the rendering industry. On72

Essential RenderingPublic and Animal HealthHamilton, Kirstein, and Breitmeyer

farm mortalities are an unfortunate fact associated with animal production. Each
year, more than 4 million cattle and calves, 7 million pigs, and 100 million chickens
and turkeys die and must be disposed of (ERS, 2001; NASS, 2001). The U.S.
rendering industry has a long history of efficiently handling, processing, and
disposing of animal mortalities, used cooking oils, and by-products from the meat
packing and meat processing industries. Historically, these materials have been
used to produce high quality fats and proteins for use by the animal feed and
oleochemical industries around the world.
Feeding is the Primary Use for Rendered Proteins
Rendering adds nearly $1 billion in value to the U.S. livestock production
sector in the form of proteinaceous feed ingredients alone. This value approaches
$2 billion when contributions from rendered fats and greases are also considered. In
addition, rendering removes the need to dispose of by-products in landfills or by
other methods that might pose potential environmental risks, health risks, or strain
existing space (Sparks, 2001) and/or facilities. The economic value of this service
is certainly high, but difficult to measure.
Due to rapid population growth in the world and increased demand for
animal products (such as meat, milk, eggs, etc.), the global requirement for
vegetable as well as animal protein sources that can be used in animal feed is
increasing (FAO, 2002). Animal proteins have traditionally been important sources
of proteins and other nutrients for livestock and poultry in the United States and
acceptance in Latin America and Asia grew substantially up until December, 2003
when BSE was first reported in the United States. Total domestic use of meat and
bone meal (MBM) in animal feeds was approximately 5.7 billion pounds per year
(Table 2) before the export markets for MBM closed in late 2003. Changes in
domestic and export use of all animal proteins since the year 2000 are discussed in a
subsequent chapter of this book.
Table 2. Domestic Use of Animal Proteins by Various Animal Species.a
Species fed

a
b

Ruminant animalsb
Swine
Poultry
Pet food
Other
Total

Meat and Bone Meal

Million
Percentage
pounds
567.4
10
737.6
13
2439.6
43
1304.9
23
624.1
11
5673.5
100

Blood Products
Million
Percentage
pounds
158.55
70
45.3
20
22.65
10
--------------226.5
100

Sparks, 2001.
All meat and bone meal consumed by ruminant animals is from nonruminant origin.

The poultry industry uses the largest percentage of domestic MBM,

followed by the pet food industry (Table 2). Significant amounts are used in swine
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and ruminant feeds. While there are no restrictions on feeding MBM to poultry and
swine, cattle and other ruminant animals are fed only MBM that is strictly of
nonruminant origin. A serious disposal problem will result if animal proteins and
animal fats are not used in feeds for pigs, poultry, pets, and/or aquaculture (FAO,
2002).
Usage patterns for blood products differ from MBM, as shown in Table 2.
Ruminants, especially cattle, are fed most of the blood products, usually as blood
meal, produced in the United States. Most usage in the swine industry is for spraydried products such as plasma proteins.
Continued usage of animal proteins as feed ingredients is largely due to the
rendering industrys on-going commitment to improve the nutritional value of these
products. For example, new processes and processing technology, improved
equipment, and greater understanding of the effects of time, temperature, and
processing methods on amino acid availability have resulted in significant
improvements in the digestibility of animal proteins. Data published since 1984
demonstrate that the digestibility of essential amino acids, especially lysine,
threonine, tryptophan, and methionine, in MBM have improved (Table 3). Better
understanding how best to use animal proteins in commercial formulas and
improved formulation procedures have also improved nutritional value.
Table 3. Digestibility of Meat and Bone Meal Since 1984.

a
b

Amino Acid
Lysine, %
Threonine, %
Tryptophan, %
Methionine, %
Cystine, %
Jrgensen et al., 1984.
Knabe et al., 1989.

1984 a
65
62
--82
---

1989 b
70
64
54
-----

1990 c
78
72
65
86
---

Batterham et al., 1990.

Firman, 1992.

1992 d
84
83
83
85
81

e
f

1995 e
94
92
--96
77

2001 f
92
89
86
92
76

Parsons et al., 1997.

Pearl, 2001.

The conservation of nutrients contained in animal by-products helps

sustain animal agriculture in the United States by minimizing the need to farm
marginal lands or environmentally sensitive areas, as well as by moderating the
price of competing nutrient sources like corn and soybean meal.
MBM is an especially strategic feed ingredient since it contains
economical sources of both protein and phosphorus. The incorporation of MBM
into livestock and poultry diets spares the annual use of 2.6 billion pounds of mined
and industrially manufactured feed grade phosphate compounds like dicalcium
phosphate and deflourinated phosphate. Loss of animal based phosphorus sources
would double the use of mined phosphorus for animal feed supplements. The
annual protein contributed by MBM is equivalent to 12.2 billion pounds of 48
percent soybean meal. In 2002, this amount of MBM protein represented over 11
percent of the soy protein produced in the United States. In other words, another
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8.4 million acres of soybeans would have been required to produce the same protein
equivalent as MBM.
The amount of metabolizable energy contributed by animal fats and MBM
is equivalent to more than 474,000 truckloads of corn each year. In 2002, it would
have required nearly three million more acres of corn production. The combined
number of acres of additional soybeans and corn needed to produce the protein and
energy contributed by animal fats and MBM is equal to 33.6 percent of Iowas
farmable land, the leading state in the production of corn and soy in the United
States.
Biosecurity
The U.S. rendering industry recognizes its role in ensuring food safety and
in protecting human and animal health. The rendering process is an effective
method for ensuring biosecurity because processing conditions assure the
destruction of pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Rendering is
the most logical method for collecting and processing animal by-products and
mortalities because it has the infrastructure in place to safely and responsibly
recycle or dispose of these products, allow traceability, and produce safe, biosecure
finished products that comply with all federal and state regulations.
Processing
Unprocessed animal by-products and mortalities contain large numbers of
microorganisms, including pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Unless properly
processed in a timely manner, these unstable materials provide an excellent
environment for disease causing organisms to grow and potentially threaten animal
health, human health, and the environment. If allowed to accumulate and
decompose without restraint, these tissues would become a substantial biohazard,
promoting disease, attracting and harboring rodents, insects, scavengers, and other
disease vectors, and attract predatory animals into densely populated areas.
Temperatures of between 240 and 295F (115 to 146C) are used in the
rendering process, which are more than sufficient to kill bacteria, viruses and many
other microorganisms, to produce an aseptic protein product that is free of potential
biohazards and environmental threats. Trout et al. (2001) sampled unprocessed
animal by-products at 17 different rendering facilities in each of two seasons.
Clostridium perfringens, Listeria species, and Salmonella species were
found in more than 70 percent of the samples taken before processing (Table 4). All
samples taken after heat processing were negative for these and other pathogens.
These data suggest that rendering is an effective tool for use in controlling
pathogenic bacteria.

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Table 4. Efficacy of the U.S. Rendering System in the Destruction of

Pathogenic Bacteria.a

a
b

Pathogen
Clostridium perfringens
Listeria species
L. monocytogenes
Campylobacter species
C. jejuni
Salmonella species

Raw Tissue b
71.4 %
76.2 %
8.3 %
29.8 %
20.0 %
84.5 %

Post Process b
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%

Trout et al., 2001. Samples from 17 different facilities taken during the winter and summer.
Percent of positive samples found to be for pathogen out of the total samples collected.

The value of the rendering process as a mechanism to control risks from

microbial pathogens as well as other hazards was validated in a United Kingdom
Department of Health (2001) study (Table 5). Risks of human exposure to
biological hazards were found to be negligible when animal mortalities and byproducts were processed by rendering, incineration, or funeral pyre. However,
incineration and pyres were reported to cause moderate to high exposure to
chemical hazards associated with burning. Only materials that had been rendered
yielded negligible exposure to both biological and chemical hazards. The agent
causing BSE was the only exception and it was found to pose a negligible risk to
humans when the solid products from rendering were subsequently incinerated.
Rendering is Regulated
The rendering industry is closely regulated by state and federal agencies,
with each routinely inspecting rendering facilities for compliance to applicable
regulations and finished product safety tolerances. Officers of the FDA inspect
rendering facilities for compliance to BSE related regulations and chemical residue
tolerances. APHIS issues export certificates and inspects rendering facilities for
compliance to restrictions imposed by the importing country. State feed control
officials inspect and test finished products as they enforce quality, adulteration, and
feed safety policies. Other state agencies also regulate the rendering industry
through the issuance of air and water quality permits and feed and rendering
licenses. This inspection system also helps to assure that dead or diseased animals
are not illegally diverted for use in human food.
Internal controls are used by the rendering industry to ensure that
biosecurity is maintained and that the finished products are safe and in compliance
with all state and federal regulations and tolerances. Two types of control
procedures that are common among rendering companies are good manufacturing
practices (GMPs) and HACCP-like process control (PC) programs.
GMPs are preventative practices that minimize product safety hazards by
instituting basic controls or conditions favorable for producing a safe product. A
raw material GMP would be one example and would provide validation that raw
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materials were not exposed to toxic chemicals or metals prior to processing in a

rendering facility. GMPs are necessary for development of a PC program.
Table 5. Summary of Potential Health Risks for Various Methods of Handling
Animal By- Products. ab

Campylobacter, E. Coli,
Listeria, Salmonella,
Bacillus anthracis, C.
botulinum, Leptospira,
Mycobacterium
tuberculosis var bovis,
Yersinia
Cryptosporidium, Giardia
Clostridium tetani
Prions for BSE, scrapiec
Methane, CO2
Fuel-specific chemicals,
metal salts
Particulates, SO2, NO2,
nitrous particles
PAHs, dioxins
Disinfectants, detergents
Hydrogen sulfide
Radiation
a

Very
small

Very
small
Very
small
Moderate
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small

Very
small

Moderate

Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Moderate

Moderate

Very
small

Burial

Pyre

Landfill

Incineration

Disease/Hazardous
Agent

Rendering

Exposure of Humans to Hazards from Each Option

High

Very
small
Moderate Very
small
Moderate Moderate

High

Moderate

High

Very
small
High

High
High

Very
Very
small
small
Very
High
Very
small
small
Moderate
Very
High
Very
small
small
Very
Moderate Moderate High
small
Very
Moderate Very
High
small
small
Moderate Very
Moderate Moderate
small

Adapted from the United Kingdom Department of Health (2001).

Legend: Very smallleast exposure of humans to hazards.
Moderateintermediate exposure of humans to hazards.
Highgreatest exposure of humans to hazards.
c
Risk of human exposure to TSEs was rated as very small when solid products of rendering
were incinerated.
b

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Rendering companies in the United States have adopted voluntary PC

programs as an important component of their biosecurity and food safety programs.
PC programs require (1) an evaluation of the entire rendering process; (2)
identification of potential biological, physical, or chemical hazards; (3)
identification of critical points in the process where the hazard(s) can be controlled;
and (4) development of procedures to control these processes and ensure the hazard
is eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels.
Processing temperature and particle size of the material are two examples
of critical control points associated with the destruction of viral and bacterial
pathogens present in unprocessed animal by-products and mortalities. These are
critical control points because the transfer of heat through materials at temperatures
sufficient to kill biological hazards within a given transit time is dependent on the
interaction between processing temperature and particle size. Therefore, settings
and condition of sizing equipment must be inspected and documented frequently.
Process temperatures are also monitored and recorded. If either of these is out of
tolerance, the material must be reprocessed with appropriate documentation.
Additional quality assurance (QA) controls may also be included at various
points in the process to assure quality of the finished product(s). A generalized
PC/QA program for a typical rendering facility is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Production Flow Chart with Critical and Quality Control Points.
Raw Materials

Sizing

Heat Processing
(Time x Temperature)

Protein

Press

Grinding
Fat Clean-up
Storage/Load out
Quality or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
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The FDA has announced its intention to implement an Animal Feed Safety
System by 2007 that will incorporate a risk-based approach to identifying and
developing limits for hazardous contaminants within feed, and establish process
controls with regulatory oversight to ensure compliance (FDA, 2005). This is
consistent with recommendations from the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), which called for full traceability and implementation of a code of practice
for handling animal by-products and mortalities to ensure safety (FAO, 2002).
Although individual rendering companies have voluntarily implemented
their own GMPs and PC programs for years, the industry adopted the APPI Code of
Practice in 2004 that formally established minimum industry standards for product
safety that include GMPs and PC programs. Participating facilities receive
accreditation upon passing an audit conducted by the Facility Certification Institute,
a third-party auditing firm.
Rendering Meets APHIS Objectives
The Veterinary Services division of APHIS developed their Strategic and
Performance Plan for the 2003 2008 fiscal years. Three specific goals were
developed. These are presented in Table 6 along with the current impact and
benefits contributed by rendering. Processing animal by-products and mortalities
through rendering is consistent with each of these goals.
The rendering process provides a means by which the disease cycle can be
broken. For typical pathogens, this may be through the rapid destruction of the
organism caused by processing at lethal temperatures. For other disease agents,
such as the one responsible for causing BSE, the infected animal by-products may
first be rendered to reduce infectivity, making the materials safer for handling and
storage prior to their disposal. Cohen et al. (2001) reported that batch rendering
systems achieved a 3.1 log reduction (1,000-fold) in BSE infectivity, while
continuous systems with and without fat recycling reduced infectivity 2.0 log (100fold) and 1.0 log (10-fold), respectively.
The U.S. government recognized the biosecurity benefits of rendering
many years ago. As a result, rendering has been an important component of most
animal disease eradication programs in this country. The voluntary pseudorabies
virus (PRV) eradication program is the most recent example. PRV cannot survive
the rigorous processing steps involved in rendering (Pirtle, 1997). Thus, the
depopulation protocol required that euthanized pigs from PRV-infected herds be
disposed of through rendering. This was a successful voluntary program, which led
to eradication of the disease in the United States by the end of 2004.
Rendering has also become an important component of government
surveillance for emerging animal diseases. Renderers provided APHIS nearly onehalf of the samples collected during the heightened BSE surveillance initiative from
2004-2006. Recognizing renderers unique capabilities for collecting farm
mortalities and animal by-products, APHIS recently expanded its authority to
collect blood and tissue samples at rendering facilities (Federal Register: 9 CFR
Part 71) in order to enhance their surveillance capabilities.
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Table 6. APHIS Goals for FY 2003 2008.

Goal
1

Objective
Safeguard the health of
animals, plants, and ecosystems
in the U.S.

Facilitate safe agricultural

trade.

Ensure the effective and

efficient management of
programs to achieve APHIS
mission.

Renderings Role
Rendering plays a preventative role by
containing and killing disease-causing
organisms before they can multiply and
spread in the environment.
Unprocessed animal by-products that
are allowed to accumulate will pose a
significant new or emerging threat.
Marketability is associated with
perceived safety. As animal disease
spreads in a country, global markets
will close, as the U.S. and Canada
experienced after their discoveries of
BSE. Renderers participate with
APHIS in monitoring and eradicating
animal disease in the U.S.
Dead animals and other animal tissues
are concentrated at rendering facilities,
which facilitates access for sampling by
government agencies.

Source: USDA, 2003.

Timely processing, processing temperatures, and the concentration of

animal mortalities and other animal tissues at a finite number of locations provides
APHIS with many of the necessary tools needed to prevent disease outbreaks,
eradicate diseases, and monitor the health status of animal herds and flocks in the
United States. It will be difficult for APHIS to realize their goals if the rendering
industry is not utilized to its fullest potential.
Traceability
Except for incineration, which is cost prohibitive and environmentally
unsuitable, the alternatives to rendering for the disposal of animal by-products and
mortalities do not provide adequate biosecurity. The origin and ultimate disposition
of these materials are not traceable when methods other than rendering are used.
This is problematic when attempting to prevent, control, or eradicate disease. Only
rendering companies are held accountable and required to document and maintain
written records suitable for governmental agencies to trace animal by-products back
to their source and the finished products forward to their disposal or use. Once the
USDA National Animal Identification System is fully functional, renderers
capabilities will be even more efficient and precise.
Animal by-product traceability was provided for when the FDA
implemented the ban on feeding proteins derived from ruminant animals back to
cattle and other ruminants (Federal Register: 21 CFR 589.2000; the so called
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FDA feed rule). This rule required that renderers manufacturing products that
contain or may contain protein derived from mammalian tissues intended for use in
animal feed take measures to ensure that prohibited materials are not used in feed
for ruminants. One of these provisions is to maintain records sufficient to track the
materials throughout their receipt, processing, and distribution and make the copies
available for inspection and copying by the FDA. Compliance to this requirement
is verified by periodic inspections by FDA compliance officers or state officials
under contract to the FDA. Similarly, the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 contains a
records retention section (Title III, Part 306) that expands those requirements to
include all materials received and shipped by renderers. The requirement is for
each step in the production chain to keep track of where materials came from and
where they were deliveredone step forward and one step back.
Even firms processing materials that are exempt from the 1997 FDA feed
rule, such as those derived exclusively from nonruminant animals, must maintain
records sufficient to allow traceability. These firms are also subject to inspection by
FDA officers and must be able to demonstrate that their products do not contain
materials derived from ruminant animals.
Infrastructure
Full-service rendering companies are capable of efficiently transporting
and processing large volumes (one million or more pounds per day) of raw animal
by-products and mortalities. Rendering, as we know it, was established in the
United States more than 100 years ago. Since then, it has developed as a service
orientated industry that continually embraces new technology, science, and sound
business decisions to improve process efficiency, product safety, finished product
quality, and the environment. Even though the rendering industry has undergone
significant consolidation during the past 30 years, most areas of the United States
continue to be serviced by one or more renderers.
The equipment used by the rendering industry is specialized and not
commonly found in other segments of the agricultural industry. In order to
safeguard the food supply and prevent the spread of disease and damage to the
environment, many states regulate the collection and transportation of unprocessed
animal by-products and mortalities and require that only vehicles equipped with
leak-proof vessels be used to transport these materials. This is industry-specific
equipment and not commonly found on vehicles used by common carriers or on
farm equipment. Renderers must also install air scrubbers, thermal-oxidizers,
wastewater treatment facilities, and other equipment necessary to meet state air
emissions, odor, and water discharge permits for their facilities. Tens of millions of
dollars in equipment, monitoring instrumentation, and analytical testing are invested
at rendering facilities in order to meet state and federal standards.
Because the rendering industry is committed to the continual improvement
in the safety of its products, it has formed organizations to provide technical support
and education in quality assurance and feed safety. The Animal Protein Producers
Industry (APPI) administers industry-wide programs for biosecurity, PC training,
Salmonella reduction, continuing education and third-party certification for
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compliance to BSE related regulations and APPI Code of Practice accreditation.

The Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF) solicits and funds industry and
university research to address pertinent biosecurity and nutrient value issues as well
as search for new uses. To focus research on biosecurity issues and develop new
uses for rendered products, FPRF entered into an agreement with Clemson
University to establish the Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center
(ACREC). More about the development and purpose of ACREC is explained in a
subsequent chapter of this book.
Volume Reduction
Unprocessed animal by-products contain large amounts of water (Table 7).
Heat is used to process these raw materials primarily to remove the moisture and to
facilitate fat separation. Removing most of the moisture reduces total volume by
more than 60 percent, from 54 billion pounds of raw material to about 11.2 billion
pounds of animal proteins and 10.9 billion pounds of rendered fats. Stored
properly, these finished products are stable for long periods of time. Dry protein
meals provide an unfavorable environment for pathogens to grow because the water
activity is below the threshold needed for microbial proliferation.
Table 7. Water, Protein, and Fat Composition of Animal By-Products.
Blood
Fat Trim
Bones
Offal

Protein
10
5
35
15

Fat
0
55
10
15

Water
90
40
55
70

Timely Processing
Because of the equipment and processing conditions used in modern
rendering facilities, bacteria and viruses are rapidly destroyed and not allowed to
reproduce and spread. This is critical in order to contain, prevent, or eradicate
disease. Alternative methods of disposal do not consistently eliminate pathogens.
Incineration does provide for quick pathogen destruction. However, other methods
such as burial or composting are based on tissue decomposition, take months to
complete the process, and are less effective than rendering.
The U.S. Rendering Industry and BSE
The rendering industry has been actively involved in programs to prevent
the spread of BSE in the United States since before 1995, when renderers
voluntarily stopped rendering sheep material. This was done to prevent any scrapieinfected material from entering the food chain, especially via feed for ruminant
animals.
When the FDA first considered preventative measures in 1996, renderers
and cattle producers voluntarily stopped using MBM derived from ruminant animals
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in cattle feed. This later became official when the FDA published the feed rule
(Federal Register: 21 CFR 589.2000), which prohibited the use of these materials
in feeds intended for cattle and other ruminant animals. The rendering industry was
actively involved in preparing this rule and fully supported it from its introduction
in 1997.
The only MBM permitted for use in ruminant animal feed in the United
States is material that comes from plants that slaughter or process only nonruminant materials. If the raw material cannot be verified to be 100 percent
nonruminant origin, then the resulting finished material is prohibited from use in
feeds for cattle and other ruminant animals. While PC programs target known
hazards that can be eliminated or controlled through the rendering process, they also
include in-plant enforcement of policies that apply to the acceptance or rejection of
raw material. This provides further assurance that material from suspect cattle
(such as those being tested for BSE through the APHIS surveillance program),
sheep, and goats are not received and processed for feed.
The FDA feed rule includes requirements that finished products are clearly
labeled and records of raw material receipts and finished product sales be kept and
made available for inspection by the FDA. This allows the FDA to verify the
source of raw materials and verify compliance to the feed rule among feed
manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and end users. For renderers who process
proteins exempt under the feed rule, safeguards to prevent cross-contamination must
be demonstrated in practice and in writing.
The APPI Code of Practice for rendering companies introduced in 2004
includes the requirement that facilities be in compliance with the FDA feed rule.
An earlier third-party audit (2001) of the industry for compliance to the FDA feed
rule showed 100 percent compliance among participating rendering companies
which accounted for nearly all of the industry capacity.
Although two cases of indigenous BSE have been identified in the United
States as of this writing, it is extremely unlikely to become established because
measures taken by agencies of the U.S. government were and continue to be
effective at reducing the spread of BSE (Cohen et al., 2001). As a result, the United
States is highly resistant to any amplification of BSE or similar disease. Cohen et
al. (2001) considered the FDA feed rule to be one of the most important safeguards
because it will prevent amplification of the disease. Hueston (2005) concurred that
although small doses of contaminated feed are sufficient for BSE transmission,
amplification requires significant recycling within the cattle population. The FAO
(2002) reflected agreement with these assessments by recommending that the
feeding of ruminant MBM to ruminant animals be prohibited worldwide as an
additional safeguard against the further spread of BSE.
The U.S. rendering industry fully supports science-based BSE prevention
programs and efforts developed by the FDA, APHIS, and other federal and state
governmental agencies. The rendering industry is committed to achieving 100
percent compliance to the FDA feed rule as a keystone for its success.

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Challenges
Concern about BSE has been the most serious issue affecting the use of
rendered products in the past 10 years. Since the FDA promulgated the feed rule,
the value of restricted use (prohibited as feed for ruminant animals) MBM has been
discounted an average of $18.13 per ton, compared to exempt MBM derived only
from nonruminant animals (Sparks, 2001).
Table 8. Annual Production of Animal By-Products (Sparks, 2001).
Protein Meal
Meat and bone meal (MBM)
Restricted use (banned in feeds for ruminants)
Pure ruminant origin
Mixed containing ruminant origin material
Total restricted use MBM
Exempt (available for use in ruminant feeds)
Exempt (pure porcine origin)
Mixed containing only exempt material
Total exempt MBM
Blood products (all exempt from feed rule)
Ruminant origin
Porcine origin
Mixed
Total blood products
Poultry meals (exempt from feed rule)
Poultry by-product meal (pure)
Feather meal
Total poultry meals

Million Pounds/Year
2,734.1
2,263.1
4,997.1
1,640.5
14.6
1,655.1
121.9
54.8
49.8
226.5
3,073.5
1,200.0
4,273.5

The effects of price discounting and lost markets because of real or

perceived consumer concerns have severely impacted the rendering industry. The
reason for this impact is best understood by considering the amount of product
affected by this regulation (Table 8). Approximately 75 percent (2.5 million tons)
of the MBM produced in the United States is totally or partially derived from
ruminant animals and cannot be used in feed for cattle or other ruminant animals.
Directly, this has had little impact on the rendering industry. Indirectly, compliance
issues for feed manufacturers who make both ruminant and nonruminant feeds in
the same facility, food safety concerns, media coverage, and marketing campaigns
advertising meat from animals fed animal by-product free diets have severely
impacted the rendering industry. As a result, it has been necessary to pass a portion
of the costs associated with rendering on to the generators of animal by-products
and mortalities. This has stimulated interest in alternative methods for the disposal
of these materials, some of which are legal and some not.
Recent events in North America and proposed rulemaking published by
federal agencies within the past two years suggest that additional restrictions on the
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type and/or specie of raw animal by-products that can be rendered to produce
materials for animal feed are likely. Canada and the United States each confirmed
their first cases of BSE in 2003. Soon after each confirmation, each country banned
specified risk material (SRM) from human food and cosmetics. Canada and the
United States identified similar tissues to be SRM, including the skull, brain,
trigeminal ganglia, eyes, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia from cattle over 30
months of age, and the distal ileum and tonsils from cattle of all ages.
As of this writing, Canada has confirmed eight cases of BSE and the
United States three, two in native born cattle and one (the first case) in a cow
imported into the State of Washington from Canada. All of the U.S. cases were
born before 1997 when the FDA feed rule went into effect. Four of the Canadian
cases, however, were born after 1997 when the Canadian government instituted feed
restrictions that were similar to the FDA feed rule. As a result, the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency announced regulations banning all SRM (skull, brain, trigeminal
ganglia, eyes, tonsils, spinal cord, and dorsal rot ganglia of cattle aged 30 months or
older and the distal ileum of cattle of all ages) from all animal feed and for use in
fertilizers effective July 12, 2007 (CFIA, 2006).
On October 6, 2005, the FDA proposed to amend the FDA feed rule and
prohibit certain cattle origin materials in the food or feed of all animals (proposed
rule; Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 193, pp58570-58601). Materials proposed to
be banned include (1) the brain and spinal cord from cattle 30 months and older that
are inspected and passed for human consumption, (2) the brain and spinal cord from
cattle of any age not inspected and passed for human consumption (dead and
downer cattle), and (3) the entire carcass of dead and downer cattle if the brain and
spinal cord have not been removed. In addition, the proposed rule provides that
tallow containing more than 0.15 percent insoluble impurities also be banned from
all animal food and feed if such tallow is derived from the proposed prohibited
materials. As of this writing, the FDA was reviewing comments submitted to the
proposed rule and had not taken any further action.
The rendering industry estimated that brain and spinal cord can be
successfully removed from only about 54 percent of dead and downer cattle, on
average (Informa Economics, 2005). Removal of soft tissues such as these is
negatively affected by the rate of carcass decomposition, which accelerates with
rising ambient temperature. In areas where daytime temperatures exceed 80F
(27C) much of the year, such as in the southern and western areas of the United
States, the brain and spinal cord may only be successfully removed 10 percent of
the time. Under the proposed rule, failure to remove the brain and spinal cord from
dead and downer cattle will prevent their use in feed for any animal and create a
significant disposal issue. Other potential unintended consequences of the proposed
rule include disruptions in the collection of nonruminant mortalities, compliance
issues associated with accepting by-products from non-federally inspected facilities
that slaughter cattle over 30 months of age, and a reduction of rendering services in
some areas of the country. In the proposed rule, the criteria that the FDA will use to
determine compliance for the rendering industry were not clearly stated. As a
result, renderers may stop processing prohibited materials rather than risk agency
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action for non-compliance which would increase the amount of material that must
be disposed of by other means.
The United States does not uniformly regulate the disposal of animal byproducts and mortalities. Because these materials will have little to no value either
in a raw or processed state if they are banned from animal feed, it is unlikely that
renderers will be able to collect and process them. As a result, government agencies
will lose control over the collection and disposal of SRM as well as any
commingled materials. Such a loss of control is in conflict with the intent of BSE
safeguards and could contribute to the spread of conventional diseases. While
animal fats can be used for fuel or in some industrial applications, animal proteins
are currently used almost exclusively as feed ingredients except for a small amount
used for fertilizer. Unless large-volume non-feed uses for animal proteins are
developed, materials prohibited from animal feed will have no economic value and
rendering companies will be unable to collect, transport, process, and dispose of
such materials unless their costs can be recovered from the by-product generators.
Figure 3. Improper Dumping of Butchered Deer Remains in a Cornfield.

Rendering is the Optimal Disposal Method

Failure to use the rendering industry for the disposal of animal by-products
and mortalities will erode the infrastructure developed to safely handle these
materials, resulting in sanitation and environmental challenges in the future (FAO,
2002). These issues may become insurmountable during widespread emergency
situations, such as foreign animal disease outbreaks, extended periods of excessive
heat, floods, etc. Sparks (2001) estimated that prohibitions against the use of all
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animal proteins in animal feeds would reduce the market price paid for cattle
($15.49/head), pigs ($3.22/head), broiler chickens ($0.07/bird), and turkeys
($0.33/bird). These costs are based on the complete loss of economic value for
animal proteins (not animal fats) and assume that rendering services will continue to
be available and utilized. They do not address the potential costs associated with
either a major reduction or complete loss of rendering services to the livestock,
poultry, and meat industries.
Figure 4. Improper Dumping of Trash Bags Filled with Animal Remains.

Without the rendering industry, it would be necessary to discard or dispose

of animal by-products and mortalities in community landfills, compost piles, burial
sites, incinerators, or, worse, left in illegal dumping places causing a potential
public health hazard. Each of these alternative methods has limitations with respect
to animal by-product and mortality disposal, with limited space the most obvious.
When unprocessed animal by-products derived from ruminant animals are
disposed of by methods other than rendering, their disposition is not regulated and
the potential exists for cattle and other ruminant animals to be exposed to materials
prohibited by the FDA feed rule. Domestic and wild ruminant animals may have
direct exposure to unprocessed raw materials that have been improperly buried,
composted, or placed in landfills. As a result, these non-rendering practices could
contribute to the amplification of BSE in the United States. For example, spreading
composted animal by-products of ruminant animal origin on land used for grazing
and/or hay production is permitted under current regulations.
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Figure 5. Improperly Managed Dead Calves.

Figure 6. Dead Animals Improperly Disposed of in Manure Pile.

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Landfills
While rendering reduces volume, amendments (such as sawdust) must be
added (one part amendment to three parts by-product) to compensate for the high
moisture content of animal by-products and mortalities when disposing in a landfill.
As a result, the total volume would be increased by approximately 25 percent.
When properly prepared, the volume of animal by-products and mortalities
generated in one year would take up approximately 25 percent of the landfill space
in the United States at an estimated cost of $105 per ton (Sparks, 2001).
Decomposition proceeds slowly and at relatively low temperatures (130 to
150F) in landfills, which limits pathogen destruction. Landfilling animal byproducts contributes to methane gas production and odors, attracts vectors (such as
rats, pets, and flies), and creates contact and/or inhalation exposures to humans.
Studies presented in Table 5 indicate that other options are superior to
landfills in reducing the risk of exposing humans to potential biological and
chemical hazards, including BSE. Further, the potential for increased disease
among landfill workers and the transfer of pathogens to off-site locations may be
increased when landfills are used for large animal disposal (Gerba, 2002). For these
reasons, disposing of cattle carcasses in landfills is prohibited in California and
possibly other states.
Composting
Composting is dependent on controlled microbial fermentation to
decompose animal by-products and mortalities. Moreover, composting has limited
large scale application because large amounts of carbonaceous materials are needed
in order to balance the high nitrogen and moisture content in animal by-products
and mortalities. Using pork industry guidelines for composting (Glanville, 2001),
which consider blending and pile separation issues, approximately one trillion cubic
feet of space (800 billion bushels) would be needed to compost the 54 billion
pounds of animal by-products that are rendered each year. This is equivalent to the
space needed to store all of the corn produced in the United States for the past 100
years. In addition, the spreading of composted animal by-products and mortalities
of bovine origin on land used for grazing or feed production is inconsistent with the
intent of the FDA feed rule and other federal programs to prevent the spread of BSE
in the United States. Widespread composting would dilute the integrity of the FDA
feed rule and make all existing risk assessment models (Cohen et al., 2001) invalid.
Some states recognize the potential for environmental contamination when cattle
carcasses and tissues are composted and prohibit such practices under state statute.
California is one such state.
Effective composting is difficult to manage and, depending on the system
used, could result in odors and failure to kill pathogens (Franco, 2002). The heat
produced during composting (120 to 158F) will kill most eggs of parasites and
vegetative bacteria within four to eight inches of the surface, but are not sufficient
to eliminate heat-resistant and spore-forming bacteria such as Clostridium
perfringens. However, if compost piles are not properly turned, pathogen
destruction cannot be assured. Independent renderers are in a unique position to
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monitor the emergence and operation of alternative disposal methods because of

their proximity to areas where livestock are produced. The rendering industry has
observed and clearly documented failed and inadequate attempts at composting.
Burial
Burial is not a viable option in many states because of population density
and/or the potential for ground and surface water contamination. If not done
properly, burial can also create some of the same potential risks from pathogens that
landfilling and composting do. Shown in Table 5, human exposure to all biological
and some chemical (such as hydrogen sulfide) hazards is high when animal byproducts and mortalities are buried (U.K. Department of Health, 2001). Space is
also a major limiting factor for the disposal of large quantities of animal byproducts and mortalities.
Incineration
Incineration can be cost prohibitive because of the fossil fuel needed to
destroy animal by-products and mortalities. Significant amounts of ash residue are
left after these materials are incinerated, causing a disposal issue. Incineration is an
efficacious means of minimizing human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms.
However, incinerators generate potentially hazardous chemicals, such as dioxins
and particulates (Table 5). Further, as in the European Union, incineration capacity
in the United States is inadequate to dispose of all of the animal by-products and
mortalities produced annually (Goldstein and Madtes, 2001). There are also many
regulatory challenges to permitting new incinerators.
AbandonedDumped
Due to its low cost and low risk of prosecution, the abandonment of
animal carcasses or illegal dumping of infectious waste animal tissues is a tempting
alternative disposal option (Figures 3-9). The potential to attract scavengers,
contaminate ground and surface water supplies, and spread potential animal and
human pathogens makes this a particularly harmful practice. Independent renderers
are in a unique position to observe and document this growing trend. Employees
traveling their daily collection routes observe these materials abandoned in fields or
dumped in ravines or waterways. State solid waste regulatory agencies simply do
not have the resources to monitor and enforce prohibitions against such activities
and admit their awareness is limited to when they receive complaints.
Future Role of Rendering
Further increases in the volume of animal by-products that cannot be used
in animal feed because of government regulations or consumer pressures will
increase the likelihood of problems due to poor sanitation, spread of disease, and/or
damage to the environment. Therefore, a need for a two-tier rendering system is
emerging to address these issues and concerns. Under such a system, the risk
associated with raw animal by-products and mortalities could be assessed and the
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materials directed to facilities dedicated to either manufacture products that can be

used in feed or products for non-feed applications. Absent any viable non-feed
uses, materials that can not be used in feed would be prepared for disposal.
In order for a disposal segment of the industry to evolve, disposal
rendering must be sustainable. The lack of regulations requiring all options used to
collect, process, and dispose of animal by-products and mortalities to meet uniform
standards for biosecurity, traceability, and environmental protection is the only
reason that disposal rendering has not already developed as a viable mechanism for
handling these materials. Without such standards, the United States will not have
the infrastructure to handle a ban on the use of SRM in feed, even if only a portion
of SRM is banned as the FDA proposed. Disposal problems that threaten animal
health, human health, and the environment will continue to increase as the volumes
of raw animal by-products and mortalities that cannot be used in feed increase.
Figure 7. Illegal Dumping Pollutes Water.

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Figure 8. Illegal Dumping of Dead Animals in Waterway.

Figure 9. Rotting Swine Carcasses, Improperly Disposed.

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References
Batterham, E.S., L.M. Anderson, D.R. Baigent, S.A. Beech, and R. Elliott. 1990. Utilization
of ileal digestible amino acids by pigs. Brit. J. Nutr. 64:679.
CFIA. 2006. Canadas Enhanced Feed Ban. Canadian Food inspection Agency Fact Sheet.
Cohen, J.T., K. Duggar, G.M. Gray, S. Kreindel, H. Abdelrahman, T. HabteMariam, D.
Oryang, and B. Tameru. 2001. Evaluation of the Potential for Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy in the United States. Report from the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis.
Harvard University and Tuskegee University.
ERS. 2001. Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Livestock, Dairy
and Poultry Situation and Outlook. LDP-M-90. December 27.
FAO. 2002. Executive Summary; Expert Consultation and Workshop on Protein Sources for
the Animal Feed Industry. Food and Agriculture Organization in association with the
International Feed Industry Federation. Bangkok, Thailand, April 29 May 2.
FDA. 2005. Animal Feed Safety System public meeting. Omaha, Nebraska, April 5-6.
Firman, J.D. 1992. Amino acid digestibilities of soybean meal and meat meal in male and
female turkeys of different ages. J. Appl. Poultry Res. 1:350.
Franco, D.A. 2002. Animal disposal the environmental, animal disease, and public health
related implications: An assessment of options. National Renderers Association.
Gerba, C.P. 2002. Potential health implications from the disposal of large animals in
landfills. Presentation to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. June 11.
Glanville, T. 2001. Design a swine composter for your operation. In: DisSolving Swine
Mortality Problems. Iowa State University.
Goldstein, N., and C. Madtes. 2001. The state of garbage in America; 13th annual Biocycle
nationwide survey. In: Biocycle. December. pp 42-54.
Hueston, W.D. 2005. BSE Prevention in North America: Analysis of the Science and Risk.
American Meat Institute conference, Washington, DC, January 27.
Informa Economics. 2005. Economic impacts of proposed changes to livestock feed
regulations. Prepared for the National Renderers Association.
Jrgensen, H., W.C. Sauer, and P.A. Thacker. 1984. Amino acid availabilities in soybean
meal, sunflower meal, and meat and bone meal fed to growing pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 58:926.
Knabe D.A., D.C. LaRue, E.J. Gregg, G.M. Martinez, and T.D. Tanksley. 1989. Apparent
digestibility of nitrogen and amino acids in protein feedstuffs by growing pigs. J. Anim.
Sci. 67:441.
NASS. 2001. National Agricultural Statistics Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meat
Animals Production, Disposition, and Income. Mt An-1-1 (01). April.
Parsons, C.M., F. Castanon, and Y. Han. 1997. Protein and amino acid quality of meat and
bone meal. Poult. Sci. 76:361.
Pearl, G.G. 2001. Animal protein by-product ingredients in sein rations. Proc. Mid-West
Swine Nutrition Conf. Sept. 5. Indianapolis, IN. pp 33-45.
Pirtle, E.C. 1997. Stability of pseudorabies virus (PRV) in meat and bone meal and
intermediate rendering products. FPRF Directors Digest No. 290.
Sparks Companies Inc. 2001. The Rendering Industry: Economic Impact of Future Feeding
Regulations. National Renderers Association, Alexandria, VA.
Troutt, H.F., D. Schaeffer, I. Kakoma, and G.G. Pearl. 2001. Prevalence of Selected
Foodborne Pathogens in Final Rendered Products. FPRF Directors Digest #312.
U.K. Department of Health. 2001. A rapid qualitative assessment of possible risks to public
health from current foot and mouth disposal options - Main Report. June.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2003. APHIS Veterinary Services Strategic and
Performance Plan for the 2003 2008 fiscal years.
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94

EDIBLE RENDERINGRENDERED PRODUCTS FOR HUMAN USE

Herbert W. Ockerman, Ph.D., and Lopa Basu
Department of Animal Sciences
The Ohio State University
Summary
This chapter focuses on animal by-products used directly by humans.
Information on world and U.S. meat and by-product production is discussed. The
main products focused on are fats and oils and their properties, and animal byproducts that are harvested from the carcass and cooked by the consumer or
incorporated into consumable food items. Also discussed are gelatin extraction,
edible tissue separated from bone, and other uses. Where appropriate, references
are given where more detailed information is available.
Definitions
Some of the critical definitions important to edible animal by-products are:
Batch cooker Horizontal, steam-jacketed cylinder with a mechanical
agitator.
Centrifuge Machine using centrifugal force to separate materials of
different densities.
Chitlings - Small intestines of pigs.
Continuous cooker The flow of material through the system is constant.
Cracklings Solid protein material from screw press after removal of lard.
Dry rendering Releasing fat by dehydration.
Edible Products for human consumption that are under the inspection of
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service.
Giblets Consists of the neck, liver, heart, and gizzard of poultry.
Grease Fats with lower melting points, softer. The titer is less than 40C.
Lard (grease) Fat from pigs (porcine), softer than fat from ruminants.
Rendering Fatty or oil materials in meat is melted away from the solid
portion of the animal tissue.
Tallow Fat from beef (bovine), mutton (ovine), goat (capra), camel
(camelus), llama (lama), deer (cervidae). This fat has a higher melting
point than from non-ruminants, increased hardness, and a titer of 40C
or higher.
Tankage Cooked material after most of the liquid fat has been removed.
Titer Determined by melt point (C) test which also measures hardness.

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

Edible Rendered Products

Volumes
In 2004, world meat production was 253.6 million tons, and this increases
every year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations. Approximately 40 percent of a live beef animal weight is processed
through a rendering plant. The typical beef fat trimmings from a USDA plant
consist of 60 to 64 percent fat, 14 to 16 percent moisture, and 20 to 24 percent
proteins solids (Franco and Swanson, 1996). It has been estimated that nearly 54
billion pounds of by-products are generated in the United States each year from
processed cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry. Slaughterhouses, packing plants,
supermarkets, butcher shops, and restaurants collectively generate at least one
billion pounds of animal by-products each week. Edible rendered by-products
utilization in the United States can be found in Table 1.
Table 1. U.S. Production and Consumption of Edible Rendered Products.
Produced
Product, Year
Edible Tallow, 1994
Edible Tallow, 2005
Lard, 1994
Lard, 2005

Domestic
Consumption
Million Pounds
557
402
422
235

1,513
1,813
559
267

Exported
295
306
139
94

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1995 and 2006. Note: Also, 5.6 million pounds of lard and
edible tallow were consumed in margarine for 2004.

Fat Sources
Fat is non-uniformly stored in various areas of the animal and the quantity
depends primarily on the nutrition of the animal. The fat cell has a cell membrane
and a nucleus located next to the membrane; however, most of the area is composed
of triglycerides. Triglycerides from both animal and plant sources are constructed
of glycerol, which is an ester linked to three fatty acids. These three fatty acids
usually vary for each triglyceride, and triglycerides are usually distinctive for
individual locations in the animal. Species have characteristic fats, and ruminant fat
is quite different from non-ruminant fat. For non-ruminants, the depot fat can also
be influenced by the type of fat consumed. The major difference in the triglycerides
is in the fatty acids that are attached and the chain lengths. The saturation level
influences chemical reactions.
Rendering Processes for Edible Fats
An edible rendering process is usually continuous and consists of two
stages of centrifugal separation. Fresh fat trimmings are usually ground by machine
and moved by a belt to a jacket steam-heated melt tank that contains an agitator.
The 110F (43C) melted fat is pumped to a disintegrator to rupture the fat cells. A
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centrifuge is used next to separate the fat, moisture, and solids. The fat fraction is
then heated to 200F (93C) by steam in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. A secondstage centrifuge is used to polish the edible fat. The centrifuge discharges the
protein fines which go to inedible rendering or into the primary treatment system for
wastewater. The edible tallow or lard, determined by the species of raw material, is
then pumped into storage. Few cooking vapors are emitted from the two centrifuge
methods for rendering edible fat. Since heat contact with the fat is minimal, fresh
raw material is used and sanitation and housekeeping have to be approved in a
hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) program audited by the
USDA/FSIS.
In contrast to edible rendering, inedible rendering uses wet and dry
rendering systems. The wet system exposes raw material to hot water (180 to
205F, 82 to 96C) which later has to be evaporated. This technique results in fat,
sticky water (containing glue) and wet tankage (protein solids). This system is not
very energy efficient, detrimental to fat quality, and no longer used in the United
States. However, a continuous variable of this procedure is used to produce edible
products. The dry rendering system works by dehydrating raw material at a
temperature of 240 to 290F (115 to 145C) in either a batch or continuous cooker.
It is no longer approved for edible grade fats by the USDA. The final temperature
in the batch cooker varies from 250 to 275F (121 to 135C) and usually requires
two to three hours of cooking time. After cooking, the product is drained, the solids
are pressed (screw press or twin screw press), and the fat content is reduced from 25
percent to approximately 10 percent. The solids are then known as cracklings. The
fat from pressing usually contains some fines that are removed by centrifuging or
filtration. The continuous rendering system is really continuous cooking with raw
material fed into one end of the cooker and cooked material discharged from the
other end. The continuous system has higher capacity, occupies less space, and is
more energy efficient. Other rendering processes include ring dryers, steam tube
rotary dryers, and pressure cooking.
Edible Fats
The animal products consumed as human food that come closest to
paralleling the classical definition of rendering are lard and tallow since heat is used
to separate these lipids from the muscle and bone tissue. Edible tallow and lard are
used in oleomargarine (margarine), shortening, and cooking fats, with the latter two
having the greatest market share. Many cooks insist that tallow gives a better flavor
to fried foods than vegetable oils. The fast food industry in the 1990s switched
from tallow and lard for frying potatoes to vegetable oil, and was led by
McDonalds due to public concern about animal fats, cholesterol, and heart disease.
Lard is defined as fat from pigs that is melted and strained from the cell
wall tissues that encase it. The highest grade of lard is leaf lard, which is obtained
from the fat around the kidneys. The next grade is from back fat and the poorest is
from fat covering the small intestines. Lard is also classified by the method of
preparation such as prime steam, rendered in a closed vessel into which steam is
injected; neutral, melted at low temperature; kettle-rendered, heated with water
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added into steam-jacketed kettles; and dry-rendered, which is hashed and then
heated in cookers equipped with agitators. Good lard melts quickly and is free from
disagreeable odor. Pure lard (99 percent fat) is highly valued as cooking oil because
it smokes very little when heated.
Unprocessed lard often has a strong flavor and a soft texture, but lard can
be processed in many ways including separating it from the surrounding tissue by
heat, filtering, bleaching, and hydrogenation. In general, processed lard is firmer
(about the consistency of vegetable shortening), has a milder, more nutlike flavor,
and has a longer shelf life than vegetable oil. Lard produces extremely tender, flaky
biscuits and pastries. Its also a flavorful fat for frying. When substituting lard for
butter or vegetable oils in baking, reduce the amount by 20 to 25 percent. All lard
should be tightly wrapped to prevent absorption of other flavors that may be present
in the storage area. It may be stored at room temperature or refrigerated depending
on how it has been processed. Lard (often with a needle) is also used to insert long,
thin strips of fat (usually pork or bacon) into dry cuts of meat. The purpose of
larding is to make the cooked meat more succulent, tender, and flavorful. These
strips are commonly referred to as lardons.
Table 2. Chemical Composition of Animal Fats.
Carbon Chain Length and
Unsaturation
12
C Lauric

Beef Tallow

Pork Lard

Poultry Fat
0.5

14

3.0

15

0.5

16
16
17
18

20.0

13.5

5.5

18

43.0

43.5

40.0

18

4.0

10.5

19.0

18

0.3

0.5

1.0

C Myristic
C Pentadecanoic
C Palmitic
C 1=Palmitoleic
C Margaric
C Stearic
C 1=Oleic
C 2=Linoleic
C 3=Linolenic

20

C Arachadic

1.5

1.5

24.0

27.0

22.5

2.5

3.0

8.5

1.5

0.5

0.5

Iodine Value

Saponification

Titer C-fatty acidc basis

48

65

90

200

200

196

43

36

32

Higher numbers indicate more unsaturated fatty acids.

Higher numbers indicate shorter fatty acid chain lengths.
c
Higher numbers indicate higher melting points or harder fats.
Modified from Franco and Swanson, 1996; Ockerman, 1996.
b

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Characteristics of Edible Fats

Fats and oils from both animals and plants are composed of triglycerides,
which are three fatty acids connected to glycerol by an ester linkage. The only
difference in triglycerides is the degree of unsaturation (double bonds in the fatty
acids) and the fatty acid chain length. The quality of an edible fat is judged by titer,
free fatty acid (FFA), FAC (Fat Analysis Committee of the American Oil Chemists
Society) color or Lovibond color, and moisture, impurities (insoluble), and
unsaponifiable matter (MIU). The unhydrogenated fatty acid composition of edible
fats and oils is listed in Table 2.
Titer determines the hardness or softness of the fat or the temperature at
which it will solidify. More unsaturated fats have lower titers as do fatty acids with
shorter chain lengths. Titers will vary with species. For example, cattle and sheep
fat will have a higher titer and pork fat will have a lower titer. The solidification
ranges of fats of three species are:
Beef
108 to 113F (42 to 45C)
Pork
97 to 104F (36 to 40C)
Sheep
111 to 118F (44 to 48C)
The difference in solidification temperature is important when making an
emulsified sausage product since the chopping temperature must be modified
depending on the species and the titer used.
Within each species the titer will also vary depending on the location of the
fat within the carcass. For example, the titer is higher for kidney fat compared to
loin fat. For a non-ruminant animal, the diet can also influence the hardness of the
fat. Thus, a pig fed on peanuts has a lower solidification point than pigs fed on
corn. Well-fed animals will also have a higher titer than fat from emaciated
animals.
FFAs are usually expressed as the percentage of oleic acid of total sample
weight. FFAs are created by breaking of the ester linkage and liberating the fatty
acid from the triglyceride. This is undesirable and an indication of degree of
spoilage that has occurred. To keep FFA as low as possible, it is necessary to use
clean raw material, clean equipment, control temperature to below 20C or above
65C (to inactivate bacteria and enzymes), keep raw material whole as long as
possible (reduce surface area), handle materials rapidly, and control temperature and
pressure during rendering and storage. For acceptable quality, FFA should usually
be less than two percent.
Color of fat can be almost white to yellow and often shades of green,
brown, or red are observed. The causes of color differences can often be explained
by green coming from contact with intestinal content containing chlorophyll, red
resulting from rendering overheating, and contamination with blood will often result
in a brown color. Color of raw material can also be influenced by breed, feed, age,
and condition of the animal. To reduce color problems, raw material should be
fresh, clean, and free of contamination. Blood and intestinal content should not be
in the cooker, and temperature and pressure must be appropriately controlled.
Moisture is undesirable in fat, since it will encourage bacterial growth and
fat-splitting enzymes. Moisture is expressed as parts per hundred and levels of 0.2
99

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

percent are usually acceptable. To maintain low moisture levels, drain moisture
from raw material (using cool temperature as necessary), avoid ineffective use of
water in the settling process, drain water from settling and appropriate storage
containers, and avoid condensation.
Impurities (insoluble) are undesirable and may originate from non-fatty
material (five to 19 percent) in the trimmed fat. Foreign materials such as protein
fines, bone powder, and hair are sometimes found in fat. Some of these can be
removed by settling or centrifugation and others may be removed by filtration.
Impurities (fat soluble) are undesirable and often consist of copper, tin
(from brass), and zinc. Some of the colloidal fines, or ones that are soluble in the
fat, are often difficult to remove. Polyethylene is a problem since it melts during
processing, burns on the heater coils, or dissolves in the tallow. It will normally
settle out in storage over time. Even in inedible product, a maximum of 50 ppm is
the upper acceptable limit. Steps to help reduce this problem include starting with
clean raw material, using proper settling and filtration, not using pipes or valves that
contain brass or copper or zinc, monitoring raw materials for polyethylene and other
contaminants, and filtering aids may also be helpful.
Unsaponifiable matter is the portion of the lipid fraction that will not
saponify when an alkali is added. Triglycerides (the major quantity of the fat) will
saponify; therefore, the addition of an alkali divides the lipid fraction into two
categories. Both fractions are a nonpolar soluble, but the small unsaponifiable
fraction is chemically quite different from the saponifiable triglycerides. An
example of a natural unsaponifiable material would be cholesterol; however, an
example of mineral unsaponifiable material would be lubricating oils and greases
from pumps and machinery.
Good maintenance can reduce the mineral
unsaponifiable from downgrading the fat.
Bleachability is a color test using activated clay and a color measuring
instrument. High temperatures will fix color in tallow. Therefore, this test is a good
indication of temperature and handling conditions to which the fat has been
exposed. Cleaner raw material and lower processing temperatures and pressures
will result in a lighter bleach value.
Other indicators of quality of fat include saponification number (the
higher the number, the shorter the average fatty acid chain length), iodine value
(lower values indicate fewer double bonds or unsaturation), and peroxide value
(PV) (a measure of oxidation or rancidity). Fresh fat should have PV values of one
to two milliequivalents (me) of peroxide per kilogram. TBA or TBARS are
another measure of oxidation or rancidity. Smoke point is correlated to flash and
fire point and indicates the temperatures at which these reactions will occur.
Smoke points are also directly correlated to the quantity of FFAs. To reduce
oxidation and rancidity, pumping and storage should minimize air incorporation
and foaming, old and new fat should not be mixed, and antioxidants can be used.
Other Edible By-products
Many other parts of the carcass dont quite fit the high temperature
rendering definition but are by-products of the animal industry and are consumed by
100

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

humans. These vary tremendously by who and how they are used, and their
nutritional quality. The quantity available can be found in Table 3. Many cultures
outside the United States and Canada utilize a much larger proportion of animal
carcasses for human food.
The consumable by-products, characteristic, average weight, quantity per
serving, how to store, and use in preparation are categorized in Table 4. A flow
diagram of edible by-products, blood collection and processing, percentage of the
carcass, percentage of by-products used in various countries, percentage of U.S.
packers saving by-products, import and export trade of by-products, nutritional
value, chemical composition of enzymatic hydrolysis of by-products, water/protein
ratio, collagen and elastin content, amino acid content, cholesterol content, cooking
procedures, and detailed descriptions can be found in Chapters 1 and 2 of Animal
By-product Processing and Utilization (Ockerman and Hansen, 2000).
Table 3. By-Product Yield Based on Live Weight.
Percentage of live weight
Beef
0.32

Pork (Pig)

Lamb

Cheeks
Blood

2.4 - 6

2-6

4-9

0.08 - 0.1

0.26

Blood, dried
Brain

0.7
0.08 - 0.1

Chitlings

0.06

Cracklings

3.0

2.2

Edible kill fat

1-7

1.3 - 3.5

12

1.9 - 2.1

1.5 - 2.2

2.0

Feet
Gizzard
Hanging tender

0.2 - 0.3

3.9 - 5.3
1.9 - 2.3

0.19

Head

2.5 - 2.9

Head and cheek meat

0.32 - 0.4

0.5 - 0.6

Heart

0.3 - 0.5

0.2 - 0.35

0.3 - 1.1

1.8

3.3

0.2 - 0.4

0.6

1.1 - 2.4

0.9 - 2.2

Intestines
Kidney

Chicken 3-5 lb

0.07 - 0.2

Lips

0.1

Liver

1.0 - 1.5

101

0.3 - 0.8

1.6 - 2.3

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

Lungs

0.4 - 0.8

0.4 - 0.8

0.7 - 2.2

Pancreas

0.06

0.1

0.2

Rennet

0.23
0.4 - 0.5

0.5

0.1 - 0.12

0.1 - 0.4

Skirt
Spinal cord
Spleen
Sweetbread

0.2 - 0.3
0.03
0.1 - 0.2
0.02

Neck

0.02

Tail

0.1 - 0.25

0.1

Tongue

0.25 - 0.5

0.3 - 0.4

Tripe

0.75 - 2.0

0.6

Bible

0.18

Plain

0.6

Honeycomb

0.1

Rendered edible fat

0.15

0.03 - 0.05

Heart

Weasand

0.7

0.04 - 0.09

0.05

2 - 11

12 - 16

2.9 - 4.6

Sources: Gerrard and Mallion ,1977; Ockerman, 1983; Romans et al., 1985; and Ockerman
and Hansen, 1988 and 2000.

Table 4. By-Products Consumed by Humans.

By-Product Characteristic
Bloodbeef, pork,
lamb

Average
Wt., lb

Serving

Storage

Used in preparing
Blood food preparation, blood
sausage, black pudding, blood
and barley loaf, sausage
ingredient

Blood
plasmapork, lamb

Sausage ingredient, Black

pudding

Bone- pork,
lamb, beef

Gelatin, soup, mechanically

deboned tissue, rendered for
shortening, refining sugar

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Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

By-Product Characteristic
BrainsTender,
beef, veal, delicate
pork, lamb in flavor,
veal
most
popular
Casings
Cattle,
pigs,
sheep

Average Serving
Storage
Wt., lb
Beef - -1 -1 lb for Frozen,
Lamb - four
thaw in hot
Pork -
water,
fresh,
refrigerate
use in 24 hr
Used to
contain
sausage
items

Cheek and
head
trimmings-,
beef, pork,
lamb
Chitlings, Small
chitlins,
intestines of
chitterlings pigs; beef is
also used in
some
countries
Cracklings- Crisp
pork
golden
brown solid
protein
material
from screw
press after
removal of
lard.
Ears- pork

Used less due to BSE;

separated from spinal cord;
tender; fried, broiled, sauted,
poached, braised, scrambled,
creamed, cooked in liquid;
liver sausage
Cleaned, some layers removed
and salted; Some do not use
ruminant (BSE concern)
Sausage ingredient; brain
(reduced use due to BSE);
stew, sauce, liver sausage;
boil, poach, fry

Often
frozen

Cleaned, simmered until

tender. Served with a sauce,
added to soups, battered and
fried

Use
quickly
since they
get rancid
quickly

Used in corn bread, biscuits,

muffins; added to the surface
of sweet potatoes, mashed
potatoes, salads, and as a
snack

Stewed with feet

Esophagus
Extract-,
pork, lamb,
beef
Fat, oleo
stock, oleo
oil
Oleo stearin

Sausage ingredient
Soup, bouillon
Oleo-margarine, shortening,
drippings, dipping
Shortening, sweets, chewing
gum
Shortening, mincemeat, paste,
pudding, dripping
Sausage ingredient, jelly,
blood and liver sausage, pie,
brawn, salt and boil
Shortening, lard

Edible
tallow
Head- pork
Lard

Used in preparing

Pork
103

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

By-Product Characteristic
Feet- pork, Pig
beef, lamb, foreleg
chicken
shank

Average
Wt., lb
Pig, raw
46%
muscle

Gibletspoultry

Heart,
liver,
gizzard,
and
sometime
neck

Chicken - 1 pound
3-4 oz
for four
Liver 2
oz
Heart - 0.5
oz
Gizzard 0.1

Haggiscalves,
sheep

Hearts,
lungs,
livers

Heart- beef, Beef

veal, pork, least
lamb,
tender
chicken

Serving

Storage

Pig feet bone in,

semiboneless,
boneless;
pork
hocks

Chicken
Jelly, cow heel, foot jelly,
eaten in
pickled pig feet; boil, fry,
orient; pig sausage
feet
fresh,
frozen,
cured
Frozen,
Fry; simmer until tender
thaw in
refrigerator;
fresh,
refrigerate
use in 12
hr
Cooked in Combined with oatmeal,
a sheeps heavy seasoning
stomach

Frozen
10-12
thaw in
2-3
2-3
refrigerator;
fresh or
1
3-6
refrigerated
10-12
cap-on, use in 24
hr
chicken 1 aorta,
pulmonary
trunk,
some fat
removed
1 beef 4
1 veal
1 pork
1 lamb

Intestine,
large, smallpork, beef,
veal, sheep
KidneyVeal, lamb
beef
and pork
(loabed), more tender
veal
and milder
(loabed), than beef;
pork (single veal and
lamb someloabed),
lamb (bean times cut
shape single with loin
loabed)
chops

Used in preparing

Braise, cook in liquid, stews,

fry, baked, broiled, braise,
added to other meat; cavities
filled with dressing and
roasted; sausage, loaf patty

Sausage casing, pork large

intestine chitlings or
chitterlings
1 beef - 1
1 veal -
1 pork -
1 lamb -1/8

4-6
Refriger3-4
ate use in
1-2
24 hr
0.5-1
Blood
vessels,
ureter,
capsule,
membrane
removed
104

Casseroles, stews, fry, pies,

soup; wrapped in bacon and
cooked on skewer, broil, fried,
grill, cooked in liquid, braised,
patty, loaf

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

By-Product Charact- Average
eristic
Wt., lb
Liver- beef, Veal, lamb, 1 beef - 10
veal, pork. pork are
1 veal -2.5
Lamb,
more tender 1 pork - 3
chicken
than beef,
1 lamb - 1
veal and
3 chicken-1
lamb milder
than pork or
beef

Lung- pork,
lamb
Meat
Meat,
extract
bones
extracted
with
boiling
water or
meat to
be
canned
Omentumpork
Oxtail- beef Large
percentage
bone,
disjointed,
fine meat
flavor
Pork jowl
Pork jaw

Serving

Storage

Used in preparing

- 1 lb
for 4
Gall
bladder,
skirt,
arteries,
veins,
capsule
fibrosa are
removed

Frozen
thaw in
refrigerator;
Fresh,
refrigerate,
use in 24
hr.
Grind for
loafs and
patties.

Thin sliced braised, broiled,

fry, grill, stewed, cook in
liquid, fried, soups, loaves,
spreads, liver sausages, patty,
pate, haggis

Europe blood preparation,

haggis, pet food
Extracted product is
condensed

1 lb for
two

Frozen,
thaw in
refrigerator;
fresh,
refrigerate
use in 24 hr

Covering for processed meat,

pie, pate
Simmer two hours or until
tender, soup, stew

Often cured like bacon

SomeBoil and simmer until tender,
times
season,
stuffed
remove the meat, cool to jell
into
casings
and cold
smoked,
very
perishable

Processed High
by-product: collagen
meat such
souse,
as whole
pickled
pigs head
pork,
headcheese, including
tongue,
brawn,
trotters,
scrapple
snouts, ears,
skin
Skin
trimmings,
skeenspork, beef

Pork rinds
can be
stored for 6
months at
room temp.
105

Rind emulsion for sausage,

gelatin, jellied food, pork
rinds; extract collagen for
extrusion into casings

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

By-Product Characteristic
Skirt, thickpork, beef
Spleenpork, lamb
Stock, soup- Bones,
Beef, veal, meat
lamb, pork scraps

Average
Wt., lb

Serving

Storage

Stew, sausage ingredients

Refrigerate or
frozen

Stomachpork
Sweetbreadsbeef, veal,
lamb

Used in preparing

From the Veal, neck - 1 lb

heart and and heart
for four
throat
pair -1
(thymus) Beef, neck
fat rich, only 1/8
only in
Beef heartyoung
bread 0.15
animals, Beef Gut
gut
bread - 3/8
(pancreas) Lamb2 oz.
bread
Lamb gut

Frozen,
thaw in
hot water;
fresh,
refrigerate, use in
24 hr

Blood sausage, pie; fry,

flavoring, melt, variety meat
Roasted with vegetables,
simmered, strained, cooled.
Used in dishes, soups sauces,
gravies
Sausage ingredient; sausage
container, precook in water,
braise, fry, boil
Tender and delicate flavor;
membrane, lymph nodes,
vessels removed; breaded
deep fat fry, coated with butter
broil, braise, cook in liquid,
stew, poach, scrambled with
eggs, cream, variety meat

3/16

Pig gut3/16
Tail- lamb
Tail- pork
Testicleslamb,
Rocky
Mountain
oysters,
lamb fries;
other
species are
also used
TongueFat rich,
beef, veal, types;
pork, lamb square cut,
short cut,
Swiss cut,
long cut

1.5

4 per
serving

Clean and
freeze till
needed
Some-times
cured and
smoked

1 per
serving

1 beef -3-4
1 veal -1-2
1 pork -
1 lamb -

12-16
3-6
2-4
2-3
Amount of
trimming
varies with
type of cut
106

Fresh,
refrigerate
use in 24
hr;
pickled,
soak
before
cooking

Bread and fry

Hotchpot; barbecued, salt and
boil, used with sauerkraut,
mustard greens beans
Boil until tender, simmer;
bread and fry, grill

Fresh - thin slice, long term

moist heat, broil, stew,
smoked, pickled, jellied,
potted, canned, blood and liver
tongue sausage

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

By-Product Characteristic
Tripe- beef, Beef,
sheep, pork honeycomb
stomach
(preferred)
plain, bible,
hard to
clean, not
much used,
calf rennet
Udder

Average Serving
Storage
Wt., lb
Beef,
Fresh,
honeyrefrigerate
comb -1.5,
use in 24 hr;
Plain - 7, Plain - 1pickled,
Sheep -2.2 for 4
soak before
use, canned,
heat and
serve

Used in preparing
Often pre-cooked but requires
further cooking; sausage
ingredient, lamb -container for
haggis

Eaten in Europe; boil, salt,

smoke, fry
Sources: Ockerman and Hansen 1988, 2000; Fornias, 1996; McLean and Campbell, 1952;
National Livestock and Meat Board, 1974 a,b; Ockerman 1975, 1996.

Gelatin
Another edible by-product is gelatin. Gelatin and glue are both water
soluble, hydrophilic, derived colloidal proteins (albuminoids) produced by
controlled hydrolysis of water-insoluble collagen (white fibrous connective tissue).
Gelatin and glue are physically and chemically similar but gelatin is made from
fresh, federally (in the United States) inspected raw material which allows it to
remain in the edible category. Since collagen is 30 percent of the bodys total
organic matter or 60 percent of the body protein, gelatin can be extracted from
many raw materials (hides, pig skins, bones, and ossein). This pure protein from
collagen, sometimes called isinglass, is used in ice cream, mayonnaise dressing,
emulsion flavors, to clarify wine, beer, and vinegar, and is used to make capsules
and coating for pills.
Collagen (anhydride of gelatin) is constructed of
tropocollagen monomers arranged in overlapping fibrils that are configured in three
nonidentical, coiled peptide chains with molecular weight ranging from 40,000 to
100,000 (Etherington and Roberts, 1997). The number and type of covalent crossbonds between chains are altered as the animal ages (more abundant in older
animals) and this influences the properties of the extracted gelatin. The conversion
of tropocollagen to gelatin requires breaking of hydrogen bonds, which destabilizes
the triple-coil helix and converts it into a random coil configuration of gelatin,
which is stabilized by the cross-links that remain and the amino terminal and
carboxyl terminal groups that have been formed. Since the three original chains
were not identical, it results in a single gelatin sample with several molecular
weights. The alpha-chain contains one peptide chain, the beta-chain has two
connected peptide chains, and the gamma chain is made up of three peptide chains.
The distribution of the molecular weights determines the functionality of the gelatin.
Larger concentrations of low molecular weight molecules will lower viscosity and
gel strengths. This condition is usually caused by high temperatures, high acidic or
alkaline conditions, type of raw material, or liming time. Nutritionally, gelatin is a
long chain of both acidic and basic amino acids connected by peptide bonds. It is
high in glycine and lysine but low in tryptophan and methionine. This makes it a
107

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

non-complete protein since it does not supply the daily requirement of essential
(amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body) amino acids. However, in a
normal diet with other proteins, it can be quite nutritionally useful. Gelatin has a
high content of the amino acids proline and hydroxyproline and the quantities of
amino acids are often used as an index of the quantity of gelatin in a protein mix.
The extraction of gelatin is performed in four stages:
1. Selection of appropriate raw materials (can influence gelatin
characteristics).
2. Removal of non-collagenous compounds from the raw material with as
little change in collagen as possible.
3. Controlled hydrolysis of collagen to gelatin.
4. The recovery and drying of gelatin.
There are also three processes to obtain gelatin from collagen and also
various combinations of these procedures.
1. Alkaline procedure (type B gelatin): The most common procedure
consists of washing, followed by saturated calcium hydroxide (liming
period) which causes the non-collagen material to become more
soluble and can be removed by later washing. Liming also causes
hydrolytic reactions with limited solubilization. Next, the pH is
lowered and the lime is washed with cold water and removed from the
stock. This is followed by washing with dilute acid and a final wash
with sulfate. The stock is then placed in extraction kettles and
extraction takes place in a series of cooks. The liquid extract is
pressure filtered followed by evaporation.
2. Acid procedure (type A gelatin): This procedure is often used with
pigskins and bones. The raw material is first washed and fat is often
pre-extracted (with heat or non-polar chemicals). The raw material is
then soaked in inorganic acids, followed by a wash to raise the pH.
Next the collagen is given an alkaline treatment. It is then filtered and
dried. The product is then subjected to a series of cooks and quickly
dried. The acid and alkaline procedures produce two different classes
of gelatin and the products produced are not interchangeable.
3. Other Methods: Other methods such as high-pressure steam extraction
or enzymatic methods continue to evolve and have succeeded in
demineralizing collagen from ossein with improved predictability of
quality and yield (Rowlands and Burrows, 1998).
Gelatin is used at fairly low levels (one to 2.5 percent) in gelatin desserts.
More details on gelatin extraction, amino acid content, potential raw materials,
yield, flow charts, and preservatives can be found in Chapter 5 of the book Animal
By-product Processing and Utilization (Ockerman and Hansen, 2000).

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Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

Edible Tissue from Bone

Bones have long been used to make soup and gelatin. As labor becomes
more expensive and as the animal processing industry has attempted to salvage
more of adhering meat from bones, new separating techniques have been developed.
Specialty items have been developed that utilize non-whole muscle meat products
and extracted tissue. In the poultry industry, the trend from marketing whole birds
to parts left a number of parts difficult to merchandise and spent layers were also a
source of available material. In the beef industry, carcasses are further cut up into
boxed beef (wholesale cuts), which concentrates large quantities of bones in a few
locations. Central processing makes mechanically de-boning more practical. This
process can return major quantities of edible tissue back into the marketplace.
The terms mechanically separated meat and mechanically separated
poultry are used in the United States the term mechanically recovered meat is
sometimes used in Europe. Minced fish is used for mechanically de-boned fish.
Large quantities of mechanically de-boned poultry are currently being used in the
United States with smaller quantities of mechanically de-boned red meat utilized.
Excellent early reviews by Field (1981, 1988) and Froning (1981) can add
considerable insight to this process. History, U.S. regulations, yields, composition,
nutrients, protein efficiency ratio, flow charts, and equipment are reported by
Ockerman and Hansen (2000).
In general, the bones and tissue are finely ground and the soft tissue is
forced through small (0.5 mm) orifices. The resulting structure of the pressed
material is finely ground and paste-like in which the myofibrils are heavily
fragmented. Post-pressed treatments range from no treatment to washed and
dewatered, high temperature, centrifugation, and use of emulsion additives.
Selection of the size of the orifices and the amount of pressure applied can affect the
yield, the amount of bone marrow, and the size and amount of bone powder in the
finished product.
Microbiological quality is determined by quality of raw bones, which is
determined by sanitary handling, low temperatures and limited storage, and ratio of
external tissue to internal tissue. Temperature rise during de-boning and fine
grinding also contributes to an ideal environment for bacterial growth. Rapid
lowering of temperature and controlling time after de-boning is also critical.
Rancidity can also cause problems in this tissue since bone marrow has more
unsaturated fat. Temperature is higher with mechanical de-boning and mixing, so
there is more incorporation of air and heme pigments than with hand de-boning.
This causes oxidation, and even though it is reduced at low temperature, it can still
continue even in frozen de-boned meat.
The additional bright red color is considered a plus for some processed
meat items but is a negative if a pale product is desired. Other properties such as
emulsifying capacity, water holding capacity, and emulsion stability are comparable
to a hand de-boned product.
The addition of bone marrow causes a rise in pH, which aids water holding
capacity and emulsion formation. Negatives include elevated calcium (however, the
109

Essential RenderingProducts for HumansOckerman and Basu

U.S. diet is usually low in calcium) and magnesium. Uses for this separated product
include sausage-type products, stews, sauces, spreads, and even in chunked and
formed products. Also, the favorable price compared to hand de-boned tissue
makes this a favorite for least-cost products. Other extraction methods include
liquid extraction and cold alkaline extraction. Flavor extraction material is obtained
by heating in liquid acid or with centrifugal cooking.
Medical and pharmaceutical uses of by-products are other uses for the noncarcass portion of the animal that are directly utilized by humans. These include
animal glands, arteries, bezoars, bile, blood, bone, brain, duodenum, eggshell
powder, feather, gall bladder, glycosaminoglycans, hair, heart, horns, intestines,
liver, lungs, nervous systems, ovaries, oyster shell, pancreas, serum, skin, spinal
cord, spleen, stomach, etc. Miniature pigs are also used in medical research since
many of their systems are similar to humans. These medical and pharmaceutical
uses are discussed in detail in Chapter 7 of Animal By-product Processing and
Utilization (Ockerman and Hansen, 2000).
.
References
Etherington and Roberts. 1997. Bookbinding and the conservation of books: a dictionary of
descriptive terminology.
Field, R.A. 1981. Mechanically Deboned Red Meat. Advances in Food Research. 27:23
Academic Press, New York.
Field, R.A. 1988. Mechanically separated meat, poultry, and fish. Advances in Meat
Research. Vol. 5. Elsevier Applied Science, New York.
Fornias, O.V. 1996. Edible By-Products of Slaughter Animals. FAO, Animal Production
and Health Paper, 123, Rome.
Franco, D.A., and S. Winfield. 1996. The Original Recyclers. National Renderers.
Alexandria, VA.
Froning, G.W. 1981. Mechanically Deboning of Poultry and Fish. Advances in Food
Research 27:109. Academic Press, New York.
Gerrard, F., and F.J..Mallion. 1977. The Complete Book of Meat. London, Virtue holm,
Sweden.
McLean, B.B., and T.H. Campbell. 1952. Martha Logans Meat Cook Book. Pocket Books,
New York.
National LiveStock and Meat Board. 1974 a. Lessons on Meat. National Live Stock and
Meat Board, Chicago.
National Live Stock and Meat Board. 1974 b. Recipies for Variety Meat, National Live
Stock and Meat Board, Chicago.
Ockerman H.W. 1996. Chemistry of Meat Tissue. The Ohio State University.
Ockerman, H.W. 1983. Chemistry of Meat Tissue, 10 Ed. The Ohio State University.
Ockerman, H.W. , and C.L. Hansen. 1988. Animal By-Product Processing. Ellis Horwood
Ltd. Chichester England.
Ockerman, H.W. , and C.L. Hansen. 2000. Animal By-Product Processing and Utilization.
Technomic Publishing Co. Inc. Lancaster, PA. USA.
Romans, J.R., K.W. Jones, W.J. Costello, C.W. Carlson, and P.T. Zeigler. 1985. The Meat
We Eat, 12 Ed. Interstate. Danville, IL.
Rowlands, A.G. and D.J. Burrows. 2000. Enzyme method of manufacturing gelatin. US
Patent #6,100,381. Assigned to Eastman Kodak.
110

RENDERED PRODUCTS IN RUMINANT NUTRITION

Thomas C. Jenkins, Ph.D.
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Clemson University
Summary
The recycling of rendered animal products back into the feed of ruminant
livestock species has had a positive impact both on the efficiency of livestock
production and the availability of meat and milk for consumers at an affordable
price. Rendered animal products are distinguished by a high protein content
containing amino acids that resist microbial degradation in the rumen, and for
extracted animal fats that supply high energy for meat and milk production.
Historically, the primary rendered animal products used as protein
supplements include meat and bone meal, blood meal, fish meal, and feather meal.
Regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to
concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) will dictate the continued
use of some rendered animal products as feed ingredients for ruminant diets.
Current restrictions prohibit feeding meat and bone meal from rendered ruminant
species back to cattle and sheep, but no restrictions have yet been placed on blood
meal or feather meal. Concerns about cattle-based protein supplements have
elevated interest in rendered poultry meals, including feather meal and poultry meat
by-products for cattle rations.
Rendered animal products with high fat content include tallow and greases.
With the majority of lipid material in rendered fats consisting of triglycerides
containing 90 percent fatty acid content or higher, energy densities of rendered fats
equals or exceeds the energy content of most fat supplements used routinely in
cattle rations. The high energy density combined with reasonable pricing makes
rendered fats competitive with most other feed fats on a cost per unit of energy
basis. The major limitations of fats extracted from animal products include their
need for specialized transport and mixing equipment, and their potential to disrupt
microbial fermentation in the rumen possibly leading to reduced feed digestibility.
Protein Contributions of Rendered Animal Products
Regulatory Concerns
Rendered animal products have contributed immensely to meeting the
protein needs of ruminant livestock species for many decades without health
concerns to the animal or to human consumers. The heat treatment applied to
rendered animal products to remove moisture was sufficient to kill bacterial and
viral infectious agents. The advent of concerns about BSE, commonly referred to as
mad cow disease, that first occurred in Europe, led to an FDA ban in the United
States in 1997 that prevented feeding cattle and sheep any meat and bone meal
product rendered from ruminant species. The first case of BSE appeared in the

Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

United States in 2003 (imported from Canada) and a third case was reported in
2006. Concerns remain elevated about the cause and prevention of the disease,
which is usually attributed to a prion rather than a bacteria or virus. Prions are
pieces of normal cell proteins that can replicate to a disease form, but withstand
usual inactivation treatments such as pH extremes, radiation, or formalin exposure.
Clearly, continued use of rendered animal products as protein supplements
for cattle and sheep diets hinges on current and future FDA regulations. Although
ruminant meat and bone meal was affected by the FDA ban, blood meal, and feather
meal were not affected. Also, it is still permissible to feed cattle meat and bone
meal originating from pork or poultry products. As a result, interest has grown in
feeding more rendered poultry products to cattle, as will be discussed later.
Additional FDA restrictions will determine the extent and types of rendered animal
products available as protein supplements for cattle and sheep rations. Readers can
obtain more information about the impact of FDA regulations on using rendered
animal products as livestock feed ingredients at the National Renderers Association
Web site ([Link]).
Protein and Amino Acid Composition
Rendered animal products are distinguished by a high protein content
containing amino acids that resist microbial degradation in the rumen (Figure 1).
The portion of feed protein that escapes microbial breakdown is referred to as
rumen undegradable protein (RUP). The RUP fraction carries intact feed amino
acids directly to the small intestines of the ruminant animal where they are digested
and absorbed. The RUP fraction may favor high meat and milk production if it
contains proper proportions of essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis in
body tissues. A high RUP fraction may be detrimental if it contains amino acids not
needed by body tissues, or its constituent amino acids are not digested well in the
small intestines.
The rumen degradable protein (RDP) fraction in feed is subjected to
proteolysis by ruminal microorganisms yielding amino acids and peptides. Amino
acids are subsequently degraded to ammonia plus organic acids. The ammonia has
three possible outcomes: (1) absorption across the ruminal epithelium into blood,
(2) passage to the small intestine, and (3) utilization by ruminal microorganisms to
synthesize microbial protein which in turn passes to the small intestine for digestion
and absorption. Ammonia reaching the blood may be excreted from the animals
body in urine where it has no further opportunity to meet the animals protein needs.
Although more than 100 rendered animal products are defined by the
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the major products used
as protein supplements for livestock rations include meat and bone meal, meat meal,
poultry and poultry by-product meal, blood meal, feather meal, and fish meal.
Those of greatest importance for ruminant diets are shown in Table 1 along with
their total protein and RUP contents. Protein contents range from 54 percent for
meat and bone meal to 96 percent for blood meal. The majority of protein in
rendered products is RUP, which ranges from 55 percent of crude protein (CP) for
meat meal to 78 percent of CP for blood meal.
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Figure 1. Rumen Nitrogen MetabolismRUP that Passes Directly to the Small

Intestines versus RDP that Either is Converted to Microbial Protein or is
Excreted in Urine.

Feed Protein

RDP

Intestines

RDP

Amino Acids

Ammonia +
Organic Acids

Microbial
Protein

Absorbed
Across
Rumen Wall

Urine

Table 1. Total CP Contents and RUP Fractions of Major Rendered Animal

Products Used as Feed Ingredients for Beef and Dairy Feeds.

Blood Meal
Feather Meal
Fish Mealc
Meat and Bone Meal
Meat Meal

CP, as % dry matter

Beefa
Dairyb
93.8
95.5
85.8
92.0
67.9
68.5
54.2
58.2

RUP, % CP
Beef
Dairy
75.0
77.5
70.0
65.4
60.0
65.8
58.2
55.0

From NRC requirements for Beef Cattle, 1996.

From NRC requirements for Dairy Cattle, 2001. Example RUP data were based on feed
intake of 4% body weight and 50% forage.
c
Menhaden fish as reported in NRC for Dairy Cattle, 2001.
b

The high RUP concentration is due to heat treatment of the rendered

products to remove moisture and facilitate fat extraction. Heating denatures
proteins and lowers their water solubility, which substantially reduces their rate of
microbial proteolysis. At any given rate of feed particle passage through the rumen,
slower proteolytic rates translate into greater escape of feed protein from microbial
breakdown. A recent study showed that the RUP value of rendered animal products
remains high across a wide range of feeding rates (Legleiter et al., 2005).
Aside from high total crude protein and RUP contents, equally important to
the high nutritional value of rendered animal products is the amino acid profile
(Table 2). Blood, feather, and fish meals all contained at least five essential amino
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acids in higher concentrations than are found in soybean meal. Also, the amino
acids in these rendered animal products were 58 to 78 percent RUP compared to
only 43 percent RUP in soybean meal.
Table 2. Essential Amino Acid Profile (Percent CP) of Major Dried and
Ground Meals from Rendered Animal Products Used as Feed Ingredients for
Beef and Dairy Feeds versus the Amino Acid Profile of Soybean Meal.a

a
b

Amino Acid
Arg
His
Ile
Leu
Lys
Met
Cys
Phe
Thr
Try
Val

Blood
4.38
6.36b
1.26
12.82
8.98
1.17
1.28
6.85
4.34
1.59
8.68

Feather
6.93
1.15
4.85
8.51
2.57
0.75
5.09
4.93
4.73
0.73
7.52

Fish
5.82
2.83
4.09
7.22
7.65
2.81
0.91
3.99
4.20
1.05
4.82

MBM
6.98
1.89
2.76
6.13
5.18
1.40
1.01
3.36
3.27
0.58
4.20

Soybean
7.32
2.77
4.56
7.81
6.29
1.44
1.50
5.26
3.96
1.26
4.64

From NRC for Dairy Cattle, 2001.

Amino acid concentrations shown in bold were higher for rendered animal products than for
soybean meal.

New Information on Poultry Meals for Ruminant Diets

With the current FDA ban on feeding meat and bone meal (rendered from
ruminants) back to cattle and sheep, and the uncertainty surrounding future FDA
restrictions on rendered animal products, interest has grown in the nutritional
benefits of poultry products in ruminant feeds. One recent effort was a reevaluation of the nutritional value of feather meal as a feed ingredient for cattle
rations (Cotanch et al., 2006). Representative samples of feather meal were taken
each day for five days from 15 plants that covered approximately 85 percent of total
U.S. feather meal production. Processing information was recorded including
heating conditions (time, temperature, and pressure), percentage blood added, and
batch versus continuous flow processing.
Among the 15 plants that provided samples for the Cotanch et al. (2006)
article, six produced feather meal without blood, and the remaining nine produced
feather meal with added blood. Nutrient content of feather meal was consistent
among plants within a feather meal category, i.e., the product produced without
blood was consistent from plant-to-plant and the product with blood also was
consistent in composition from plant-to-plant. The addition of blood, however,
influenced nutrient composition of the final product (Table 3). Blood addition to
feather meal had no effect on total protein or fat contents, but ash content was
higher and the acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP) was lower for
product with added blood. The ADICP, or protein bound in the acid detergent fiber
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fraction, is an estimate of the indigestible protein fraction. Thus, the addition of

blood to feather meal increases total tract digestibility of protein. Blood addition
had an effect on essential amino acids, but not on individual fatty acids. Methionine
and lysine, generally regarded as the most limiting amino acids for meat and milk
production, were both higher in the feather meal product containing added blood.
Table 3. Nutrient Composition of Feather Meal with and without Added Blood. a
Feather meal
No Blood
Added Blood
Dry Matter, %
93.3
93.5
Crude Protein, %
87.8
87.8
Ether Extract, %
10.0
9.5
Total Fatty Acids, %
7.3
6.8
Ash, %
1.9
2.6
NDICP, %CP
49.9
51.2
ADICP, %CP
26.5
18.9
Amino Acids, % of total amino acids
Arg
6.88
6.73
His
0.74
1.28
Ile
4.80
4.79
Leu
8.21
8.54
Lys
2.12
2.90
Met
0.70
0.77
Cys
5.47
5.15
Phe
4.91
5.10
Thr
4.58
4.60
Try
0.57
0.66
Val
7.54
7.56
Major Fatty Acids, % of total fatty acids
C14
1.09
1.06
C16
24.3
25.4
C18
8.3
8.9
C18:1
32.5
32.0
C18:2
13.2
10.4
C18:3
0.54
0.34

SEM b
0.9
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.2*
4.0
2.7*
0.03*
0.07*
0.03
0.06*
0.11*
0.03*
0.33
0.04*
0.03
0.04*
0.07
0.05
0.3*
0.4
0.6
0.6
0.05

* Effect of blood addition (P < 0.05)

a

From Cotanch et al. (2006).

SEM is standard error of measurement.

Another recent effort to utilize rendered poultry nutrients more efficiently

for ruminant diets was the development of a new process to reclaim nutrients from
the process water of poultry processing plants. The process water from poultry
processing plants contains considerable organic nutrients that must be captured,
stored, treated, and disposed of in a manner that prevents environmental
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Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

contamination. As an alternative, nutrients in the process water could be recycled

as a feed supplement for ruminants. Because poultry process water has a high fat
content containing unsaturated fatty acids, there is concern that it could inhibit
ruminal fermentation, causing reduced feed digestibility. A novel process has
recently been developed by Simmons Foods, Inc. (Siloam Springs, AR) to reclaim
nutrients from the process water by reacting organic matter to yield a dry, freeflowing product called PRO*CAL, which possibly may reduce or eliminate
negative effects on fermentation. The final product contains about 47 percent crude
protein that is consistently more than 70 percent RUP. Animal studies showed that
PRO*CAL could be fed to lactating dairy cows as a poultry-based source of bypass
protein and fat without negative effects on feed intake or milk production (Freeman
et al., 2005). Also, PRO*CAL had the added advantage over other bypass protein
supplements of enhancing milk yield, presumably due to its higher fat and energy
values. Additional studies done in continuous cultures of mixed ruminal
microorganisms showed that PRO*CAL did not disrupt ruminal fermentation and
had lower biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids when compared to an equal
amount of soybean oil (Jenkins and Sniffen, 2004). Thus, unlike poultry fats having
a higher concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, the PRO*CAL product could be
used as a dairy feed supplement without significant negative effects on ruminal
fermentation.
Table 4. Uses and Reported Benefits of Additional Fat in Ruminant Rations.
Fat Use
Increase diet energy density
Reduce metabolic heat loss
Reduce dustiness and particle
separation of mixed feeds
Alter fatty acid profile of meat and
milk
Enhance tissue delivery of
unsaturated fatty acids

Benefits
Increase meat and milk production
Elevate feed intake and production in
hot, humid climates
Improve feed handling and safety
Conform to published nutritional
guidelines for humans and enhance
consumption of animal food products
Enhance metabolic and physiological
functioning such as improved
reproductive performance and immunity

Fat Contributions of Rendered Animal Products

Fat products from animal rendering continue to be used extensively as feed
ingredients for a variety of livestock species, including ruminants. Table 4 lists a
multitude of investigated uses and benefits of adding fat to cattle and sheep rations.
The core reason for adding fat to ruminant diets has been energy. Over the
last 25 years, dairy has received more attention in feeding fat than beef due to
higher pressures for maintaining adequate fiber intakes. Increasing energy by
replacing forages with cereal grains reached an upper limit in many dairy
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Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

operations, as low-fiber intakes were associated with increased incidence of several

digestive and metabolic diseases. Adding fat to the ration provided an alternative
means of increasing diet energy density without appreciably lowering fiber content.
Fats are generally chosen for inclusion in cattle diets based on their cost,
availability, handling characteristics, and animal performance. Animal performance
issues include how the fat source affects feed intake, influence of the fat source on
digestion in the rumen, and how the fat supplement itself is digested and absorbed
in the intestines of the animal.
Figure 2. Reported Reproductive Benefits of Feeding Additional Fat to Dairy
Cows During Established Lactation (Petit, 2003).

Increase diameter of the corpus luteum

Increase progesterone concentration
Increase synthesis of series 3 prostaglandins from DHA and EPA
Inhibit cyclooxygenase activity and PGF2 synthesis prevent
regression of corpus luteum and increase fertility rates

As the production virtues of fat supplements in dairy and beef rations were
being explored, questions arose about the usefulness of fat to help alleviate heat
stress. Metabolism studies in many animal species confirmed that fat yielded lower
metabolic heat losses compared to carbohydrate or protein on an equal calorie basis.
Thus, it was an attractive idea to replace carbohydrate with fat as a means to elevate
energy intakes in hot climates without any additional metabolic heat load.
However, because fat levels were limited to relatively low concentrations in the
diet, the metabolic heat savings was minimal. Until higher levels of fat are fed to
cattle, little merit can be given to its contribution to alleviation of heat stress.
In the last 10 years, more attention has been directed at uses of fat
supplements in cattle rations that were not associated with its energy value. These
noncaloric functions were focused on increasing the delivery of unsaturated fatty
acids to body tissues either to alter the nutritional value of meat and milk, or to meet
tissue demands for essential fatty acids. For instance, positive responses in
reproductive performance in cattle were reported at several locations when rumenprotected polyunsaturated fatty acids were added to the diet (Figure 2). Fat
supplements that compete for these noncaloric functions, such as improved
reproductive performance, must satisfy two criteria: (1) they must contain an
appreciable quantity of the desired polyunsaturated fatty acid, and (2) the
polyunsaturated fatty acids must resist destruction by ruminal microorganisms
which occur via the process of biohydrogenation. Biohydrogenation causes rapid
and extensive loss of double bonds in dietary unsaturated fatty acids (Figure 3)
through an enzymatic reduction process that is carried out by microorganisms in the
stomach of cattle, mainly in the rumen compartment.

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Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

Figure 3. Major Steps in Biohydrogenation of Linoleic Acid by Ruminal

Microorganisms.
Linoleic Acid (C18:2)

Isomerase
Trans C18:2 Fatty Acids including
CLA
Reductase
Trans C18:1

Reductase
Stearic Acid (C18:0)

Energetic Benefits and Limitations of Rendered Fats for Cattle Rations

With the majority of lipid material in rendered fats consisting of
triglycerides containing 90 percent fatty acid content or higher, energy densities of
rendered fats equals or exceeds the energy content of most fat supplements used
routinely in cattle rations. The high energy density combined with reasonable
pricing makes rendered fats competitive with most other feed fats on a cost per unit
of energy basis. Further consideration of rendered fats as supplements for ruminant
diets are largely based on their convenience and animal performance characteristics.
Convenience issues include availability of the product in some geographical
locations, but mostly center on the need for specialized equipment for transporting
and mixing semi-solid or liquid oils at farm locations. Many competing commercial
fat sources have higher cost, but process the fat into a dry, free-flowing powder for
easier transport and on-farm mixing.
Energy value of the fat supplement only partially explains reported
variation in animal performance. Production is only improved if the added fat
increases digestible energy (DE) concentration of the whole diet. All fat sources are
grouped together in National Research Council (NRC) recommendations for beef
cattle (1996) with an assigned DE value of 7.30 Mcal/kg (Table 5). The NRC
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recommendations for dairy cattle (2001) divided fat sources into five categories that
range in DE value from 7.70 Mcal/kg for vegetable oils to 4.05 Mcal/kg for partially
hydrogenated tallow.
Table 5. The Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) and Digestible Energy (DE)
Values for Fats Reported by NRC for Beef and Dairy Cattle.
NRC for Beef (1996)
NRC for Dairy (2001)
Calcium soaps
Hydrolyzed tallow
Partially hydrogenated tallow
Tallow
Vegetable oil

TDN, Percent
177

DE, Mcal/kg
7.30

163.5
176.3
96.6
147.4
184.0

6.83
7.37
4.05
6.17
7.70

More important than the fat DE value is the increase in total ration DE
resulting from the addition of a fat source. Fat supplements may fail to elevate total
ration DE if the fat reduces feed intake, reduces carbohydrate digestibility, or if
their constituent fatty acids are poorly digested. The extent of these potential
limitations will be discussed briefly for rendered fats.
Animal Fat Effects on Feed Intake
Fat added to dairy rations can reduce feed intake, which can greatly reduce
or even eliminate a positive production response. Even as little as 0.5 kg less feed
intake can neutralize any energy advantage coming from typical levels of added fat,
thus preventing a positive milk production response. Reductions in feed intake have
been reported for a wide variety of fat sources, and often the intake depressions are
less severe for rendered fats than for vegetable oils or some commercial fat
supplements. Across a summary of more than 20 dairy studies feeding tallow or
grease, only two studies showed significant depressions in feed intake (Allen,
2000). A more recent summary of the literature by Onetti and Grummer (2004)
showed that the intake effects of tallow were dependent on forage source. Tallow
added to corn silage diets reduced intake and failed to increase milk production.
However, a positive milk production response was seen when tallow was fed in
alfalfa-based diets, or in diets with similar alfalfa and corn silage proportions.
Several causes for the depression in feed intake by added fat are under
consideration. These include reduced gut motility, reduced acceptability of diets
with added fat, release of gut hormones, and oxidation of fat in the liver (Allen,
2000). Refer to Allen (2000) for a description of each factor and a comparison of
fat sources. Gut hormones continue to receive considerable attention as regulators
of food intake. Depressed feed intake in cows fed fat supplements has been
attributed to changes in cholecystokinen (Choi and Palmquist, 1996) and glucagonlike peptide 1 (Benson and Reynolds, 2001). Other peptides of gut origin, such as
peptide YY, pancreatic glucagons, glicentin, and oxyntomodulin, have been linked
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to reduced feed intake patterns in animals fed fat (Holst, 2000). Past work has
shown that abomasal infusion of unsaturated fatty acids causes greater feed intake
depression than infusion of saturated fatty acids (Drackley et al., 1992; Bremmer et
al., 1998). A recent study by Litherland et al. (2005) showed that the intake
depression was greater following abomasal infusion of unsaturated free fatty acids
than it was following infusion of unsaturated triglycerides. Also, as intake declined
in the study by Litherland et al. (2005), the concentration of plasma glucagon-like
peptide 1 increased but plasma concentration of cholecystokinen did not change.
Animal Fat Effects on Ruminal Fermentation and Digestion
Fat supplements must be limited to just a few percent in ruminant diets to
avoid ruminal digestibility problems resulting from antimicrobial activity of their
constituent fatty acids. Fat sources that have the potential to cause ruminal
fermentation problems are referred to as rumen-active fats. Antibacterial effects of
fatty acids in the rumen are complex and depend on interrelationships among fatty
acid structure, fatty acid concentration, the presence of feed particles, and rumen pH
(Jenkins, 2002). Fatty acid structural features that enhance antibacterial activity in
the rumen include a free acid group on the carbon chain and the presence of one or
more double bonds. Therefore, enhancing free fatty acids and fatty acid
unsaturation in rendered fat sources generally reduces the amount that can be
included in cattle diets. Several commercial fats minimize ruminal fermentation
problems by enhancing the concentration of the less antibacterial saturated fatty
acids. These are referred to as rumen-inert fats to signify their lower antimicrobial
effects in the rumen.
Unsaturated fatty acids typically range from a low of about 48 percent in
beef tallow to as much as 70 percent of total fatty acids in poultry fat (Table 6).
Lard and pork greases are intermediate in percentage of total unsaturated fatty acids.
Oleic acid concentration is similar across animal fat sources, meaning that most of
the variation in percentage of unsaturated fatty acids is due to variation in
polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids).
Table 6. Fatty Acid Composition of Rendered Animal Fats in Order of
Increasing Unsaturation (Rouse, 2003).
Fatty Acid
Myristic
Palmitic
Palmitoleic
Stearic
Oleic
Linoleic
Linolenic
Saturated
Unsaturated

Beef Tallow
3.0
25.0
2.5
21.5
42.0
3.0
49.5
47.5

Lard
1.5
27.0
3.0
13.5
43.4
10.5
0.5
42.0
57.4
120

Pork Grease
1.5
23.0
3.5
11
40.0
18.0
1.0
35.5
62.5

Poultry Fat
1.5
21.0
6.5
8.0
43.0
19.0
1.5
30.0
70.0

Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

A simple equation to estimate the upper limit of rumen-active fat in dairy

cattle rations was suggested by Jenkins and Chandler (1998) as Equation 1:
Rumen-Active Fat (percent of ration DM) = 4 x NDF/UFA
Where,
NDF = neutral detergent fiber concentration of total mixed ration
UFA = sum of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids in supplemental fat
Table 7. Maximum Amounts of Rendered Animal Fats for Inclusion in Dairy
Rations Estimated from Equation 1.

UFA
Percent Fata
NDF=25
NDF=35
g Fat/dayb
NDF = 25
NDF = 35

Beef Tallow
45.0
2.22
2.93
660
879

Lard
54.4
1.84
2.43
552
729

Pork Grease
59.0
1.69
2.24
507
672

Poultry Fat
63.5
1.57
2.08
471
624

Percent Added fat in ration DM covering the range of NDF concentrations for dairy rations
recommended by NRC (2001).
b
Grams of added fat per day covering the range of NDF concentrations for dairy rations
recommended by NRC (2001), assuming DM intake = 30 kg/day.

According to Equation 1, higher concentrations of rendered fats can be fed

to dairy cattle by increasing either fat saturation or diet fiber concentration. For
instance, recommended levels of rendered fats for dairy cattle consuming diets with
25 percent NDF vary from 2.22 percent for tallow down to 1.57 percent for the
more unsaturated poultry fat (Table 7). Increasing diet NDF concentration from 25
to 35 percent increases recommended feeding levels of all rendered fat sources, but
increases it the most for the more saturated beef tallow. Because feeding rates of
saturated fats are higher in cattle rations, several rumen-inert fat sources have been
developed from partial hydrogenation of animal fats to reduce unsaturation and
improve handling.
Intestinal Digestibility of Rendered Animal Fats
Low intestinal digestibility of fatty acids in fat supplements can be another
factor reducing their DE value for ruminant diets. Differences in DE values among
fat sources published in NRC recommendations for dairy cattle (2001) are due
mainly to differences in their true digestibilities. True digestibilities assumed by the
NRC ranged from a high of 86 percent for vegetable oils and calcium salts to a low
of 43 percent for partially-hydrogenated tallow. Tallow was assigned an
intermediate digestibility of 68 percent by the NRC.
It was not surprising, based on results from previous studies, that feeding
partially hydrogenated tallow reduced fatty acid digestibility. Hydrogenation of
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Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

yellow grease to reduce its iodine value (IV) from 56 to 18 reduced apparent fatty
acid digestibility in the total tract from 67.8 to 47.4 percent (Jenkins and Jenny,
1989). Fatty acid digestibilities pooled from 11 studies were normal (similar to
control values) when IV exceeded 40, (Firkins and Eastridge, 1994), but below IV
40 fatty acid digestibility progressively dropped as IV declined.
Lower digestibility of hydrogenated fats may be related to their higher
content of saturated fatty acids. The presence of one, two, or three double bonds
increased fatty acid digestibility a similar amount. Grummer and Rabelo (1998)
also reported similar improvements in apparent fatty acid digestibility from the
presence of one or more double bonds. True digestibility of stearic acid was 53
percent and lowest among the 18 carbon fatty acids. Introducing a single double
bond improved true digestibility to 78.4 percent. It should be pointed out that some
studies did not distinguish between flows of cis or trans 18:1 to the duodenum.
Lower 18:1 digestibilities may result from trans 18:1 flows.
Because of the lower true digestibility coefficient and energy value of
tallow reported in NRC recommendations for dairy cattle (2001), the Fats and
Proteins Research Foundation commissioned an independent review of the literature
to examine digestibility of tallow versus other fat supplements for dairy cattle 1.
The final report revealed several discrepancies in the literature. First, several
studies reported feeding tallow to dairy cows in digestibility trials, but the reported
fatty acid compositions suggested that greases were the more likely fat source.
Second, some studies reported examining the digestibility of tallow when in fact a
mixture of fat sources was included in the diet.
The final report summarized fatty acid digestibilities from studies that
included data only on lactating dairy cows fed a control diet with no high fat
ingredients, and fat sources that were not combined with other fats. A total of 32
published studies met all criteria and 45 studies were rejected. The selective criteria
limited the number of observations for some fat sources, especially oilseeds and
vegetable oils that were usually fed in combination with other fat sources.
Among the fat sources examined, only tallow and calcium salts of palm
fatty acids had mean total tract digestibilities that were numerically higher than the
control diets (Table 8). The ranking was similar when digestibilities of the fat
sources were estimated by difference. Conversely, the hydrogenated fat sources had
substantially lower fatty acid digestibilities whether expressed as apparent
digestibilities or were calculated by difference. The hydrogenated fat sources also
had the highest standard deviations suggesting that wider variation exists in
digestibility values of hydrogenated fats compared to other fat sources. Further
examination of the data showed that about 80 percent of the hydrogenated fat cases
depressed diet fatty acid digestibilities more than five percent. Tallow depressed
diet fatty acid digestibilities more than five percent from control fatty acids in only
27 percent of the cases examined.
1

An independent literature review and opinion of the digestibility of tallow

compared to other fat sources was prepared for FPRF by Dr. Tom Jenkins.
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Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

Table 8. Fatty Acid Digestibilities of Control Diets or Diets with Added Fat
Summarized from 32 Published Studies with Lactating Dairy Cattle.

Control
Tallow
Hydrogenated Fat
Oilseeds
Vegetable Oils
Calcium Salts

nc
32
11
24
6
9
15

Apparent
Digestibilitiesa
Mean
SDd
72.3
7.7
73.9
8.5
62.8
9.0
66.4
8.4
63.5
7.2
74.3
8.9

Fat Digestibilities by
Differenceb
Mean
SD
72.8
53.7
54.0
61.6
80.1

13.2
17.4
20.8
9.4
12.1

Fatty acids digested across the entire digestive tract as a percentage of fatty acids consumed.
Fatty acids in the basal diet were subtracted from the feed and feces to estimate digestibility
of only the added fat source.
c
Number of studies = n.
d
Standard deviation.
b

The Future for Rendered Animal Products as Feed Ingredients for Ruminants
There remains a growing need in both beef and dairy rations for products
that can supply RUP containing the essential amino acids needed for growth and
milk production. Rendered animal products were positioned well in the past to meet
critical amino acid needs with a consistent and affordable product. Regulatory
issues surrounding BSE have suddenly emerged in recent years and cast doubt on
their future. Undoubtedly, the use of rendered products from ruminant species
being fed back to cattle and sheep will be limited. Perhaps interest will grow in
utilizing rendered products from non-ruminant species, as is already occurring with
poultry-based products.
Fat products derived from rendered animal products appear to be affected
less by BSE-driven restrictions. However, tallow and greases from rendered animal
products face an increasing competitive market of specialized animal fat sources. In
ruminants, fats are looked upon more and more for supplying specific
polyunsaturated fatty acids to tissues rather than just as energy sources. While the
high energy value of rendered animal fats cannot be overlooked, innovative
applications of animal fats for non-energy uses must emerge.
References
Allen, M.S. 2000. Effects of diet on short-term regulation of feed intake by lactating dairy
cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 83:1598-1624.
Benson, J.A., and C.K. Reynolds. 2001. Effects of abomasal infusion of long-chain fatty
acids on splanchnic metabolism of pancreatic and gut hormones in lactating dairy cows. J.
Dairy Sci. 84:1488-1500.

123

Essential RenderingRuminant NutritionJenkins

Bremmer, D.F., L.D. Ruppert, J.H. Clark, and J.K. Drackley. 1998. Effects of chain length
and unsaturation of fatty acid mixtures infused into the abomasum of lactating dairy cows.
J. Dairy Sci. 81:176-188.
Choi, B.R., and D.L. Palmquist. 1996. High fat diets increase plasma cholecystokinin and
pancreatic polypeptide, and decrease plasma insulin and feed intake in lactating dairy
cows. J. Nutr. 126:2913-2919.
Cotanch, K., T. Jenkins, C. Sniffen, H. Dann, and R. Grant. 2006. Fresh look at nutrient
composition of feather meal products. Feedstuffs (Submitted).
Drackley, J.K., T.H. Klusmeyer, A.M. Trusk, and J.H. Clark. 1992. Infusion of long-chain
fatty acids varying in saturation and chain length into the abomasums of lactating dairy
cows. J. Dairy Sci. 75:1517-1526.
Firkins, J.L., and M.L. Eastridge. 1994. Assessment of the effects of iodine value on fatty
acid digestibility, feed intake, and milk production. J. Dairy Sci. 77:2357-2366.
Freeman, S.J., P.J. Myers, C.J. Sniffen, and T.C. Jenkins. 2005. Feed intake and lactation
performance of Holstein cows fed graded amounts of a poultry-based protein and fat
supplement (PRO*CAL). J. Dairy Sci. (Suppl. 1) 83:394.
Grummer, R., and E. Rabelo. 1998. Factors affecting digestibility of fat supplements. Proc.
Southeast Dairy Herd Mgmt. Conference, November 9-10, Macon, GA. pp 69-79.
Holst, J.J. 2000. Gut hormones as pharmaceuticals. From enteroglucagon to GLP-1 and
GLP-2. Reg. Peptides. 93:45-51.
Jenkins, T.C. 2002. Lipid transformations by the rumen microbial ecosystem and their
impact on fermentative capacity. Gastrointestinal Microbiology in Animals, S. A. Martin
(Ed.), Research Signpost, Kerala, India. pp 103-117.
Jenkins, T.C., and C.J. Sniffen. 2004. Fermentation characteristics and fatty acid
biohydrogenation in continuous cultures of mixed ruminal microorganisms fed diets
containing poultry products and nutrients reclaimed from the process water of processing
plants. J. Dairy Sci. 87 (Suppl. 1): 211.
Jenkins, T.C. and P.K. Chandler. 1998. How much fat can cows handle? Hoards Dairyman,
Sept 25. p. 648.
Jenkins, T.C. and B.F. Jenny. 1989. Effect of hydrogenated fat on feed intake, nutrient
digestion, and lactation performance of dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 72: 2316-2324.
Legleiter, L.R., A.M. Mueller, and M.S. Kerley. 2005. Level of supplemental protein does
not influence the ruminally undegradable protein value. J. Anim. Sci. 83:863-870.
Litherland, N.B., S. Thire, A.D. Beaulieu, C.K. Reynolds, J.A. Benson, and J.K. Drackley.
2005. Dry matter intake is decreased more by abomasal infusion of unsaturated free fatty
acids than by unsaturated triglycerides. J. Dairy Sci. 88:632-643.
National Research Council. 1996. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. 7th rev. ed. Natl.
Acad. Sci., Washington, DC.
National Research Council. 2001. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle. 7th rev. ed. Natl.
Acad. Sci., Washington, DC.
Onetti, S.G., and R.R. Grummer. 2004. Response of lactating cows to three supplemental fat
sources as affected by forage in the diet and stage of lactation: a meta-analysis of literature.
Anim. Feed Sci. Technol. 115:65-82.
Petit, H. 2003. Effects of dietary fat on reproduction. Proceedings 2003 Tri-state Dairy
nutrition Conference, April 8-9, Fort Wayne, Indiana. pp 35-48.
Rouse, R.H. 2003. Feed fats quality and handling characteristics. Multi-state Poutry
Meeting, May 20-22, 2003.

124

RENDERED PRODUCTS IN POULTRY NUTRITION

Jeffre D Firman, Ph.D.
Professor of Nutrition
University of Missouri
Summary
The poultry industry in the United States has a long history of using
rendered products in its rations. Rendered fats are generally lower in cost than
vegetable oils such as soybean oil, which is used substantially in other countries.
This allows for higher inclusion rates of fat and thus higher energy diets. These
higher energy diets provide faster growth and improved feed conversion, providing
a competitive advantage to the U.S. poultry industry. Rendered protein sources are
also a boon to the poultry industry. A variety of high quality products are available
including meat and bone meal (MBM), poultry by-product meal (PBM), and feather
meal (FeM). Each of these is an excellent source of specific nutrients and generally
provides a cost-effective source of protein. MBM provides an excellent source of
amino acids and phosphorus. PMB provides even higher levels of protein and
energy as well as acting as an excellent source of phosphorus. FeM is very high in
sulfur amino acids. Combined, these products can be used to provide a substantial
cost savings to the poultry industry and use of the products is quite high by the
industry. Use of these products is estimated to save the industry as much as $10 for
each ton of feed produced in the United States. Strong utilization of these products
by the poultry industry is the norm and is expected to continue into the future.
The Poultry Industry
The poultry industry in the United States and worldwide has seen major
changes in the past 50 years. While consumption of poultry and poultry products
has increased dramatically over this time period, the changes in industry structure
are perhaps more dramatic. The industry has gone from a small-scale producer of
products for specialty meals to a provider of a major source of animal protein
consumed in the United States. Worldwide, there has also been an explosion of
poultry production. In developed countries, poultry industries function similarly to
the United States. In less developed countries, while smaller in scale, the U.S.
model is a goal for their industry development. Chicken production and slaughter in
the United States was 8.9 billion birds in 2004 (Watt poultry, 2004) and continues to
rise. World slaughter of chickens is also at an all-time high at over 46 billion birds
yearly. The evolution of the industry has resulted in advances in diet formulation as
new products and technology have become available. As this evolution took place,
formulations became more sophisticated, moving from hand to computer
formulation, from a total protein basis to a digestible amino acid basis, and
incorporating of a variety of micronutrient sources. All of this has led to reduced
cost and maximum bird performance for the U.S. poultry industry. The availability

Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

of a variety of rendered by-products has been of great benefit to the modern poultry
industry.
Use of Rendered Products in Poultry Feeds
There has been a long history of use of animal proteins and a variety of
recycled fats in the poultry industry worldwide. Essentially all sources of proteins
and fats have been and continue to be used in significant quantities in the United
States with the primary issue being relative values compared to other protein
sources such as soybean meal. Products currently being utilized include meat meals
from ruminant origin, swine origin, and poultry origin as well as the blood products
from each of these, fat products from each of these, and FeM. Additionally, there is
now some limited production of whole hen meal used as a disposal method for spent
laying hens. Each of these products has been used successfully at various levels in
the rations of poultry of all types with the higher levels going into broilers and
turkeys due to their higher relative protein needs in comparison with layers.
These products of animal origin provide nutrients needed by poultry at
reasonable prices relative to competing products, and in fact, prices tend to fluctuate
based on prices of competing products. There has also been some interest in
replacement of a portion of the soybean meal in poultry rations with animal
products to improve performance. The oligosaccharide portion of soybean meal has
been shown to produce some detrimental effects to poultry. This is thought to be
due to a substance in the undigested portion of the product that irritates the footpad.
The addition of animal protein sources may improve performance over standard
diets. While these results may be due to high levels of limiting amino acids, it may
also be explained by the reduction of poorly digested carbohydrates in the soybean
meal. Previous work in the lab has suggested that up to half of the protein source
can be provided with mixed by-products if one formulates correctly. While each
product has different nutrient contents and potential values, most are excellent
sources of energy or high quality protein, highly available phosphorus, and other
minerals.
The goal of this chapter is to provide the information needed to utilize
these products in ration formulation, methodology for their use, and limitations on
their use as well as the economics of their use. Additionally, a review of the
pertinent literature will be provided if more in-depth information is needed.
Ultimately with this information in hand, proper decisions about the use of these
products can be made, and money saved.
Use of Rendered Fats
Use of fats for animal feed has many advantages. Some of the benefits of
fat addition:
Concentrated source of energy and the main method of increasing the
energy content of diets
Increased growth rates
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Increased feed efficiency

Decreased feed intake
Source of linoleic acid
Decreased dustiness of feeds and reduced dust losses
Lubricant for equipment in feed mills
Increased palatability of feeds
Increased rate of gain can decrease age at market and increased
throughput of housing systems
Lower heat increment during heat stress keeps caloric intake up
May slow gut transit of other feeds, resulting in increased digestibility
May show an extra caloric effect
May be more cost effective than other energy sources
Concentrated feeds can decrease transportation costs for feed delivery

Some concerns that should be noted with fat utilization:

Use of higher levels of fat may negate the effects of pelleting
Measurement of metabolizable energy (ME) content can be difficult
Potential for rancidity
Equipment needs relative to fat additions must be adequate
Poor digestibility of saturated fats by the young bird
A number of different fat sources are available for poultry from the
rendering industry. The primary sources are poultry fat, tallow, yellow grease, lard,
and blends. In other countries, there is considerable use of vegetable fats such as
sunflower oil, soybean oil, or palm oil. Generally, these fats are relatively
expensive when compared to rendered products, resulting in lower fat utilization
and thus lower ME diets than in the United States. One of the major concerns
relative to fat usage is the actual ME value that should be assigned to each fat
source. This number is often difficult to determine in a practical sense and may
have little practical value in diet formulation. When analyzing energy content of
fat, it is generally done indirectly, by substitution of a portion of the ration fed in the
ME determination. Additionally, fat may have an extra caloric effect (Jensen et al.,
1970; Horani and Sell, 1977), whereby it affects the nutrient availability of other
ingredients. This was noted in the lab where it was found that fat additions resulted
in digestibility of MBM being increased (Firman and Remus, 1994). This would
explain why some ME values reported are greater than the gross energy values
possible for fat as well.
Early work on use of fat in poultry rations generally indicated a higher ME
value for unsaturated vegetable oils when compared to animal products or products
with high free fatty acid content (Seidler et al., 1955; Young, 1961; Waldroup et al.,
1995). However, when fed as a portion of a complete ration, most experiments
indicated no difference in performance parameters when different fat sources were
fed (Seidler et al., 1955; Young, 1961; Fuller and Rendon, 1979; Fuller and Rendon,
1977; Pesti et al., 2002; Quart et al., 1992). Several reasons may be postulated why
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Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

the differences seen in energy value in an ME analysis do not translate into

differences in actual performance when added to complete diets. One of these is
that the improvement in utilization of other dietary components is equally enhanced
by different sources regardless of ME content. A more obvious answer may be the
relatively small difference in ME content of a total ration at typical fat inclusion
levels. In other words, if two fats of 7,000 and 8,000 kcal/kg ME are fed at three
percent of the diet, the difference in ME content of the complete ration is only 30
kcal/kg, or less than one percent, of the total dietary energy. This type of difference
is very small and would be very difficult to pick up experimentally. In a study by
Pesti and coworkers (2002), a variety of fat sources were fed and differences of
more than 4,000 kcal/kg were seen. However, when these same fats were fed to
birds in a floor pen trial, no differences in gain or feed-to-gain ratio were observed,
indicating that the net energy available to the bird was similar (Leeson and Ateh,
1995). Similar results were found in a recent study from the lab and are shown in
Tables 1 and 2 (Leigh and Firman, 2005 unpublished).
Table 1. Average Broiler Growth for Birds Fed a Variety of Fat Sources.
Fat Source

0-3 Week
(kg/bird/phase)

0-5 Week
(kg/bird/phase)

0-7 Week
(kg/bird/phase)

Soybean Oil
Yellow Grease
Poultry Fat
Tallow
Ani-veg Blend
Lard
Palm Oil

0.77
0.76
0.76
0.75
0.74
0.75
0.75

1.92
1.96
1.93
1.92
1.89
1.88
1.95

2.85
2.95
2.92
2.99
2.96
2.97
2.94

No statistical differences between treatments.

Table 2. Adjusted Feed-to-Gain Ratios for a Variety of Fat Sources in Broilers.

Fat Source
Soybean Oil
Yellow Grease
Poultry Fat
Tallow
Ani-veg Blend
Lard
Palm Oil

0-3 Week

0-5 Week

0-7 Week

1.38
1.38
1.38
1.40
1.42
1.40
1.42

1.60
1.56
1.58
1.61
1.63
1.52
1.56

1.87
1.85
1.85
1.83
1.86
1.77
1.88

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Generally, fats are thought to be more digestible in the older bird relative
to the young bird. Renner and Hill (1960) found poor utilization of tallow (highly
saturated fat) by the young chick. Carew and coworkers (1972) showed that fat
digestibility was compromised in the young chick, but increased rapidly as the chick
aged. Similar results were obtained in the turkey as well (Sell et al., 1986). While
this period of poor digestion of fats appears to be real, from a practical standpoint, it
is less significant since the bird shows improved utilization of fat quite rapidly.
Increasing the level of energy in diets through fat addition may have a
beneficial effect on performance (Fuller and Rendon, 1979). Much of the older data
on changing energy levels were with diets not fully balanced, making data
interpretation difficult. Addition of fats may result in increased body weight in
some cases (Sell et al., 1986), although in many cases body weight gain is similar,
but with improved feed efficiency (Pesti et al., 2002). Increasing dietary fat
improved feed efficiency, but also may result in increased fat deposition (Salmon
and ONeil, 1971; Rivas and Firman, 1994). When turkeys were fed energy from
88 to 112 percent of the National Research Council (NRC) suggested levels, birds
showed increased growth rate (25.3 to 29.4 lb) and dramatic changes in feed
efficiency (3.41 versus 2.41 feed-to-gain ratio). While birds decreased feed intake
in response to the higher energy diets in these studies, energy intake still increased
with increased energy intake from fat additions (Firman, 1995).
Additions of fat beyond those required for linoleic acid have had mixed
results in layer diets. Careful control of energy consumption in laying hens is
required to assure that birds do not become overly finished (high in body fat). Orr
and coworkers (1958) found no benefit to 2.5 or 5 percent fat additions in layers.
Reid and Weber (1975) found no changes in egg production of caged layers when
fed diets as high as 15 percent added fat although feed efficiency was improved.
Supplementing fat (one to two percent) early in the laying cycle improved egg size
and production (Jensen, 1983), although this was not seen in a trial with two to six
percent added fat (Bohnsack et al., 2002).
Fat may also be used in the diet to reduce the heat increment, the heat
produced when a diet is digested. The heat increment for protein is highest
followed by carbohydrate with fat at the lowest heat increment. Thus it would be
logical that if one could increase the proportion of the energy from fat, the animal
would be able to handle heat stress more easily. One is cautioned that the total heat
load may increase if the energy content of the diet is increased, although generally
birds under heat stress will eat less to reduce the heat load from digestion. Broilers
presented with a choice of high fat or high carbohydrate diets preferred high fat
diets and performed better under high ambient temperatures (Dale and Fuller,
1978). Growth depression due to cycling heat stress was less in broilers fed high fat
diets as well (Dale and Fuller, 1980).
Practical Use of Fat in Poultry Rations
The practical use of fat in poultry rations is straightforward, with the
effects of fat addition well understood. A minimum level of fat (usually one
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Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

percent) is generally fixed into the diet. This is for several reasons, but is generally
done to assure sufficient quantities of linoleic acid. It also helps reduce dust levels
of feed, lubricates equipment, and improves palatability of feed. This one percent
addition level is generally done without regard for cost of addition. Levels beyond
one percent of the diet are generally used to improve growth rate and feed efficiency
and are far more related to cost of the total diet relative to performance gains
achieved. In the United States, where relatively speaking, cheap fat is the norm due
to the advanced rendering industry, additions of high levels of fat are common. Fat
in the United States generally ranges from $200 to 400/ton while in many countries
fat can easily be two to five times this price. A typical corn soybean meal ration
with one percent fat will have an energy value of approximately 3,000 kcal/kg ME.
Each one percent addition of fat will add approximately 50 kcal of energy. Thus
many U.S. rations will include fat at one to three percent in a starter ration and
higher levels in the finisher rations of broilers. Higher fat additions generally result
in better performance up to the maximum levels that can be physically added to
diets (eight to 10 percent is generally considered the maximum in a pelleted or mash
poultry ration). In many cases, nutritionists use a calorie-cost calculation to
determine the most cost effective energy addition. In many countries corn is less
available and soybean meal is quite expensive, leading to use of some lower quality
ingredients and subsequently lower energy diets. These lower energy diets
(sometimes less than 2,700 kcal/kg ME) result in poor growth rates, high feed-togain ratios, and a high cost structure. It is not uncommon to see 20 to 30 percent
lower overall performance from the same broiler strain in many cases. Inexpensive
fat would substantially improve performance of these birds. Utilization of fat in
turkey rations is generally somewhat higher than broiler rations due to the high
protein levels fed and the low energy found in soybean meal, which is a substantial
component of these diets.
A number of concerns are expressed relative to fat utilization in a practical
sense. These primarily revolve around the relative quality of the fat source and
include rancidity, free fatty acid levels, and MIU (moisture, insolubles, and
unsaponifiables). Many of these concerns can be allayed through the purchasing
process where the maximum levels of these can be specified. Rancidity is routinely
dealt with through addition of an antioxidant. Free fatty acids below 20 percent are
not considered a problem, and MIU is quite low in most cases. The relative number
of instances of actual problems from fat is quite small.
Use of Rendered Protein Sources
Use of rendered protein sources for animal feed has many advantages:
Generally, very cost competitive relative to vegetable protein sources
Use will reduce total diet costs in most cases
Source of high quality protein
In most cases, highly digestible
May help balance the amino acid needs
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In many cases, will provide slightly faster growth rates than vegetable
protein-only diets
Excellent source of highly available phosphorus and other minerals

Some concerns should be noted with using rendered protein products:

Poor quality control could result in decreased amino acid digestibility
Proper formulation methods must be used to make most effective use
Potential for microbial contamination if improperly handled
Variation in product due to material mix, processing methodology
Use of rendered protein products has been limited in the past for a variety
of reasons. Older research indicated a growth depression if use exceeded certain
limits such as 7.5 percent of the diet. This depression in growth occurred primarily
due to the reduced digestibility of many products relative to soybean meal. Older
data from the lab indicated almost 10 percent less digestible lysine in MBM than in
soybean meal (Firman, 1992). Thus, as the levels of MBM increased in the diet, the
level of lysine available for use by the bird decreased. While the routine safety
factor covered this deficit to a point, an amino acid deficiency eventually developed
and growth rate was depressed. Formulation on a digestible basis eliminated this
problem, and inclusion rate has become less of an issue. Additionally, more recent
product tested has approached soybean meal in terms of amino acid digestibility.
The maximum inclusion rate is more likely to be due to the high levels of calcium
and phosphorus that occur at higher inclusion rates although cost issues usually
dictate levels below this.
Available Products
Meat and Bone Meal
There has been considerable work done with MBM, particularly in the area
of protein and amino acids. Firman (1992) found that the amino acid digestibility of
meat meal does not differ in turkeys of different age or sex and is similar to the
rooster model commonly used. Lysine and methionine are highly available for
metabolism, but a significant amount of the cystine is not bioavailable (Wang and
Parsons, 1998a). This is of importance because tryptophan and total sulfur amino
acids (TSAA) are most limiting in MBM, followed by threonine, isoleucine,
phenylalanine + tyrosine, lysine, valine and histidine (Wang et al., 1997). Several
reports have found that the protein quality of MBM varies greatly. Parsons and coworkers (1997) found that the ash content is correlated to the protein quality. It is
thought to be a caused by the ratio of protein to ash in a ration. As ash increases,
protein decreases. The amino acid digestibility is probably not actually decreased
(Shirley and Parsons, 2001). The method of determining digestibility can also have
an effect, often yielding differing results (Johns et al., 1987). Fat additions to
rations have also proved to be a factor as increased digestibility has been shown in
the presence of high levels of fat. Increasing the fat component of a diet can slow
gut motility, leaving more time for absorption. The micelles themselves may also
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Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

help transport amino acids to the gut wall (Firman and Remus, 1994). Digestibility
can also be affected by the presence of other ingredients, like soybean meal
(Angkanaporn et al., 1996). It has been shown that formulating rations based on
digestible or bioavailable amino acid levels provides better results than on a total
amino acid basis (Wang and Parsons, 1998b).
One of the most important factors determining the nutritional quality of
MBM is the processing procedure. With recent concerns over bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), feeding mammalian-derived MBM to ruminants is banned
in the United States and the European Union (EU) has banned the feeding of all
products of animal origin to livestock. This leaves the poultry and swine industry as
the major consumers of ruminant MBM. When a meal is rendered, the time,
pressure, and temperature of rendering may vary. The European Union has
mandated that animal by-product meals must be processed at 133C and 3
atmospheres (43.5 psi) for 20 minutes. Unfortunately, pressure may reduce the
availability of nutrients for the bird (Shirley and Parsons, 2000). Temperature also
has proven to affect the availability of nutrients. Temperature has the same inverse
relationship to nutrient availability as seen with pressure (Johnson et al., 1998), as
does the processing time (Karakas et al., 2001). Constant improvement in
processing technology has recently resulted in improved nutrient availability, but
variation in quality is still an issue for the industry (Elkin, 2002).
Several other studies have estimated the ideal amount of MBM to add to a
ration. The level of inclusion of MBM to usual rations has been debated because of
variations in metabolizable energy, protein quality, and available phosphorus. It is
often included at five percent or less of the ration. However, Sell (1996) found that
MBM can be added successfully to diets at up to 10 percent for turkeys.
As given in the name, bone is a component of MBM. This provides an
excellent source of calcium and phosphorus. Drewyor and Waldroup (2000) noted
that inclusion of MBM must be monitored to ensure phosphorus levels are not so
high that environmental issues arise. Others have found that the phosphorus in
MBM is highly available to turkey poults (Sell and Jeffrey, 1996). Fortunately,
prediction equations for phosphorus content have been developed similar to those
used to predict the metabolizable energy of a feedstuff. This rapid determination
will aid in the formulation of rations utilizing MBM (Mendez and Dale, 1998).
Of primary concern is the metabolizable energy of MBM. As mentioned
previously, the variability of the feedstuff makes it difficult to precisely determine a
standard value. Waring (1969) found an ME of 1,988 kcal/kg, lower than many
estimates. The National Research Council (1994) uses a value of 2,150 kcal/kg.
However, early papers tended to underestimate the ME of MBM, with it probably
being between 2,300 and 2,500 kcal/kg (Martosiswoyo and Jensen, 1988a; 1988b;
Dolz and de Blas, 1992). Species may also have an effect. Dale (1997) found a ME
of 2,449 kcal/kg for beef MBM and 2,847 kcal/kg for pork MBM, while others
found no differences in species (Karakas et al., 2001). There has been considerable
discussion of the methodologies used in determination of ME of MBM products as
well. Robbins and Firman (2005) tested a variety of the common methods currently
employed and found few differences due to methodology.
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Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

Poultry By-product Meal

This is the by-product of the poultry processing industry and may consist
of the offal and other inedible parts of the chicken. Original data on PBM use
showed very positive results for the time as a replacement of soybean meal or fish
meal, although diet formulations were not very sophisticated (Gerry, 1956; Fuller,
1956; Wiseman et al., 1958). Data also were collected on measures of protein
efficiency (Escalona et al., 1986) although this is less useful today given the ability
to computer balance amino acid profiles. The main cause for differentiation
between PBM and poultry meal is based on the processing source. One plant may
include portions of the chicken such as the de-boned carcass from further processing
while another may sell primarily whole birds and not render this portion of the bird
and thus the meal will have different levels of ash content. This product has
become more expensive in some cases as the high quality has led to use by the pet
food industry in the United States, with the higher quality product designated as pet
food grade. Pet food grade product is generally thought to be more consistent with
energy values found in a much narrower range than those of feed grade PBM
(Escalona et al., 1986; Dozier and Dale, 2005). More information is provided in the
pet food chapter of this book.
Table 3. Percent Digestibility of Poultry By-product Meal.
Amino Acid
Arg
Ser
His
Ile
Leu
Lys
Met
Cys
Phe
Tyr
Thr
Trp
Val
Asp
Glu
Pro
Ala
Average

Chicken
93.2
85.7
80.8
90.6
91.1
90.9
92.1
77.8
90.4
93.9
86.6
95.0
88.1
73.3
87.6
80.9
86.5
87.3

Turkey
91.2
85.0
83.4
86.6
87.3
89.3
89.3
78.1
86.8
85.5
87.3
94.8
85.2
82.0
87.5
85.1
87.0
86.5

Nutrient composition of PBM varies widely depending on sample source

(Dozier et al., 2003) with protein contents varying from 49 to 69 percent. Energy
content also varies (Pesti et al., 1986) and can be predicted from proximate values
using the following equation from Dale et al. (1993): TMEn = (kcal/kg) = 2904 +
133

Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

65.1( percent fat)- 54.1 ( percent ash). Digestibility of PBM also varies, but is
generally between 80 to 90 percent. Average digestibilities for a variety of samples
can be found through commercial sources, but a representative product for turkeys
and chickens is shown in Table 3 (Firman and Remus, 1993).
Feather Meal
FeM is the ground and hydrolyzed feathers from chicken and turkey
processing. Generally, FeM is considered to be low in digestibility and to have a
poor amino acid balance and is thus not heavily used in the poultry industry. It is
generally economically priced, and will normally be used at one to three percent of
the ration. Higher levels can be fed when careful formulations are used. FeM usage
by poultry was demonstrated to be effective in older trials when amino acid balance
was taken into account as long as total inclusion rate was low (Gerry and Smith,
1954; Harms and Goff, 1957; Lillie et al., 1956; McKerns and Rittersporn, 1958;
Moran et al., 1968; Sullivan and Stephenson, 1957; Wilder et al., 1955). More
recent data indicate FeM is an excellent source of several amino acids most notably
cystine and although the overall quality of the protein is low, FeM can often spare
the use of synthetic methionine (Wessels, 1972).
Table 4. Digestibilities of Amino Acids in Feather Meal.

Amino Acid
Arg
Ser
His
Ile
Leu
Lys
Met
Cys
Phe
Tyr
Thr
Trp
Val
Asp
Glu
Pro
Ala
Average

Chicken
84.2*
76.4*
84.2
82.3
76.8*
73.3
77.5
58.8*
79.6
79.8
72.9*
77.0*
77.5*
58.0*
71.8*
63.1*
72.3
73.6

Turkey
89.5
89.3
74.4
86.8
85.0
76.2
80.3
86.8
85.8
85.9
84.9
87.4
85.3
74.0
82.4
88.5
80.0
83.7

Mean digestibility coefficient * Significant differences compared to turkeys.

134

Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

More recent work has looked at processing methodology and how this
contributes to the digestibility of the amino acids in FeM. Morris and Balloun
(1971) found a processing time of 60 minutes at 50 psi produced the best results
while others (Papadopaulos et al., 1985; Moritz and Latshaw, 2001) found that time
and pressure were negatively correlated to produce a high quality FeM. However,
Wang and Parsons (1997) found no significant relationships between temperature
and processing time. Availability of amino acids (Baker et al., 1981; Han and
Parsons, 1991; Bielorai et al., 1983; Firman and Remus, 1993) and energy (Dale,
1992) of FeM have been evaluated. The amino acid digestibilities of an example
FeM for chickens and turkeys are shown in Table 4. FeM additions of four to six
percent to turkey diets were the maximum inclusion that did not negatively affect
performance, especially when in combination with other by-products (Eissler and
Firman, 1996). It was noted that a set inclusion rate results in an increasing
proportion of the total protein coming from FeM as protein levels are decreased in
turkey rations.
Phosphorus Utilization
Phosphorus is one of the most valuable nutrients in the rendered proteins of
animal origin. The highly available content of phosphorus in products is, in many
cases, what makes the product economically viable when compared to other protein
sources. Early work on phosphorus utilization indicated that phosphorus was highly
available from animal products (Waldroup et al., 1965). Orban and Roland (1992)
found phosphorus from bone meal sources slightly less available than from
dicalcium phosphate. However, more recent data indicate no differences in
utilization of phosphorus from animal products and dicalcium phosphate (Waldroup
and Adams, 1994). Most nutritionists today assume 100 percent availability of
phosphorus from rendered by-products.
Use of Animal Proteins in Rations
Products of the rendering industry are heavily used in most rations for
broilers and turkeys in the United States. While products may be utilized
individually, in most cases the most cost effective additions result from allowing the
computer to select from a variety of available sources. MBM of ruminant origin is
generally the most cost-effective source, followed by feed grade PBM and FeM.
FeM is generally added at very low levels to help offset costs of sulfur amino acids.
MBM and PBM are added as protein and phosphorus sources, with the latter
generally being higher in energy and thus commanding a higher value. Addition
rates of FeM are generally less than two percent while additions of the MBM and
PBM can be substantially higher. When formulated on a digestible basis, the upper
limit of these additions can easily exceed 10 percent from a growth standpoint, but
are generally more based on a cost efficiency standpoint. If not formulating on a
digestible amino acid basis, one should still look at digestibility of the product and
set a maximum inclusion rate if there are substantial differences in digestibility from
135

Essential RenderingPoultry NutritionFirman

soybean meal. Given the quantity of data available, all poultry diets should be
formulated on a digestible basis in the future.
The most significant problem in use of rendered products is variation of the
product. Formulators are encouraged to maintain a database of product analyses
and make every attempt to use the same suppliers to reduce product variation.
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139

Profile of National Renderers Association and the Industry, Early 1980s.

RENDERED PRODUCTS IN SWINE NUTRITION

Gary L. Cromwell, Ph.D.
Professor, Animal Sciences
University of Kentucky
Summary
Numerous rendered products can be used in swine diets. In general, these
by-products of the packing/rendering industry are good sources of amino acids,
calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals, as well as B-complex vitamins. The
major animal-derived by-products used in swine diets are meat meal, meat and bone
meal, fish meal, dried blood products (blood meal, spray-dried plasma, and spraydried blood cells), steamed bone meal, and rendered animal fats (tallow, grease, and
mixtures of animal fats). Small amounts of poultry by-product meal and hydrolyzed
feather meal are also use, but to a lesser extent. This chapter gives an overview of
the composition of these products and their nutritional value for swine.
Introduction
Pig production represents an important segment of the food animal
industry in the United States and throughout the world. Pork is an important source
of protein for humans and is the most widely consumed meat in the world today.
Todays pork is lean and supplies many essential nutrients to consumers.
Swine are produced in many types of operations from small farms to huge
and highly integrated corporations. Todays pork is produced by fewer producers
than ever before, and the operations are much larger than they were in the past.
Table 1 illustrates that approximately 78 percent of the pork in the United States is
produced by only 1.5 percent of pig farms, and these farms are quite large, having
an annual production of at least 10,000 market pigs, and for some mega-farms, over
500,000 market pigs annually.
Table 1. Number of Swine Operations in the United States by Size and the
Market Share of the Pigs that are Produced on These Farms - 2003a.

No. of Pigs
Marketed Annually
Less than 1,000
1,000 to 3,000
3,000 to 5,000
5,000 to 10,000
10,000 to 50,000
50,000 to 500,000
More than 500,000

No. of Pig Farms

59,950
6,630
950
1,526
915
134
25

National Pork Board, 2006.

Percent of All
Pig Farms
85.5
9.5
1.4
2.2
1.3
0.2
0.04

% Market
Share
1
8
4
9
19
19
40

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

Regardless of the size of operations or the types of facilities in which pigs

are raised, a sound nutrition and feeding program is necessary for the operation to
be profitable. Because feed represents 65 to 75 percent of the total cost of
production, swine producers must have a good understanding of the nutrient
requirements of pigs, a knowledge of the feedstuffs that can be used in pig feed, and
an appreciation for sound feeding management in order for them to produce pigs
efficiently and economically.
Pigs are unique in that they have the ability to obtain nutrients from a wide
variety of feedstuffs. Swine are omnivorous; that is, they consume both plant and
animal food sources. In todays operations, the major feedstuffs are vegetative in
nature (predominately cereal grains and oilseed meals) with corn and soybean meal
representing 80 percent or more of the total feedstuffs fed to swine. However,
feedstuffs from animal sources also are commonly included in commercial swine
diets. The majority of these animal-derived feedstuffs are by-products of the meat
packing/rendering industry. Many of them by-products have unique properties that
enhance the feeding program of pigs.
Overview of Swine Nutrition
An overview of the fundamentals of swine nutrition and feeding will help
one to understand and have an appreciation for the use of animal-derived rendered
products and other feedstuffs in swine diets.
Pigs require more than 40 individual nutrients in their diet in order to
sustain life, grow rapidly, and reproduce and lactate efficiently. Some of these
nutrients are present in adequate amounts in normally consumed feedstuffs (cereal
grains, oilseed meals, etc.), and those that are deficient can be easily supplemented
from concentrated or synthetic sources. The best estimates of the quantitative
requirements for all of these nutrients can be found in the publication Nutrient
Requirements of Swine, published by the National Research Council (NRC, 1998).
Nutrients are traditionally grouped into six classes: water, carbohydrates,
fats, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Water is often considered to be the most
important nutrient because animals cannot live very long without it. Carbohydrates,
fats, and protein provide energy for animals. In addition, protein supplies amino
acids that are essential for growth, reproduction, and lactation. Minerals and
vitamins have numerous important roles in the body.
Energy
Energy is required for all functions in the life process. For pigs, energy is
derived primarily from carbohydrates and fats, and to a certain extent, from protein.
Energy is classified as digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), or net
energy (NE). The DE content of a feed represents the energy that is digested
(energy in feed minus energy in feces). The ME content of a feed represents the DE
less any energy lost in the urine and in fermentation gasses. The NE of a feed is the
ME less the heat expended to digest and utilize the feedstuff. DE and ME are more
142

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

easily determined than NE, and because of a larger database, DE and ME are more
commonly used in the United States.
Pigs are simple-stomached animals, so they must rely on feeds having
readily digestible carbohydrates, such as starch and sugars, to meet their energy
needs. Ruminant animals depend on microorganisms in their rumen to degrade
cellulose, hemicellulose, and other complex carbohydrates found in roughages into
fermented products that can be absorbed and utilized. However, pigs cannot do this
efficiently. Some fermentation does occur in the hind gut of more mature swine,
but the process is much less efficient than in ruminants.
Cereal grains are high in starch and they constitute the major part of
modern swine diets. Almost all of the starches in corn and other cereal grains are
digested by pigs. The end product of starch digestion is glucose, which is readily
absorbed and utilized as an energy source. Sugars, such as lactose in milk and milk
products, represent an important energy source for weanling pigs. The sugar,
sucrose, in sugar cane and sugar beets also is well utilized by pigs, but these feed
sources are not widely used in the United States.
Fats and oils are also highly digestible energy sources for pigs. In
addition, the energy in fats and oils is approximately 2.3 times as concentrated as
the energy in an equivalent amount of carbohydrates. Thus, supplemental fat
represents an efficient way of increasing the energy concentration of the diet.
Because pigs tend to eat an amount of feed that will meet their energy requirement,
adding fat to the diet will reduce feed intake and substantially improve the feed-togain ratio. Supplemental fat also has other beneficial properties (reduced dustiness,
etc.), which will be discussed later in the chapter.
Protein in the diet that is in excess of the requirement for the various amino
acids can be used as an energy source, but it is too costly to be fed solely for energy.
The energy contribution of various rendered animal products is shown in Table 2.
Protein
Body protein consists of 22 amino acids. About one-half of the body
protein is in the muscle tissues and the remaining protein is in the organs, viscera,
blood, and hair. A small amount is in the enzymes and other digestive secretions as
well as the hormones of the body. For protein synthesis (i.e., growth) to occur, the
diet must supply sufficient amounts of 10 of the 22 amino acids; these are called
essential amino acids. The other 12 amino acids, called non-essential amino
acids, can be synthesized by pigs as long as sufficient nitrogen is present in the diet.
Because pigs are simple-stomached, they must rely on amino acids from
dietary sources to meet their essential amino acid requirements. In other words,
pigs cannot rely on microbes to synthesize the essential amino acids such as the case
with ruminants. Therefore, dietary protein must be in a form that is readily
digestible (so as to liberate the amino acids from the protein), and the pattern of
liberated amino acids must supply adequate amounts of the 10 essential amino
acids. A deficiency of any one of the 10 amino acids will limit pig performance.
The amino acid that is most likely to be deficient in most diets consisting
of various combinations of feedstuffs is lysine. This is due to two reasons: first,
143

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

because lysine is the most abundant of all the amino acids in the body (about 7
percent lysine in whole body protein); and second, because many of the feedstuffs
(especially cereal grains) are extremely low in lysine.
Table 2. Dry Matter, Energy, and Fat Composition of Rendered Animal
Products and Dehulled Soybean Meala.

Feedstuff
Meat meal
Meat and bone
meal
Poultry byproduct meal
Feather meal,
hydrolyzed
Fish meal,
menhaden
Blood meal, ring
dried
Plasma, spray
dried
Blood cells, spray
dried
Steamed bone
meal
Animal fat
Beef tallow
Choice white
grease
Lard
Poultry fat
Restaurant
grease
Soybean meal,
dehulled

Dry
Matter
%
94
93

Digestible
Energy
kcal/lb
1,224
1,108

Metabolizable
Energy
kcal/lb
1,178
1,010

Net
Energy
kcal/lb
987
615

Fat
%
12.0
10.9

93

1,403

1,298

883

12.6

93

1,357

1,128

1,022

4.6

92

1,712

1,525

1,060

9.4

93

1,530

1,337

940

1.3

91

--

--

--

2.0

92

--

--

--

1.5

3,632
3,764

3,487
3,612

2,236
2,313

3,761
3,868
3,882

3,609
3,714
3,725

2,315
2,374
2,381

1,673

1,535

917

90

3.0

NRC, 1998.

Protein sources for swine are generally characterized on the basis of their
protein quality, which refers to the amino acids in the protein. Milk proteins have
the highest quality protein in that the profile of their amino acids closely matches
that of the needs of pigs. The protein in some oilseed meals and rendered animal
products is considered intermediate to high in protein quality, but the quality of
protein is low in certain other sources. The protein in cereal grains is of very poor
144

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

quality due to low concentrations of lysine, tryptophan, and threonine.

Interestingly, soybean meal by itself is low in methionine, but when combined with
cereal grains (which are relatively higher in methionine); the quality of protein is
much improved.
The amino acids in feed protein are not totally digested and absorbed by
pigs; in other words, the bioavailability of amino acids in intact protein is not 100
percent. However, the availabilities of most of the amino acids are within the range
of 70 to 90 percent. The availability of amino acids in individual feedstuffs to the
animal is determined by the disappearance of amino acids at the end of the small
intestine in ileal-cannulated pigs, and is referred to as ileal digestibility. The
digestibility can be express as apparent or a true ileal digestibility. The latter
corrects for endogenous amino acids (non-feed sources of amino acids such as
enzymes, mucus, eroded epithelial cells, etc.). The digestible amino acid system
is commonly used today in the U.S. feed industry.
Minerals and Vitamins
Pigs require 14 minerals in their diet. Some of these minerals (sulfur,
magnesium, potassium, chromium) are provided in sufficient supply by the natural
ingredients, but others must be supplemented. Calcium, phosphorus, salt (sodium,
chloride), and the trace minerals, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, iodine, and
selenium, are commonly added to most grain-soybean meal diets, but significant
amounts of some of these minerals can be partially or evenly totally supplied by
rendered animal products.
Calcium and phosphorus are required in greater amounts than any other
minerals. Pigs require significant amounts of both minerals for bone formation and
for many other purposes. Most plant-derived feedstuffs are extremely low in
calcium and much of the phosphorus is organically bound in a form called phytic
acid (or phytate) that is unavailable to pigs. Because of the low bioavailability of
phosphorus in plant-derived feedstuffs (Cromwell and Coffey, 1993), grain-oilseed
based diets need rather large amounts of highly available calcium (usually as ground
limestone) and phosphorus (as mono- or dicalcium phosphate, defluorinated
phosphate, or steamed bone meal) to meet the requirement. Much, or even all, of
the calcium and phosphorus requirements can be provided by certain animal-derived
protein sources (discussed later in the chapter).
Common salt, added at 0.25 to 0.50 percent, will meet the sodium and
chlorine requirements of pigs. The other major minerals magnesium, potassium,
and sulfur are provided in sufficient amounts by the natural ingredients. The trace
minerals are commonly included in diets in the form of a trace mineral premix.
Thirteen vitamins are required by swine. Vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12
along with riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and niacin are commonly added to swine
diets. Three additional vitamins biotin, folic acid, and choline are often added to
sow diets. The other two essential vitamins, thiamin and pyridoxine (vitamin B6),
are supplied in sufficient quantities by the natural ingredients and do not have to be
supplemented. Additions of the B-complex vitamins is less critical when rendered
animal products constitute a portion of the protein supplement because animal
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Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

protein sources contain much higher levels of these vitamins, as well as trace
minerals, than do oilseed meals. In the past, several high-protein feeds were
blended with legume products as supplements for cereal grains to meet the vitamin
and trace mineral requirements of pigs. Today, synthetically-produced vitamins and
inorganic (or organic) trace minerals are commonly included as premixes to
supplement these important micronutrients to swine feeds.
Rendered Animal Protein Sources for Swine
In general, animal protein supplements are good sources of lysine and the
other amino acids. In addition, they contain higher levels of minerals and Bcomplex vitamins than plant protein sources. However, animal protein supplements
tend to be more variable in nutrient content, and they are subjected to high drying
temperatures during processing for dehydration and sterilization. Unless carefully
controlled, high temperatures can reduce the bioavailability of certain amino acids.
Typical amino acid composition of the more common animal protein
sources for swine is shown in Table 3 and estimates of the apparent and true ileal
digestibility of amino acids in these protein sources are given in Tables 4 and 5.
The calcium, phosphorus, and bioavailable phosphorus levels in these feedstuffs are
shown in Table 6. Nutrient levels in dehulled soybean meal are also given in these
tables for comparative purposes. All of the values are from the National Research
Councils Nutrient Requirements of Swine (NRC, 1998).
Table 3. Protein and Amino Acid Composition of Rendered Animal Products
and Dehulled Soybean Meala (Percent).
Feedstuff
Meat meal
Meat and bone
meal
Poultry by-product
meal
Feather meal,
hydrolyzed
Fish meal,
menhaden
Blood meal, ring
dried
Plasma, spray dried

Blood cells, spray

dried
Soybean meal,
dehulled

Prot.
54.0
51.5

Lys
3.07
2.51

Thr
1.97
1.59

Trp
0.35
0.28

Met
0.80
0.68

Cys
0.60
0.50

Ile
1.60
1.34

Val
2.66
2.04

64.1

3.32

2.18

0.48

1.11

0.65

2.01

2.51

84.5

2.08

3.82

0.54

0.61

4.13

3.86

5.88

62.3

4.81

2.64

0.66

1.77

0.57

2.57

3.03

88.8

7.45

3.78

1.48

0.99

1.04

1.03

7.03

78.0

6.84

4.72

1.36

0.75

2.63

2.71

4.94

92.0

8.51

3.38

1.37

0.81

0.61

0.49

8.50

47.5

3.02

1.85

0.65

0.67

0.74

2.16

2.27

NRC, 1998.
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Table 4. Apparent Ileal Digestibility of Amino Acids in Rendered Animal

Products and Dehulled Soybean Meala.
Feedstuff
Meat meal
Meat and bone
meal
Poultry by-product
meal
Feather meal,
hydrolyzed
Fish meal,
menhaden
Blood meal, ring
dried
Plasma, spray dried

Blood cells, spray

dried
Soybean meal,
dehulled

Lys
83
74

Thr
79
70

Trp
73
60

Met
85
79

Cys
55
55

Ile
82
74

Val
79
74

78

72

74

74

70

77

74

54

74

63

65

71

81

80

89

85

79

88

73

87

85

91

86

88

85

81

71

90

87

82

92

64

--

85

86

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

85

78

81

86

79

84

81

NRC, 1998.

Table 5. True Ileal Digestibility of Amino Acids in Rendered Animal Products

and Dehulled Soybean Meala.
Feedstuff
Meat meal
Meat and bone
meal
Poultry by-product
meal
Feather meal,
hydrolyzed
Fish meal,
menhaden
Blood meal, ring
dried
Plasma, spray dried

Blood cells, spray

dried
Soybean meal,
dehulled

Lys
83
80

Thr
82
80

Trp
79
78

Met
87
83

Cys
58
63

Ile
84
82

Val
80
79

80

77

--

77

72

81

74

67

82

86

74

73

88

84

95

88

90

94

88

94

93

94

94

94

96

91

88

91

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

90

87

90

91

87

89

88

NRC, 1998.
147

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

Table 6. Calcium, Phosphorus, and Bioavailable Phosphorus Composition of

Rendered Animal Products and Dehulled Soybean Meala.

Feedstuff
Meat meal
Meat and bone
meal
Poultry by-product
meal
Feather meal,
hydrolyzed
Fish meal,
menhaden
Blood meal, ring
dried
Plasma, spray dried
Blood cells, spray
dried
Steamed bone meal
Soybean meal,
dehulled

Available
Phosphorus
Availabilityb Phosphorusc
%
%
90d
3.49
90
4.48

Calcium
%
7.69
9.99

Phosphorus
%
3.88
4.98

4.46

2.41

90d

2.17

0.33

0.50

31

0.16

5.21

3.04

94

2.86

0.41

0.30

92

0.28

0.15
0.02

1.71
0.37

95d
95d

1.62
0.35

29.80
0.34

12.50
0.69

85
23

10.63
0.16

NRC, 1998.
Percent of the phosphorus that is bioavailable to pigs.
c
Total phosphorus times percent of the phosphorus that is bioavailable.
d
Estimated.
b

Other reviews of animal protein sources have been written by Cunha

(1977), Thacker and Kirkwood (1990), Knabe (1991), Chiba (2001), Cromwell
(2002), and McGlone and Pond (2003).
Meat Meal, Meat and Bone Meal
Meat meal and meat and bone meal are the two most common animal
protein sources used in swine diets. Both of these by-products have been widely
used in swine feeds for many years (Franco and Swanson, 1996). These products
are officially described as the rendered product from mammalian tissues including
bone, but exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure,
stomach, and ruminal contents, except such amounts as may occur unavoidably in
good processing practices (AAFCO, 2006). The amount of phosphorus is the main
criterion for distinguishing the two products. If the phosphorus level is 4.0 percent
or greater, the product is designated as meat and bone meal. If the phosphorus level
is less than 4.0 percent, the product is designated as meat meal. According to the
official definition, the calcium level should not be more than 2.2 times the
phosphorus level. Although not included in the official definition, crude protein of
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Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

meat and bone meal is approximately 50 percent and meat meal is approximately
three to five percentage units higher in protein. Meat meal tankage and meat and
bone meal tankage are similar to meat meal or meat and bone meal, respectively
except that they also contain blood or blood meal.
For most feedstuffs, the percentages of the various amino acids tend to
increase as the level of crude protein in the feedstuff increases; however the
correlation between the two is often relatively poor. An analysis of 73 samples of
meat meal and meat and bone meal (Knabe, 1995), showed that lysine increased by
0.06 percent for each one percent increase in crude protein (R2 = 0.47, Figure 3).
The lysine in meat meal is as high as, and even slightly higher than, the
lysine in soybean meal (Table 3). However, the bioavailability of the lysine is
slightly less than that in soybean meal (Tables 4 and 5). Both meat meal and meat
and bone meal are relatively low in tryptophan and some research has shown that
the bioavailability (i.e., ileal digestibility) of tryptophan and some of the other
amino acids is a bit low (Knabe, 1987; NRC, 1998). The low tryptophan content is
due to the fact that collagen is one of the major proteins in bone, connective tissue,
cartilage, and tendons (Eastoe and Eastoe, 1954), and collagen is nearly void of
tryptophan (Eastoe and Long, 1960).
Figure 1. Relationship of Calcium and Phosphorus in 426 Samples of Meat
Meal and Meat and Bone Meal (Adapted from Knabe, 1995).

14.0
13.0
Y = - 0.3913 + 2.0829X
2
R = 0.80

12.0

Calcium (%)

11.0
10.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

Phosphorus (%)

149

6.0

7.0

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

Figure 2. Relationship of Crude Protein and Phosphorus in 426 Samples of

Meat Meal and Meat and Bone Meal (Adapted from Knabe, 1995).

7.0
6.5

Y = 10.083 - 0.1057X
2
R = 0.23

Phosphorus (%)

6.0
5.5
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
42

47

52
Crude Protein (%)

57

62

Figure 3. Relationship of Crude Protein and Lysine in 73 Samples of Meat

Meal and Meat and Bone Meal (Adapted from Knabe, 1995).

4.5
4.0

Y = - 0.4009 + 0.0603X
2
R = 0.47

Lysine (%)

3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
39

44

49
Crude Protein (%)

150

54

59

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

Knabe (1995) summarized the composition of 426 samples of meat meal

and meat and bone meal and found that they averaged 52.4 percent protein, 9.07
percent calcium, and 4.54 percent phosphorus (Table 7). The average fat content of
113 samples was 10.68 percent. A regression analysis of the data summarized by
Knabe (1995) indicated a very strong linear relationship between calcium and
phosphorus in meat meal and meat and bone meal (R2 = 0.80), with calcium
increasing 2.08 percent for every one percent increase in phosphorus (Figure 1). A
further analysis of the data summarized by Knabe (1995) indicated that the
phosphorus decreased by 0.106 percent for each one percent increase in crude
protein (R2 = 0.23, Figure 2).
Table 7. Composition of Meat Meal and Meat and Bone Meal Analyzed by
Three Feed Manufacturersa.

Feedstuff
Meat meal
MBM
All meals

No.
Crude
Samples Protein %
171
54.0 2.93
255
51.4 2.64
426
52.4 3.04

Calcium
%
7.69 1.16
9.99 1.01
9.07 1.56

Phosphorus
%
3.88 0.41
4.98 0.38
4.54 0.67

Crude Fatb
%
10.72 1.55
10.70 1.61
10.68 1.58

Knabe, 1995. As fed basis. All samples were sold as meat and bone meal. In this summary,
meat meal represents samples having < 4.0% phosphorus.
b
Crude fat was based on 35 samples of meat meal and 78 samples of meat and bone meal.

Some of the early feeding experiments with meat and bone meal indicated
that growth performance was reduced in growing-finishing pigs when increasing
levels of meat and bone meal was substituted for soybean meal in corn-based diets
(Peo and Hudman, 1962; Evans and Leibholz, 1979). These early studies indicated
that the maximum amount of meat meal or meat and bone meal should not exceed
two to three percent of the diet. However, more recent studies at the University of
Kentucky have shown that higher levels of meat meal or meat and bone meal can be
included in growing-finishing diets for swine without reducing performance if
tryptophan is also supplemented (Cromwell et al., 1991). The studies showed that
when 0.03 percent tryptophan was added for every 10 percent addition of meat and
bone meal in the diet, performance was nearly as good as for pigs fed corn-soybean
meal diets (Table 8). The studies involved 24 pigs per treatment from 53 to 205 lb
body weight in Experiment 1 and 20 pigs per treatment from 99 to 207 lb body
weight in Experiment 2. The relatively high levels of calcium and phosphorus in
meat meal and meat and bone meal allow diets to be formulated for swine without
having to include inorganic calcium and phosphorus supplements. Recent studies at
the University of Kentucky indicated that the phosphorus in meat and bone meal
was 85 to 91 percent as bioavailable as the phosphorus in mono- or dicalcium
phosphate (Traylor et al., 2005ab). Inclusion of sufficient amounts of meat and
bone meal to met the calcium and phosphorus requirements of growing-finishing
pigs in their study resulted in optimal performance and bone integrity (Table 9).
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Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

Table 8. Levels of Meat and Bone Meal in Corn-Soybean Meal Diets on

Performance of Growing-Finishing Pigsa.
Meat and Bone Meal in Diet, Percent
5
5
10
10
Item
Added Tryptophan, %
0.015
0.030
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Experiment 1
Daily gain, lb
1.51
1.38
1.47
1.05
1.43
Daily feed, lb
4.97
4.80
4.93
3.96
4.93
Feed/gain
3.30
3.50
3.37
3.79
3.45
Experiment 2
Daily gain, lb
1.89
1.10
1.80
Daily feed, lb
6.89
5.10
6.51
Feed/gain
3.65
4.67
3.60
0

Cromwell et al., 1991.

Table 9. Performance of Finishing Pigs Fed Diets with the Supplemental

Calcium and Phosphorus Supplied by Dicalcium Phosphate or Meat and Bone
Meala.

Dietary calcium, %
Dietary Phosphorus, %

Daily gain, lb
Feed/gain
Lean gain, g/day
Bone strength, kgb
Carcass lean, %

Source of Phosphorus
Dicalcium Phosphate
Meat and Bone Meal
0.50
0.65
0.55
0.65
0.45
0.55
0.45
0.55
1.87
3.10
330
178
53.1

1.94
3.15
337
194
52.6

1.96
3.05
333
182
52.6

1.96
3.03
332
194
52.4

Traylor et al., 2005a. Study involved 25 pigs per treatment from 99 to 242 lb body weight.
These levels of calcium and phosphorus were fed during the first half of the finishing
period, then calcium was reduced to 0.45 or 0.55% and phosphorus was reduced to 0.40 or
0.50%, respectively.
b
Main effect of phosphorus level (P < 0.05).

Questions are often asked as to what factors may affect the nutritional
value of meat meal and meat and bone meal for pigs. Certainly overheating of the
meals during processing has been shown to reduce the bioavailability of several of
the amino acids (Batterham et al., 1986; Knabe, 1987). However, excessive heating
of meals does not appear to reduce the bioavailability of phosphorus according to
the Traylor et al. (2005b) studies. Similarly, particle size of the meal within ranges
commonly used in the industry does not affect the bioavailability of phosphorus
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Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

(Traylor et al., 2005b). On the other hand, the phosphorus in a high-ash, meat and
bone meal of bovine origin was found by these researchers to be more bioavailable
than the phosphorus in a low-ash meat meal of porcine origin, a difference of
approximately 15 percentage units. The researchers proposed that the difference in
phosphorus bioavailability may have been due to a greater proportion of the
phosphorus in the high-ash meal being supplied by bone whereas more of the
phosphorus in the low-ash meal was supplied by soft tissues.
Poultry By-product Meal
Poultry by-product meal is a rendered product from poultry slaughter and
processing plants. It is officially described as the ground, rendered, or clean parts of
slaughtered poultry such as head, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive
of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing
practices (AAFCO, 2006). Because most of the poultry industry is so vertically
integrated, this product generally goes back into the companies own poultry feed,
and much less of this product is used in the swine feeds as compared with meat
meal or meat and bone meal. The amino acid composition of poultry by-product
meal is not greatly different from that of meat meal or meat and bone meal, but it is
somewhat lower in calcium and phosphorus than the mammalian products. With
respect to feeding studies with swine, very little research has been done with poultry
by-product meal.
Hydrolyzed Feather Meal
Feather meal has a similar composition as poultry feathers. This product is
very high in protein (85 percent crude protein), but the quality of the protein is poor
due to the high content of cystine relative to the other amino acids. Hydrolysis of
the feathers is required to break the many sulfur bonds and release the amino acids.
Even then, the apparent and true ileal digestibility of lysine and other amino acids is
low compared with other rendered products. Much of the feather meal goes back
into poultry feeds. Some research has shown that swine can use a limited amount of
hydrolyzed feather meal in their diets, but use in the swine industry is relatively
uncommon. Chiba (2001) has reviewed several research studies with pigs that
involved the feeding of hydrolyzed feather meal.
Fish Meal
Fish meal is officially described as the clean, dried, and ground tissues of
undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the
extraction of part of the oil (AAFCO, 2006). Fish meal is an excellent protein
source for pigs; however, the high cost of fish meal in the United States limits its
use in most diets. The major producers of fish meal are Peru and Chili. Most of the
fish meal used in swine feed is used in starter diets for weanling pigs. Fish meals
are quite variable in composition, depending on the type of fish used and the type of
processing methods. Some meals are made from residues and others are made from
the whole fish. Menhaden fish meal is a high-oil fish meal and is the one most
commonly used in starter diets. Inclusion of select menhaden fish meal or fish
153

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

solubles in starter diets has been shown to improve performance of early-weaned

pigs in several studies (Stoner et al., 1990; Seerley, 1991). Certain long-chained
fatty acids in fish oil can cause a fishy flavor in pork, so the level of fish meal
should not exceed six to seven percent. In finisher diets, even lower levels can
result in an undesirable fishy flavor in pork meat products.
Blood Products for Swine
Dried Blood Meal
Dried blood meal is very high in protein (85 to 90 percent) and in lysine
(seven to eight percent). Some of the older methods used to dry blood meal
destroyed much of lysine and some of the other amino acids and reduced
palatability (Chiba, 2001); thus, blood meal was not used to any great extent in
swine diets in the past. However, improved methods of drying, including ring
drying and flash drying, results in a much improved product with a high level of
available lysine and other amino acids (Parsons et al., 1985; Miller, 1990). Blood
meal is very low in isoleucine, the first limiting amino acid in a corn-blood meal
blend. Because of the high level of hemoglobin in blood meal, the iron content is
very high (1,900 to 2,900 ppm; NRC, 1998).
Several studies have shown that properly dried blood meal is a good
protein source when used at low levels in pig diets (Miller, 1990; Hansen et al.,
1993; Kats et al., 1994). Generally, it is recommended that dried blood meal should
be limited to one to four percent of the pig diet (Cunha, 1977; Wahlstrom and Libal,
1977; Miller, 1990), although higher levels (six to eight percent) have also been
suggested (Seerley, 1991).
Dried Animal Plasma and Dried Blood Cells
Two relatively new products that are extensively used in prestarter and
starter diets for early weaned pigs are made from blood from pig and cattle
slaughter plants. The blood is treated with an anticoagulant (sodium citrate), stored
under refrigeration, separated into plasma and blood cells, and carefully spray-dried.
Spray-dried animal plasma is an excellent protein source for early-weaned pigs.
Aside from its superior amino acid profile (Table 3), the high levels of globular
proteins (including immunoglobulins) in dried animal plasma stimulate growth and
feed intake during the critical postweaning stage. A recent study at the University
of Kentucky (Pierce et al., 2005) verified that the immunoglobulins, primarily
immunoglobulin G, are the major component in plasma that stimulates growth in
early-weaned pigs. Furthermore, plasma from either cattle or swine blood seem to
be equally effective in producing this response (Pierce et al., 2005). Spray-dried
animal plasma, although relatively expensive, is now commonly used at levels of
three to six percent in Phase I pig starters for the first one to two weeks following
weaning. A review by Coffey and Cromwell (2001) summarized the value of this
product in weanling pig diets.
Dried blood cells, the product that remains after plasma is removed from
blood is also an excellent ingredient for pig starter diets. Generally, this product is
154

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

used at levels of two to five percent in Phase II diets for weanling pigs, following
the removal of the more expensive dried plasma from the diet. Blood cells are very
high in lysine, but relatively low in isoleucine. In addition, the iron content of dried
blood cells is quite high (2,700 ppm; NRC, 1998) due to the high concentration of
hemoglobin in the product. A review of feeding studies with dried blood cells was
written by Coffey and Cromwell (2001).
Steamed Bone Meal A Mineral Source for Swine
Steamed bone meal is one of several mineral supplements that are used in
the feed industry as sources of calcium and phosphorus. This product is made from
bones cooked under steam pressure, then dried and ground. The calcium and
phosphorus levels in bone meal are in the same ratio as found in bone (Table 6).
Due to its higher cost and slightly lower bioavailability of phosphorus for swine (82
to 85 percent versus 95 to 100 percent for dicalcium phosphate; Cromwell and
Coffey, 1993), steamed bone meal is not as commonly used as a phosphorus
supplement for swine as mono- or dicalcium phosphate or defluorinated phosphate.
Rendered Animal Fats An Energy Source for Swine
Animal fats are widely used in swine feeds. Rendered animal fats
inedible tallow, inedible grease, and poultry fat represent approximately 60
percent of the fats and oils fed to livestock and poultry, whereas restaurant grease,
vegetable oils, and fish oils make up the other 40 percent (personal communication,
Ray Rouse, 2000, Rouse Marketing, Cincinnati, OH).
As mentioned previously, fats and oils represent a highly concentrated
source of energy. As a result, the voluntary intake of feed by pigs is less when fat is
included in the diet. This fact, coupled with perhaps a slight increase in growth rate
means that feed conversion efficiency (or feed-to-gain ratio) is markedly improved
when fat is included in swine diets. On average, every one percent inclusion of fat
reduces the amount of feed required per unit of gain by pigs by approximately two
percent. This means less feed handling by the producer. Table 10 shows typical
responses of growing-finishing pigs to added fat in diets. In some instances, carcass
backfat may be increased slightly in pigs fed fat.
The addition of fat to feed improves the physical properties of the feed.
When feed is pelleted, added fat makes the feed easier to pellet. It also reduces
wear and tear on feed handling equipment. Also, one of the major advantages of
using fat in feeds is that it greatly reduces feed dust in mills and buildings housing
swine. Since microorganisms tend to travel on dust particles, reduced dust means
fewer respiratory problems in pigs raised in confinement buildings as well as
handlers who work in the buildings (Curtis et al., 1975). Studies have shown fewer
lung lesions in pigs raised in confinement buildings in which the feed contains three
to five percent fat (Gordon, 1963).

155

Essential RenderingSwine NutritionCromwell

Fat additions to lactating sow diets have been shown to increase milk yield,
increase the fat content of milk, and result in increased survival and weaning
weights of pigs (Pettigrew, 1981).
Table 10. Effects of Supplemental Fat on Performance of Growing-Finishing
Pigs.

Study 2b
Study 1a
Added Fat, Percent
Item
0
5
0
6
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Daily gain, lb
1.68
1.77
1.93
1.99
Daily feed intake, lb
5.44
5.22
5.31
5.03
Feed/gain
3.24
2.95
2.75
2.53
Carcass average backfat, in.
1.20
1.31
Carcass 10th rib backfat, in.
0.74
0.76
Ham-loin percent
43.40
42.30
-

Cromwell, 2002. Summary of five experiments, 88 pigs per treatment from 57 to 208 lb
body weight. Research by the University of Kentucky and the University of Nebraska.
b
Akey research, 2001. Courtesy of Ken Bryant, Akey Inc., Lewisburg, OH.

References
AAFCO. 2006. Official publication of the Association of American Feed Control Officials.
(updated annually).
Batterham, E. S., R. R. Lowe, R. E. Darnell, and E. J. Major. 1986. Availability of lysine in
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Cromwell, G. L. 2002. Feeding Swine. Livestock Feeds and Feeding, 5th ed., Kellems, R. O.,
and D. C. Church, Eds. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. pp. 248-290.
Cromwell, G. L., T. S. Stahly, and H. J. Monegue. 1991 Amino acid supplementation of
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69:4898-4906.
Cromwell, G. L., and R. D. Coffey. 1993. An assessment of the bioavailability of
phosphorus in feed ingredients for nonruminants. Proc. Maryland Nutr. Conf., Baltimore.
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Curtis, S. E., J. G. Drummond, D. J. Grunloh, P. B. Lynch, and A. H. Jensen. 1975. Relative
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Evans, D. F., and J. Leibholz. 1979. Meat meal in the diet of the early-weaned pig. Anim.
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air in piggeries and its influence on disease incidence. Br. Vet. J. 119:263-273.
Hansen, J. A., J. L. Nelssen, R. D. Goodband, and T. L. Weeden. 1993. Evaluation of
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animal protein coproducts. Proc. Carolina Swine Nutrition Conf., Raleigh, NC. N.
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Academy Press, Washington, DC.
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Effects of spray-dried animal plasma and immunoglobulins on performance of early
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Stoner, G. R., G. L. Allee, J. L. Nelssen, M. E. Johnston, and R. D. Goodband. 1990. Effect
of select menhaden fish meal in starter diets for pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 68:2729-2735.
Thacker, P. A., and R. N. Kirkwood. 1990. Nontraditional Feed Sources for Use in Swine
Production, Butterworths, Boston.
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content, and processing pressure on the bioavailability of phosphorus in meat and bone
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1948 Congressional Hearing on low Prices Requested by NRA.

RENDERED PRODUCTS IN PET FOOD

Greg Aldrich, Ph.D.
President, Pet Food and Ingredient Technology, Inc.
Summary
Globally, in 2005, pet food and products were a $53 billion industryand
the market is growing. In the United States, dog and cat food sales alone account
for $14.5 billion with exports of nearly $1 billion. The global total for pet food and
supplies for all pet animals is now approaching $40 billion annually. These rising
sales are driven, in part, by increasing ownership of pets with more than 140 million
dogs and cats and an estimated 200 million specialty pets, such as fish, pocket pets,
and exotic animals. It is also moved by the trend that more people consider their
pets as members of the family as demonstrated by everything from birthday and
holiday celebrations, family photos, health insurance, burial plots, and preparation
of special meals. Pet foods are now more than ever considered packaged goods that
are co-mingled with other family food items. The top five pet food companies, over
65 percent of the market, are owned by household names like Mars, Nestle, Proctor
& Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Del Monte. Traditional retail outlets such as
grocery and farm/feed stores have lost some market share to big-box mass market
stores, warehouse clubs, and pet specialty stores, but grocery stores remain the
largest outlet.
Pet food choices have become almost limitless with options for different
price points, life-stage, shapes and sizes, package type, ingredient preferences,
breed, size, and disease condition. Pet foods are also becoming more humanized
and tracking human food trends. Nutrition research is showing that companion
animals have some unique dietary requirements, e.g., arginine in the dog and cat,
the aminosulfone taurine, and pre-formed vitamin A for the cat. Emerging
nutritional benefits from omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids, dietary fiber, mineral
balance, and how meat proteins and fats are connected to optimal nutrition are
actively under investigation. Rendered protein meals such as meat and bone meal,
poultry by-product meal, and fish meal are almost universally used in pet foods.
Generally, they provide high quality protein with a good balance of amino acids.
Nutrient availability and (or) dietary utilization can be hampered by excessive heat
treatment, dilution of essential amino acids with connective tissue, high levels of
ash, and oxidation. Rendered fats and oils like tallow, lard, poultry fat, and fish oil
provide a supplementary source of energy, flavor, texture, and nutrients in pet
foods.
Balancing for essential and conditionally essential fatty acids has become a
key driver for selection of specific fats in the diet. Application and oxidation issues
are the most common challenges faced in their use. Much of the information for pet
food ingredients has been gleaned from livestock and human nutrition research.
There is a fundamental need to develop these databases specifically for pets in order
to address their unique nutritional idiosyncrasies and to support this growing and

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continually segmenting industry. Raw, fresh, human edible, and alternative protein
sources are competing to supply the protein and fat needs in pet foods.
Opportunities for various rendered ingredients especially those that are able to
retain their species identity and maintain control over processing conditions while
retaining nutrient quality, will be welcome.
The Pet and Pet Food Industry
Size, Growth, and Demographics
Globally, pet food and pet care product sales were nearly $53 billion in
2005 (Kvamme, 2006). In the United States, pet food sales totaled $14.4 billion in
2005 with 54 percent from dog and 32 percent from cat foods (Euromonitor, 2005)
with an annual expected growth of three to four percent. Exports were just over
$900 million in 2005 (U.S. Bureau of the Census Trade Data, 2006). Pets live in 70
percent of American homes, with 15 percent of those homes owning both a cat and
dog (Pet Food Institute, 2003).
Specifically, there were an estimated 81.4 million cats in 37.7 percent of
households and 63 million dogs in 43.5 percent of households in the United States
in 2005 (Euromonitor, 2005). Other species of pets, defined as specialty pets, such
as rodents, reptiles, rabbits, ferrets, exotic birds, and fish account for almost 200
million more household pets. In addition, to many people the horse is considered a
pet with the total number of horses in the United States at 9.2 million and with
affiliated goods and services accounting for an estimated $39 billion (American
Horse Council, 2002).
More people are considering their pets as members of the family by
celebrating their birthdays, including them in holiday rituals, providing them with
special television programs, including them in family photos, and preparing special
meals for them. Many pet owners spend large sums of money for veterinary care,
pet health insurance, medications, cremation, and even burial. An increasing
number of pet owners are adding pets in their wills and treating them as a second
family after children are grown and have left the home, spoiling their pets with
special and premium foods, treats, and toys as if they were wayward grandchildren.
But all is not frivolous excess; pets are also becoming increasingly valuable as
service animals, as therapy aids, and as an emotional and stressful release in an
increasingly complex world. There is a bond and interdependence between man
and companion animals that will not soon diminish.
Pet Food Companies
The pet food industry in the United States is dominated by five major
companies that account for over 65 percent of the market. These big five are owned
by multi-national conglomerates that have a primary emphasis in personal care, dry
goods, and (or) other consumables (Kvamme, 2006). These companies include:
Mars (Pedigree, Whiskas, and Royal Canin), Nestle (Purina, Friskies), Proctor &
Gamble (Iams, Eukanuba), Colgate-Palmolive (Hills Science Diet, Hills
Prescription Diet), and Del Monte (9-Lives, Gravy Train, Kibbles 'N Bits, Natures
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Recipe, Meow Mix, and Milk Bone). The remaining 35 percent of the market is
made up of pet food-exclusive companies, numerous regional brands, and new
smaller brands and companies. Some of these latter are supplied by a strong cadre
of private-label pet food manufacturers and toll-packers. Consolidation, mergers,
and acquisitions continue to play a part in the evolution of the industry; however,
unlike other food sectors, this is not the only avenue left for growth. In short, the
pet food industry is a very dynamic, growing, and maturing industry where new
ideas from non-traditional sectors will continue to emerge and new market
opportunities will be available.
Channels to Market
The retail availability of pet foods has expanded across a number of
platforms. Big-box mass market stores, warehouse clubs, and pet specialty stores
have become market channels in addition to traditional outlets such as grocery and
farm/feed stores. Estimated market share of each category in 2002 was grocery
(37.4 percent), mass market (16.4 percent), pet specialty (17.2 percent), farm/feed
(5.4 percent), vet/kennel (5.0 percent), and other (18.6 percent) (Knudson, 2003).
Alternative channels to market via non-traditional retail, direct marketing, catalog,
and web-based sales of pet foods are also becoming prominent. Sales through these
alternative channels accounted for approximately 12 percent of the total market with
annualized growth in 2004 of just over eight percent (Packaged Facts, 2006). The
activity in this segment is quite fragmented, generally strong, and expected to
continue growing.
Trends in Companion Animal Products and Feeding Practices
There are a number of different factors that motivate consumers to choose
certain foods for their pets. Some are driven by cost, some nutrition, some
performance, and still others by their pets preference. The choices seem to be
almost limitless. Today there are foods for different life-stages (e.g., maintenance,
gestation/lactation, growth; or puppy, kitten, adult, senior), price points (e.g., value,
premium, super premium), formats (e.g., kibbles, soft-moist, wet, raw), and
packaging styles (e.g., can, retortable pouch, stand-up pouch, paper or plastic bag,
re-sealable bag, tray). Pet owners are deciding on foods according to their own
ingredient biases (i.e., natural, wheat-free, hypoallergenic), the breed and size of pet
they own (e.g., toy breed, large breed, Dalmatian, Persian), nuisance factors (e.g.,
hairball, multi-cat), and their pets predisposition to disease (e.g., joint health,
senior, struvite, weight loss, renal disease). Pet foods are also becoming more
humanized (i.e., gourmet, heat and eat, fruits and vegetables) and are tracking
human food trends (e.g., raw, organic, holistic, low-carb). While the number of
brands and market segments seem almost limitless and the differentiation
unstoppable, there are some general principles by which all are judged. These are
palatability, digestive and stool consistency, and the influence of the diet on the
pets general appearance (i.e., skin and coat) and behavior (i.e., vigor).
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With this much variety, finding raw materials with the right mix of name
appeal, nutrition, functional properties, availability, and cost can be a big challenge
for the pet food manufacturer, and this challenge will continue to increase. In many
cases, the ingredient statement is driving the decision-making process. This is
probably best exemplified in the promotion by some pet food companies that their
foods are made with human-grade ingredients. While no definition exists for
such a claim, it is telling about the humanization underway in the pet food market
and the lengths that manufacturers will go to meet the pet owners perception of
quality.
Companion Animal Nutrition
Dog and Cat Nutrition
The dog is not a furry pig or an oversized rat, nor is the cat a small dog.
While some similarities exist among the species, from a purely nutritional
perspective, requirements of the dog and cat take on some unique differences.
While these differences are briefly summarized below, the reader is referred to
recent texts and literature reviews specifically on dog and cat nutrition and digestive
physiology for a more thorough understanding of the topic (Smeets-Peeters et al.,
1998; Case et al., 2000; Morris, 2002; Zoran, 2002; NRC 1985, 1986, and 2006).
The dog, while considered to be an omnivore, tends very closely to the
carnivorous dietary and nutritional inclinations of the cat. The cat is considered to
be an obligate carnivore and has a very substantial requirement for high quality
proteins and meat-predominant amino acids. For example, besides the standard
array of amino acids, dogs and cats have a dietary requirement for arginine. Cats
have an elevated requirement for sulfur amino acids like methionine and a dietary
requirement for the aminosulfone taurine. Interestingly, it has recently been
discovered that some dogs may require dietary taurine as well (Fascetti et al., 2003).
Further, both dog and cat commercial diets are often limiting in tryptophan unless
adequate amounts of meat proteins are provided.
In addition to a requirement for linoleic acid, like the dog and many other
species, cats also require arachadonic acid. More recently it has been observed that
cats and dogs have a conditional requirement for dietary forms of omega-3 fatty
acids such as eicosapentaenoic and (or) docosahexaenoic acids. Cats also have a
requirement for pre-formed vitamin A as they lack the enzyme systems necessary to
cleave -carotene into vitamin A. Ironically, both cats and dogs have been reported
to mount an enhanced immune system response when supplemented with
carotenoids such as -carotene and lutein (Chew and Park, 2004). Cats require
dietary biotin, but dogs do not, and neither have a dietary requirement for inositol or
vitamin C.
Neither the dog nor the cat has a true requirement for dietary
carbohydrates, but both species have a need for metabolic glucose. This need for
metabolic glucose can be met through conversion of amino acids in the
gluconeogenic pathway. The cat, due to its carnivorous make-up, is in an almost
constant state of converting dietary protein to glucose through this pathway.
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Though carbohydrates are not absolutely required, they can be utilized in the diet if
properly cooked, albeit more efficiently by the dog than the cat. Most of the dietary
carbohydrates come from grains and, to a limited degree, tubers. These
carbohydrates are also an essential part of making the kibble. While dogs and cats
do not require fiber, there is growing evidence that adding moderate levels (three to
seven percent) of soluble and (or) fermentable fiber provides benefit to the animals
lower gastrointestinal health, and for the owner this results in more consistent and
less odorous stools.
Besides the standard requirement for macro and trace minerals in the diet,
mineral nutrition can become an issue for dogs, and especially cats, if the animal is
predisposed to renal and (or) urinary tract diseases. Specifically, elimination of
excess dietary minerals by the pet can exacerbate conditions such as renal failure
and urolithiases. For this reason, low ash, low magnesium, and low phosphate diets
have been developed. This area will likely continue to evolve as we better
understand the relationship between excess mineral nutrition and disease etiology.
Beyond meeting nutritional deficiencies, research is active in areas such as
athletic and working dog nutrition, obesity and diabetes, aging, organ failure (e.g.,
renal disease), inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis and dermatitis, and many,
many others. Nutrition research for the canine athlete is an area of growing interest.
Working dogs in occupations such as search and rescue, bomb sniffing, drug
sniffing, guiding, and herding must have nutrition that supports their purpose in
order to perform at optimum efficacy. Sporting dogs such as sled dogs, racing
greyhounds, upland game hunting dogs, and agility dogs have tremendous nutrient
demands at peak activity. This is nutrition well beyond the minimum. From this
research it has been learned that the canine athlete has a tremendous oxidative
capacity and benefits from a diet that includes animal-based proteins and fatty acids
from animal and marine sources (Reynolds, 1996). Besides the benefits to the dog
and (or) cat, a great deal of companion animal nutrition research has been beneficial
to human nutrition and medicine as well.
Required versus Optimal/Needs versus Wants
The nutrient requirements reported in the 1985 National Research Council
Nutrient Requirements of Dogs, the 1986 National Research Council Nutrient
Requirements of Cats, and the recently released 2006 National Research Council
Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, as well as the Association of American
Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) 2006 nutrient profiles for dogs and cats are the
guidelines to meet when formulating diets. Each is published with overages
factored in to account for the wide variability among animals and dietary
ingredients. Further, most pet owners are more concerned with issues of longevity
and health than with saving a fraction of a cent to meet only the minimum. Thus,
pet foods are not formulated to the minimum as is customary in livestock feeds;
rather, most are optimized to some level of nutritional support that meets or
exceeds the pet food companys perceived notion of the best nutrition for the dog
or cat. Vast differences of opinion occur among the companies due to their own
research findings, nutritional philosophies, and investment in a certain franchise
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position. As just one example, there is a great disparity about whether a senior
dog should be fed a low, medium, or high amount of protein. Each company has a
strong opinion backed by internal and external research to support their particular
position, but little consensus has yet been reachedmuch like in human foods
where brands such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and the Atkins Diet compete.
Other Companion Animal Species
Horses, rabbits, ferrets, rodents, birds, and numerous other companion
animal species are fed commercial foods. Aside from horses and rabbits, these are
considered specialty pets. Formulation of diets for these species, if it is fair to lump
them into one category, is mostly driven by convenience and ingredient bias rather
than lowest cost. While cost of production for performance horses and production
rabbits may be a cost of production issue, for those animals considered to be pets it
is not as much of an issue. Horse and rabbit feeds are primarily vegetative in nature
(i.e. a grain, protein, fat, mineral, and vitamin mix intended to complement a forage
diet). The ferret is an exception in this group. Nutritionally it is very much like the
cat and has a very high requirement for quality proteins and little to no fiber. Thus,
rendered ingredients play a prominent part of its diet. Numerous pocket pets or
rodents (e.g., rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters, and guinea pigs) are found in homes
today and their commercial foods are most often based on grains and vegetable
proteins. Formula considerations for these pets are most often based on nutrient
recommendations for laboratory research animals. Only a limited amount of
rendered ingredients are used in these rodent diets. Exotic and pet birds, such as the
macaw, parrot, finch, etc., are often offered commercial foods. They have nutrient
requirements much like those of domesticated fowl (i.e., chicken and turkey),
without the need for cost efficiency. The issue, like that for dogs and cats, is on
longevity and health. The diet must be visually appealing to the owner and the bird
and be nutritionally sound. Pigments (e.g., xanthophylls) are often added to
maintain the plumage coloration. Rendered ingredients are not typically part of the
ingredient mix for these birds.
General Degree of Research
Compared to funding for livestock or human nutrition research, dog and
cat nutrition is a secondary consideration at best. For the most part, there is no
direct governmental funding for companion animal nutrition research. Most of the
research has been funded either by pet food companies, ingredient suppliers, or
special interest groups such as breed associations and foundations. Indirectly,
funding has been provided through interest in using the dog and (or) cat as a
research model for human nutrition. This has proven beneficial in a limited number
of cases. Activist groups have had a negative influence on the level of bureaucracy
necessary to initiate research and thus funding for companion animal research has
diminished. This has not occurred as a result of financial inability, but rather the
fear of reprisal from radical groups and how they may distract from public
relations and advertising campaigns of todays multi-conglomerate pet food
companies. The offset to this has been a general increase in funding from
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ingredient suppliers and trade groups. While substantial progress has been made in
the past several years, there continues to be a need for fundamental research
regarding ingredient composition, nutrient availability, and the effects on the two
when combined in a processed pet food (Fahey, 2004).
Pet Food Production and Processes
To talk about pet foods without a brief discussion of the processes by
which they are made would only give a fraction of the picture regarding pet foods
and nutrition. Today, many pet foods are processed not just for the nutrition of the
pet, but for their convenience to the pet owner as well. This convenience is the
culmination of several factors: (1) foods that are nutritionally balanced by experts
for pet owners who may or may not have the knowledge of dog/cat nutrition
themselves, (2) foods in a form and format that is easy to use, (3) foods that are
virtually waste-free, and (4) foods that minimize the hassles of storage, spoilage,
infestation, etc. In many respects, the popularity of modern pet ownership is the
product of very successful, wholesome, and convenient commercial pet foods.
There are three basic formats in pet foods and treats: baked, wet canned
(including retort packed), and extruded. Except for foods fed to small and exotic
pets and companion horses, little to no pelleted or granular meal commercial pet
foods are sold. Some of the first pet foods sold commercially (ca. 1860) were
produced by a baking process similar to that still used for cracker and biscuit
production today (Corbin, 2003). The process involves mixing stiff dough that is
based primarily on wheat flour. The dough is pressed into shape on a rotary
mold. The molded pieces are conveyed through a long tunnel-oven on a chain belt
and cooked by direct application of heat. The resulting product at the end of baking
is a dry (hot) brittle biscuit, pellet, or wafer. Producing a product that will hold its
shape depends on a high amount of grain flour like wheat, which contains gluten
protein. The gluten protein acts as the glue that holds the shape of the piece and
helps it resist breaking. Through the cooking process, the piece does not expand,
but some texture is created by the cross-linking of proteins. The process, relative to
other standard pet food production methods, is slow and costly. To the positive,
baking does create baked flavors that most dogs appreciate; but, generally speaking,
baking does not produce cat-friendly foods. The process can use either fresh/frozen
meats or meat protein meals and (or) vegetable protein meals as the protein source.
Canned meats and fish were the route by which several of todays
prominent pet food companies got their start. The first canned pet foods were
introduced in the 1920s and have been a prominent part of the industry ever since.
Hermetically sealed retorted pet food in a can, pouch, or tray provides a convenient,
easy to serve, appetizing meal and (or) treat to many dogs and cats, though the term
canned is not used much currently in marketing. Detractors cite the cost penalty
of purchasing high amounts of water, the potential for spoilage, and dental build-up
as negatives. Conversely, canned foods are commonly recommended as part of a
urolithiasis (urinary tract obstruction) treatment regime in cats in order to get them
to consume more water. Canned pet foods rely on fresh/frozen meats and limited
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amounts of grains. Small amounts of animal fats are used, but only under special
circumstances are rendered meals employed.
In the mid 1950s, the first extruded pet foods were produced. This was a
technological breakthrough for the pet foods of that day which were loose granular
meals of inconsistent quality and nutritional content. The extrusion process
allowed for the forming of a textured piece that was readily accepted by the dog and
simultaneously held the nutrients together so that the full complement of intended
nutrients was provided in each bite. It also provided cooking (gelatinization) of the
starch in the grains (Riaz, 2003), which improved digestibility and decreased the
intermittent diarrhea and flatulence associated with undigested starch in the lower
bowel. In addition, the process served to sterilize ingredients that might otherwise
be heavily inoculated with pathogenic bacteria. The drawback was the effect that
the additional cooking had on proteins, vitamins, and other heat-labile nutrients,
especially ingredients like rendered protein meals that had already been heat
processed once (Murray et al., 1998). Additionally, these previously heat-processed
ingredients lost most of their functional properties and did not contribute to the
expansion of the piece upon exit from the extruder. To compensate, specialized
starches, vegetable proteins, and (or) spray-dried proteins may be added to achieve
the form, texture, and density desired. The other negatives have been resolved by
corrective formulation, special protection technologies (e.g., encapsulation),
selection of specialized ingredients that resist the effects of extrusion processing
(e.g., phosphorylated vitamin C), and more refined processing controls. Rendered
protein meals often account for a majority of the protein used in extruded pet foods,
whereas fats, oils, flavors, and other heat-labile ingredients may be surface applied
post-extrusion and drying.
Most extruded pet foods are sold at a moisture content of less than 12
percent; however, there is a significant market for higher moisture products (20 to
28 percent moisture). These soft-moist and (or) semi-moist foods are cooked as a
dough prior to extrusion and simply formed by the extruder. They are not dried to
control microbial growth, but rather, fungal growth is controlled by managing water
activity with humectants and mold-inhibitory preservatives (Rokey, 2003).
Humectants like dextrose, propylene glycol, glycerin, and emulsifiers (e.g., lecithin)
tie-up water preventing its use by mold spores. Organic acid preservatives like
potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, benzoate, and others have been shown to be very
safe and inhibit mold growth at very low doses. In addition to fresh/frozen meats,
rendered meals and animal fats play a prominent part of these intermediate moisture
products.
Utilization of Rendered Ingredients in Pet Foods
Market, Volume, and Trends
No easily obtainable figures are available to provide specifics on the
amount of rendered products used in pet foods. However, through some estimates
and assumptions it may be possible to determine a reasonable volume. If one were
to assume the average cost per pound for all pet food sold was $0.60/lb, then based
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on total sales of pet food ($14.5 billion in 2005), the total tons produced each year
would be in the neighborhood of 12 million. If rendered ingredients were 20
percent of these 12 million tons across all products (protein meals, fats, other), then
the pet food industry would consume around 2.4 million tons per year. This
represents roughly 25 percent of the total U.S. production of rendered materials
during the same period (Swisher, 2005). This indicates substantial reliance and
connectedness between the pet food industry and the rendering industry. This
dependence for the pet food industry is for a vital supply of animal-based proteins
and fats to meet the demands of their customers; for the rendering industry, it is an
important outlet for their products with a tremendous value-added upside.
Increasing the understanding of opportunities and limitations between the two
industries will provide increased value to both, with the pet owner and their pets as
the ultimate winners.
Protein Meals
Pet food companies write very specific purchasing requirements for their
ingredients, including rendered products. AAFCO definitions are the starting
place for these specifications.
Meat and Bone Meal and Meat Meal: Meat and bone meal has been a
staple protein in pet foods and is still used by a great many today. However, its
popularity has declined in recent years due to several issues. Probably the biggest
issue is that meat and bone meal is no longer considered label friendly. What this
means, specifically, is that the nomenclature is too generic for todays discerning
consumer. Consumers have been taught to distrust something simply called meat.
A strictly beef or strictly pork meat and bone meal would likely be more acceptable
to consumers, but these were not commonly available until recently. These meals
are now often available for a higher price and are widely used in pet food. Adding
to the challenges are its association with livestock feed rather than human food,
recurring issues with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), inspections and
record keeping for all ruminant meats, and concerns with disease outbreaks such as
foot and mouth disease. These issues continue to place downward pressure on the
popularity of meat and bone meal.
Nutritionally, meat and bone meal remains a good source of animal-based
protein with a fairly consistent protein level of 50 percent (Parsons et al., 1997;
Pearl, 2004). This is an adequate level for traditional pet food diets with protein
levels between 18 percent and 26 percent. Like many other animal-based proteins,
methionine, cystine, and the total sulfur amino acids are likely the first to become
limiting. Fat composition ranges from 10 percent to as high as 25 percent,
depending upon supplier. The fatty acid profile can vary some and resembles the
composition of the animal from which the meal originates, e.g., beef fatty acids are
proportionally more saturated than pork fatty acids. Incidentally, one will often find
measurable quantities of omega-3 fatty acids in meat and bone meal of ruminant
origin. Due to the more saturated nature of the fatty acids in meat and bone meal it
is inherently more resistant to oxidation than many of the other rendered meat
meals. The higher level of ash (around 25 percent) in meat and bone meal can be a
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challenge to formulate with versus some other protein meals. The AAFCO
specifications indirectly restrict ash by setting limits on calcium and phosphorus
levels and their ratio. Typical levels of calcium and phosphorus in meat and bone
meal are 7.5 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively, and they are readily available.
However, this level of minerals becomes problematic when formulating higher
protein (greater than 30 percent) and low ash foods like those for cats.
Increasing levels of ash in meat and bone meal have not been shown to
lower protein digestibility (Johnson et al., 1998; Shirley and Parsons, 2001).
However, this may not be directly due to the effect of ash on digestibility (Johnson
and Parsons, 1997), but rather due to the amount and quality of connective tissue
present. Low quality collagen affects protein quality where a lower proportion of
essential amino acids and a higher proportion of nonessential amino acids such as
hydroxyproline (Eastoe and Long, 1960) may be to blame for lower digestibility.
The requirement (AAFCO) for pepsin indigestible residue of less than 12 percent
partially serves to control this. Processing systems and excessive temperatures have
also been shown to negatively affect the amino acid digestibility of meat and bone
meal (Wang and Parsons, 1998; Batterham et al., 1986). But on the whole, the
digestibility of meat and bone meal for companion animals is comparable to that of
lamb meal and poultry by-product meal (Johnson et al., 1998). In dog and cat diets,
meat and bone meal has not been reported to negatively affect the intestinal flora,
stool consistency, or stool volume. However, beef is often blamed for food
hypersensitivities so meat and bone meal is one of the first ingredients removed in
an elimination diet regimen. Regardless of this special circumstance, the
palatability, acceptability, and utilization of meat and bone meal-containing diets by
both dogs and cats are quite good.
Lamb Meal: Lamb meal has been a popular ingredient in dog and cat diets
for the better part of the last 15 years. Initially it was considered a novel ingredient
in diets for animals with food-related allergies (hypersensitivity). Lamb meal and
rice diets were some of the fastest growing products offered in the pet food aisle
to the point that lamb meal supply was outstripped by the demand. Lamb meal
analogs made of other protein meals were rumored to have entered the market, but
tight controls due to BSE and scrapie issues and new DNA typing technology
(Krcmar and Rencova, 2003) have all but made this an issue of the past.
Some domestic lamb meal is available; however, much of the lamb meal
used in pet foods is derived from the lamb meat industry in Australia and New
Zealand. Most of this lamb meal is rendered in a low temperature rendering
process. Theoretically, the quality of the meal may be better because heat damage
to the proteins is minimized. However, data to support or refute this hypothesis are
lacking. Lamb meal is a species-specific category of meat meal, but, very little data
are available in the public domain on the ingredient itself. Analytically, lamb meal
mirrors the nutrient composition of meat (and bone) meal. Likewise, the protein
quality of lamb meal is reported to be roughly comparable to meat and bone meal
and about 75 percent of chicken by-product meal (Johnson and Parsons, 1997;
Johnson et al., 1998). In the study by Johnson et al. (1998), ileal digestibility of the
essential amino acids lysine and threonine and the nonessential sulfur amino acid
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cystine were quite low in the lamb meal-containing diets. This may be due to
contamination of the lamb meal with high levels of wool. Wool is high in sulfur
amino acids like cystine, but its nutritional availability is low. This poor availability
of cystine, a taurine precursor, may explain the taurine-associated dilated
cardiomyopathy in certain breeds of dogs fed an otherwise nutritionally complete
diet based on lamb meal and rice (Fascetti et al., 2003).
Effects of lamb meal in dog or cat diets on palatability, shelf-life, or
appearance are lacking in the literature. Anecdotally, lamb meal is not considered
to be the most palatable of the meat meals due to the mutton-fat aroma. Cats
prefer other meat meals over lamb meal. Concerns about rancidity and short shelflife of lamb meal products may result from the long journey that it takes from
down under and (or) prooxidants inherent to rendered lamb. In addition, high
levels of lamb meal in a product can lead to a gray color. If the meal contains
appreciable levels of contamination from wool, complaints about hairs may be
heard from customers, especially in baked products like biscuits and treats.
Poultry (By-product) Protein Meals: Poultry protein meals are a popular,
high quality protein source used in pet food. The pet food industry consumes an
estimated 23 percent of the rendered poultry proteins produced each year (Pearl,
2003). However, the ability to make one homogenous statement about this
ingredient ends there. Due to some inconsistent rules regarding ingredient
nomenclature, an evolving pet food customer base, and pressures within the poultry
industry, a series of names and classifications of poultry protein meals has emerged.
To start, the rendered poultry proteins are defined by AAFCO differently than the
meat meals. This has created some controversy in the pet food industry and resulted
in a whole layer of confusion and misdirection for the consumer. By definition,
poultry by-product meal (Section 9.10) differs from poultry meal (Section 9.71)
only by the inclusion of heads, feet, and entrails (AAFCO, 2006). Further, they
can be labeled specific to their kind and many renderers have accommodated.
Thus, there are numerous products available in the market under this umbrella:
poultry by-product meal, chicken by-product meal, chicken meal, turkey by-product
meal, and turkey meal. No duck or goose meal is known to have been developed as
of this writing. Adding to this confusion, there are several different grades of
rendered poultry products available. Feed grade poultry by-product meal is
seldom used in pet food because it contains a higher level of ash and lower protein
content. Standard pet food grade poultry by-product meal contains less than 14
percent ash and low-ash poultry meal and (or) poultry by-product meal contains less
than 11 percent ash. The latter is available in limited quantities at a premium price
and typically reserved for low-ash cat formulas. One further split has been the
request by certain customers for poultry protein meals that are preserved against
oxidation by natural compounds (natural antioxidant systems) rather than the
traditional synthetic antioxidants.
Among these various names, grades, and inferences regarding quality or
lack thereof, there is very little in the way of direct comparisons between meal
and by-product meal available in the literature. Of studies that are available, the
results are mixed. For example, Bednar et al. (2000) reported that protein
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digestibility was better for poultry meal than for poultry by-product meal.
However, protein quality of pet food grade chicken meal did not differ from chicken
by-product meal in a chick assay (Aldrich and Daristotle, 1998). From this report,
data on individual chicken pieces indicated that the protein quality of feet, bone, and
cartilage was poorer than other parts utilized in rendered poultry by-product meal.
This appears to be independent of ash level (Johnson et al., 1998; Johnson and
Parsons, 1997; Yamka et al., 2003) and would indicate that regardless of whether or
not the by-product qualifier was present or not, the amount of cartilage and
connective tissue had a bigger impact on the quality of the protein. Adding to this,
the more extensively the protein meal is processed in rendering, the further the
quality can be eroded (Wang, 1997). To make matters worse, there is substantial
variation in the nutrient composition of poultry protein meals (Locatelli and
Hoehler, 2003). Controlling this variation becomes something that the pet food
company must actively manage to assure a consistent finished product. Most
manage this by establishing strong relationships with select suppliers.
In general, poultry protein meals are well utilized by dogs and cats and
make up the biggest share of proteins in many of the premium pet foods. The fatty
acid profile complements dog and cat nutrient requirements very well.
Additionally, they contain an enriched level of the essential linoleic acid.
Palatability of poultry protein meals is very good in both dogs and cats and in many
instances serves as the standard by which other ingredients are measured.
Turkey (By-product) Protein Meals: Turkey protein meal-containing pet
foods are becoming more popular, thus the ingredient warrants a separate
description. However, nutritional information on rendered turkey is not easily
obtained nor is the ingredient constantly available. Most of the turkey to be
rendered is lumped in with chicken then processed and labeled as poultry (byproduct) meal. There are only a few companies that produce or trade turkey protein
meals. Turkey protein meals are a slightly darker golden brown color with a
richer aroma when compared to chicken protein meals.
The nutrient composition of turkey protein meal is usually considered to be
somewhat better than meat and bone meal, which has allowed some pet food
companies to use turkey protein meal as a modest upgrade to meat and bone meal as
a leading protein source. The nutrient profile of turkey meal is slightly less
favorable than that of pet food grade chicken protein meal. For example, turkey
protein meal ranges from 62 to 65 percent protein and ash level ranges from 18 to
25 percent, whereas, pet food grade chicken protein meal typically exceeds 65
percent protein with less than 17 percent ash. This may be due to the more efficient
removal of meat and other soft materials for the human edible and (or) hot dog
markets, i.e. 78 percent of turkey ends up in the grocery meat case versus 72 percent
of chicken. Thus, the raw material finding its way to rendering is, in general, lower
in protein and fat and higher in bone (i.e., ash). The amino acid and fatty acid
profile of turkey meal is very similar to that of chicken meal. Contrary to
conventional wisdom, the tryptophan level in turkey meal is not greater than that
found in chicken meal so it may not have a sleep inducing or calming effect as is so
often rumored. No direct feeding tests of turkey meal to dogs or cats are available
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in the literature. However, in vitro digestibility and amino acid profiles are similar
enough to chicken by-product meal to suggest that turkey meal nutritional
utilization would be similar. Palatability, acceptability, utilization, and stool quality
of turkey protein meal-containing diets is very good when fed to either cats or dogs.
However, the ingredient does not appear to have any unique nutritional features
from that of chicken or poultry protein meals aside from its name in marketing
campaigns.
Fish Meal: Fish meal is an increasingly common ingredient in pet foods.
While there are a few exclusionary diets in which fish meal is the feature protein
ingredient, by and large, fish meal is added only secondarily as a protein source.
Fish meal, relative to most other protein meals, has a high level of protein with a
correspondingly high protein digestibility. Typical fish meals contain upwards of
19 percent ash which can be problematic for cat, puppy, large breed, or therapeutic
diets. Besides being a source of high quality protein, fish meal also contains about
eight to 12 percent fat which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids including
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n3) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA; 22:6n3).
Thus, in most diets its primary purpose is to serve as a vehicle to deliver fatty acids.
There are indications that these longer chain omega-3s may be needed. While the
more direct method for the inclusion of these fatty acids would be through fish oils,
the use of fish meal serves an additional purpose. Stabilizing the more highly
unsaturated oils, like fish oil, can be quite difficult, especially when surface applied
to pet foods. However, for reasons not fully understood, the volatile omega-3 fatty
acids found in fish meal seem to be easier to stabilize in a pet food application than
those in the surface applied oil. This is doubly true for those companies attempting
to utilize marine oils simultaneous to claiming to be naturally preserved. For
insurance and to comply with maritime laws, antioxidant preservatives may be used
when the situation warrants.
The predominant fish meals available and used by the pet food industry in
the United States are Gulf and Atlantic menhaden meals, capelin and herring meals
from the North Atlantic, and mackerel meal from Chile. Freshwater fish meals,
such as catfish from the Mississippi delta region, are also found in some pet foods.
There can be substantial compositional differences in the fatty acid profile, stability,
and ash levels among the many fish species (Palstinen et al., 1985; Pike and Miller,
2000). Further, the different fish meals are not necessarily interchangeable as they
can dramatically affect palatability. The cat seems to be more sensitive than the dog
to changes in the origin of the meal. There are very little data in the literature on the
nutrient utilization of fish meal by dogs and cats. This is one case where utilizing
nutrient availability data from aquaculture and swine is probably appropriate and
applicable. Results from these species would suggest that fish meal is a very high
quality protein source for cats and dogs with few negatives aside from
compositional considerations like ash and stability.
Fats and Oils
In the diet, fat provides a concentrated source of energy, essential fatty
acids, a route for fat soluble vitamin absorption, texture, aroma, and flavor. Fat, in
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and of itself, will increase the palatability of a diet up to a certain point in cats, and
without limit in dogs. Addition of fat to the diet to meet label guarantees will often
reach 10 percent of the formula. While energy and essential fatty acids are a
concern nutritionally, maintaining food stability is a primary issue. Dietary
oxidized fat has been associated with lower metabolizable energy values (Pesti,
2002), slower puppy growth, suppressed immunity, and lower dietary and serum
linoleic acid concentrations (Turek et al., 2003). Choosing the right fat source and
method to retain freshness are important.
Tallow: Tallow was one of the original fats applied to early commercial pet
foods and there are several companies that still use it today. Most of the animal fat
sold as tallow comes from federally inspected animals and facilities and has
regulated quality and composition, something many other fats and oils cannot claim.
Although other animal fats can be found in tallow, it is, practically speaking,
derived from beef because it is a dominant meat in North America and Europe.
Because of the saturated nature of the fatty acids (i.e., saturated fats are solid at
higher temperatures) in fat from beef animals, it most often meets the definition of
tallowa titer of 40, or a melting point of 40C.
For many, the harder fats like tallow carry a poor nutritional connotation
due to the negative association of saturated fats with transport lipoproteins,
cholesterol, and coronary heart disease. This is really a human nutritional issue as
coronary heart disease is not a prevalent health concern for dogs or cats. Dogs and
cats are considered to be HDL species meaning they have a preponderance of the
good HDL in their circulation. The fatty acids in beef tallow are about 50 percent
saturated, with a small amount of linoleic acid (LA; 3.0 percent) and linolenic acid
(ALA; 0.6 percent) and none of the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA or
DHA). Mutton tallow has a similar level of saturation (47 percent), but with a
slightly higher level of LA (5.5 percent) and ALA (2.3 percent). Since beef tallow
is considered a saturated fat and is a common fat source encountered by dogs and
cats, it often serves as the baseline or control treatment in fatty acid research.
Tallow digestibility is high (i.e., apparent fat digestibility of 97 percent or
better) and comparable to other fat sources like chicken fat and lard. Among the
different fat sources, beef tallow is well known for being one of the more palatable.
Mutton or lamb tallow is not quite as palatable, possibly due to the aroma. Animal
fat from tallow has even been shown to benefit olfactory acuity scores (Altom et
al., 2003), which may translate to beneficial effects during hunting. Tallow is also
considered to be more shelf-stable than less saturated fats and requires less
antioxidant addition to achieve shelf-life goals. Tallow also contains a small level
of conjugated linoleic acid that is now showing promise as a potent natural element
in the fight against cancer. Tallow is a good platform to provide energy and
flavor, but a balanced diet may require a complementary oil enriched with linoleic
acid and (or) omega-3 fatty acids.
Lard/Choice White Grease: Lard and choice white grease are also common
animal fats used in pet foods. They are derived primarily from pork and are most
often labeled generically as animal fat. Like tallow, most of the lard used in pet
food comes from federally inspected facilities and a portion of the available supply
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is human edible. Thus, pet food companies may partially compete in the human
edible market for this ingredient. Due to its abundance, the cost is not typically
beyond that of other fat sources.
The proportion of essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid can range
between 3 percent and 16 percent (Firestone, 1999). To some degree, this can be
influenced by the diets the pigs were fed prior to slaughter. Lard is relatively easy
to stabilize due to a preponderance of palmitic and oleic acids. Lard and choice
white grease are semi-solid to viscous liquid at room temperature. It can solidify
during colder weather so transportation and handling can be an issue. Further, it
must be coated on foods when they are hot in order to get adequate penetration.
Digestibility of lard is high and comparable to other fats. Palatability is good in
both cats and dogs.
Poultry Fat: Poultry and, more specifically chicken fat, has become a very
popular fat source in pet foods. Poultry fat use in pet foods is probably more than
10 percent to 20 percent of the 888 million pounds of poultry fat that was produced
in 2003 (U.S. Census Bureau).
There are several different sources by which poultry fat is obtained:
rendered, rendered-refined, and low-temperature blanched. They differ with regard
to quality, consistency, and cost, and they may differ ever so slightly in minor
nutrients (e.g., carotenoids), palatability, and stability. Stabilizing chicken fat in
bulk storage is not a big challenge; however, when added to pet food, stability can
become an issue. The potency of preservative application must consider the food
and its handling and packaging. Further, the condition of the fat at the time
preservatives are added is critical, i.e., the lower the moisture content, peroxide
value, free fatty acid level, and impurities, the better. The trade-off is cost,
availability, flavor, and aroma.
Chicken fat is a good source of the essential linoleic acid (19.5 percent;
USDA-ARS, 2006) and about double that of lard. Chicken fat fits very well in dog
and cat diets because it is well accepted by both, having a flavor that is preferred
over many other fats. Chicken fat is comparable to other fat sources such as tallow
or pork fat in digestibility and overall contribution of metabolizable energy to the
diet.
Fish Oil: The majority of omega-3 fatty acid research in dogs and cats was
conducted with the longer chain omega-3s from fish oil (e.g., EPA and DHA).
These oils are derived primarily from pelagic fish like menhaden, anchovy, herring,
and mackerel. This family of fish is typically found in the lower-latitude temperate
to sub-tropical coastlines. They are known to have a strong oily taste and aroma not
appreciated by most people; but while this doesnt appear to be a big problem for
dogs, some cats may show a preference for one fish oil over another. Most fish oils
are added to the surface of the pet food post-extrusion and drying. The application
of fish oil to meet the desired omega-3 fatty acid level is typically less than one to
two percent of the formula. This small amount can be challenging to accurately
meter without properly designed equipment. Surface application can also lead to
palatability concerns.
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The fatty acid profile of the different fish oils can vary substantially. Most
of the fish oil used in the pet food industry is cold pressed and (or) refined. While
the more processed oils add to the cost, the trade-off is improved handling, animal
acceptability, and shelf life. Stabilizing bulk fish oil against oxidation requires very
little to no preservative; the same goes for oil in canned pet foods. However,
application onto the surface of a dry extruded kibble can become an oxidation issue.
The most effective antioxidant preservative is ethoxyquin; however, natural
antioxidant systems based on tocopherols can be effective.
Once ingested, the utilization of fish oil is similar to other fat sources. The
omega-3 fatty acids appear in the circulation within hours of ingestion and pass
along their benefits for weeks.
Other Rendered Ingredients
There have been numerous attempts to bring spent hen meal into pet food.
However, no label friendly name has been developed. Until a suitable approach
can be found, it is unlikely that a rendered spent hen meal will be used. Feather
meal, while rich in desirable amino acids like methionine and cystine, is seldom, if
ever, found in pet foods. This is likely due to issues with labeling and translation to
the pet owner. Further, digestibility and utilization of the sulfur amino acids is not
adequate to justify its use. Recent research would indicate that while blood meal is
a good protein source, from a protein quality perspective, there are issues with its
palatability in dogs (Dust et al., 2005). This may limit its use for anything other
than a very specialized application like enteral or parenteral prescription diets. Joint
cartilage and bone typically represent materials that are not desirable due to the high
degree of connective tissue and low level of essential amino acids. However, there
are a couple of applications in the pet food industry that may benefit from these
fractions. Specifically, there has been an effort to introduce more natural sources
of chondroprotectives like glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate into the diet. These
have been traditionally sourced from China as extracts from bovine trachea
(chondroitin sulfate) and crustacean shells (glucosamine). Naturally occurring and
measurable levels can be found in bone cartilage and has been marketed by at least
one company. Additionally, there is a move, albeit small, to develop foods which
rely upon more holistic ingredientsfor this purpose steamed bone meal provides
calcium, phosphorus, and a host of other trace minerals.
There are likely more opportunities to extract specific nutrients from
rendered materials. The dependence will be upon the creativity of the product
developers and the economic incentives these opportunities present.

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Academy Press, Washington DC.
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Palstinen, T., K. Punnonen, and P. Uotila. 1985. he fatty acid composition of 12 NorthEuropean fish species. Acta. Med. Scand. 218:59-62.
Parsons, C.M., F. Castanon, and Y. Han. 1997. Protein and amino acid quality of meat and
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Pesti, G.M., R.I. Bakalli, M. Qiao, and K.G. Sterling. 2002. A comparison of eight grades of
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Essential RenderingPet NutritionAldrich

Pike, I.H., and E.L. Miller. 2000. Fish Advantages: Fish meal and oil as a source of omega3 fatty acids in petfood. Petfood Industry, October. pp. 18-22.
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History of National Renderers Association from Early 1980s.

RENDERED PRODUCTS IN FISH AQUACULTURE FEEDS

Dominique P. Bureau, Ph.D.
Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory
Department of Animal and Poultry Science
University of Guelph
Summary
Aquaculture is an extremely diverse industry expanding rapidly. An ever
growing segment of this industry utilizes high quality, but expensive, compounded
feeds. Most fish culture operations are confronted with the challenges of improving
their profitability and economical sustainability. Studies have also clearly shown
that fish feeds can be formulated with very low levels of fish meal and fish oil
through the use of more economical protein and lipid sources.
Rendered animal proteins and fats have been used in aquaculture feeds for
several decades. Early research studies had suggested that rendered animal proteins
and lipids were of relatively poor quality and poorly digestible to fish. However,
the large number of studies published in recent years has shown that rendered
animal by-products available today are of much higher quality than those produced
20 or 30 years ago. Most rendered products are a cost-effective source of digestible
protein and digestible energy, bio-available essential amino acids, fatty acids, and
minerals for most aquaculture species. Rendered proteins and fats are especially
valuable for the formulation of aquaculture feeds since these feeds are formulated
with much higher protein and lipid levels than feeds for other livestock species.
Feeds formulated with high levels of rendered proteins, alone or in combination,
support high performance and excellent feed conversion ratio. Studies have shown
that blood meal is an excellent source of highly bio-available lysine which compares
advantageously with synthetic lysine. Significant amount of rendered fats (tallow,
lard, poultry fat) can also be used in fish feeds provided the feed is formulated to
contain sufficient amounts of mono or polyunsaturated fatty acids to promote the
digestibility of saturated fatty acids, and contain adequate levels of essential fatty
acids to meet the requirement of the animals.
The Aquaculture Industry
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the
world. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated the total
production of cultured finfish, shellfish, and aquatic plants at 51 million metric tons
(112 billion pounds) valued at $60 billion in 2003. Asia accounted for more than 80
percent of the world production. China, the leading producer, contributed for more
than 50 percent of world production. Today, about one-third of the fish consumed
by humans is the product of aquaculture and this proportion is growing yearly.
Products of aquaculture, such as shrimp, salmon, trout, catfish, tilapia, mussels, and
oysters are nowadays main stream products in North American supermarkets.

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

Aquaculture is an extremely diverse industry, both in terms of species

cultivated and production systems used. It is estimated that more than 200 species
of fish, crustaceans, and molluscs are cultivated around the world. The bulk of
world production, especially in Asia, consists of lower value species (carp, milkfish,
catfish, and mullet) produced semi-intensively. In this type of production system,
growth is based on food items naturally present in the rearing environment (pond).
The production of natural food is generally stimulated through fertilization (fodders,
manure, inorganic fertilizer), and low value supplemental feeds (such as, grain byproducts, oilseed cakes, tubers, poultry offals, and kitchen wastes) are also used to
improve fish production. The aquaculture industry is, nonetheless, in rapid
evolution and the production of fish and other aquatic animals is done using
increasingly intensive practices (higher stocking densities, lower contribution of
natural food items to nutrition of the cultivated organisms). Very substantial
increases in the use of formulated feeds have been observed over the past three
decades, both as a result of and the progressive intensification of the culture of
lower value species and the increasingly widespread culture of higher value fish
species (such as, shrimp, eel, sea bass, sea bream, grouper, croaker, salmon, and
turtle).
Formulated Aquaculture Feeds
It is estimated that the use of compound feeds in aquaculture is close to 20
million tons (Tacon, 2004). Aquaculture feeds are generally significantly more
costly than feeds for other livestock species. Typical cost of aquaculture feeds
varies from $300 to $1,500 per metric ton. Aquaculture feeds are also characterized
by the widely ranging nutritional composition to which they are formulated. The
protein, lipid, and starch contents of feeds vary very significantly, not only as a
function of species and life stages for which they are formulated (trout versus tilapia
versus shrimp feed, larval versus starter versus grower feed), but also as a function
of a myriad of other factors such as production and environmental constraints,
market or manufacturers preference, and economic climate (such as, fish price and
access to financing). The composition of feeds used for some species has also
dramatically changed over the past two or three decades. The most striking
example of this is the dramatic increase in the fat content of feeds used for Atlantic
salmon production over the past 30 years. Atlantic salmon feeds were routinely
formulated to eight to 10 percent lipids in the 1970s and are currently formulated to
contain 35 to 40 percent lipids.
Part of the high cost of formulated aquaculture feeds is due to the fact that
the feeds are, in general, of high nutrient density and manufactured using costly
processes (extrusion, steam-pelleting). Their high cost is also largely attributable to
the use of high levels of expensive ingredients (fish meal, fish oil, pigments, krill,
squid meal, cholesterol, and lecithin.). Fish meal and fish oil are still considered
key ingredients in the formulation of feeds for aquaculture species. Fish meal and
fish oil, combined, currently account for 30 to 80 percent of the weight of most of
the salmon, trout, marine fish, and shrimp feeds sold worldwide. Most fish culture
180

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

operations are confronted with the challenges of improving their profitability and
economical sustainability. Studies have also clearly shown that fish feeds can be
formulated with very low levels of fish meal and fish oil through the use of more
economical protein and lipid sources.
Progressive fish feeds are formulated to contain lower levels of fishery byproducts, and higher levels of more economical agricultural commodities.
However, most economical protein and lipid sources (soybean meal, corn gluten
meal, canola meal, meat and bone meal, feather meal, and animal fats) have been
shown to have significant limitations and these cannot be used at extremely high
levels in the diet of most fish species. Formulating successful cost-effective feeds,
relying less on fish meal and fish oil, requires access to a variety of economical
ingredients. It also requires an understanding of the nutrient requirement of the
animal but also several other, less well-defined, factors (tolerance to anti-nutritional
factors, interactions between nutrients, and palatability of the finished feed).
Rendered Products
Terrestrial animal products have been used in aquaculture feeds for several
decades. From the 1930s to the mid-1970s, salmon and trout species raised in
hatcheries in the United States and Canada were mainly fed with semi-moist meat
meal mixtures that were made of slaughter house by-products (beef, pork, or horse
liver and spleen), fresh or frozen fishery products, and dry meals (mix of
cottonseed meal, soybean meal, skim milk, wheat, salt, vitamin and mineral
premixes). The first nutritionally complete dry fish feeds were developed in the
1960s and rendered proteins and fats have found wide use in dry fish feeds from
their inception.
The use of rendered animal proteins was limited in the 1970s and 1980s
because a small number of studies indicated that some of these ingredients had poor
digestibility for fish or were of highly variable quality (e.g., Cho and Slinger, 1979;
Cho et al., 1982; NRC, 1993). Studies conducted more recently have shown these
quality issues are a problem of the past (Bureau et al., 1999; Bureau et al., 2000,
2002). Ingredients produced today appear to be of much higher quality than those
produced 20 to 30 years ago. More than 200 studies on the nutritive value of
rendered animal proteins for aquaculture species have been published in the
scientific literature over the past three decades. The results from a large majority of
these studies suggest that rendered products are cost-effective sources of highly
available amino acids, fatty acids, and several other nutrients.
Rendered proteins and fats are economical commodities that are very
valuable for the formulation of cost-effective aquaculture feeds. Their high protein
and lipid content make them especially well-suited for use in the high protein and
lipid aquaculture feeds. These ingredients are also effective sources of several key
nutrients (lysine, sulphur amino acids, histidine, arginine, and phosphorus) and they
complement very well certain plant protein ingredients (e.g., corn gluten meal and
soybean meal). In addition, most animal by-products are highly palatable to most
fish species. Rendered animal proteins and fats are key components of cost181

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

effective aquaculture feeds in many countries, including the United States and
Canada. Table 1 presents an example of the composition of rainbow trout feed used
in North America.
Protypical perceived food safety issues (the main one being bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)) are currently the main road block hindering the
use of all rendered products in aquaculture feeds. This is largely due to the fact that
Europe is a significant export market for several aquaculture products (shrimp,
salmon, sea bass, and sea bream). European Union requirements or guidelines have
profound influence on feed manufacturing practices, even in countries where the
European Union is only a minor export market. Despite this conjecture, rendered
animal proteins and fats, such as poultry by-product meal, feather meal, blood meal,
and poultry fat have, for example, found widespread use in very high quality fish
feeds used in salmon and trout production in Canada, the United States, and Chile.
In many countries, ingredients of avian origins are subject to less significant import
and export restrictions, and, consequently, are more widely used. Mixed species or
ruminant by-products have also been shown to be of high nutritive value but their
use is generally more limited. However, significant growth in some markets can be
foreseen.
Table 1. Composition of a Prototypical Rainbow Trout Feed.
Ingredients

Percent

Fish meal

25

Corn gluten meal

12

Poultry by-product meal

12

Soybean meal

Blood meal, spray-dried

Feather meal

Wheat

12

Vitamins and minerals

Dicalcium phosphate

DL-Methionine

0.5

Lysine HCL

0.5

Fish oil

17

Total

100

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Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

Nutritive Value of Rendered Animal Protein Ingredients in Fish Feeds

Digestibility of Animal Proteins
A relatively large number of studies have examined the digestibility of
rendered animal protein ingredients. Estimates of apparent digestibility of crude
protein among studies appear quite variable for most ingredients. This variation
may be due to the quality of the ingredients investigated but may also be due to
differences in the methodology used. Overall, recent studies indicate that most
rendered animal proteins produced using modern manufacturing practices are quite
highly digestible for fish.
Poultry By-product Meal
One of the first studies examining the digestibility of animal proteins was
that of Cho and Slinger (1979). These investigators observed that the digestibility
of protein in poultry by-product meal (PBM) was relatively low (approximately 70
percent). In a more recent digestibility trial, high digestibility of crude protein (87
to 91 percent) were observed for two batches of regular PBM fed to rainbow trout
(Bureau et al., 1999; Table 2). These results were obtained using the same
equipment, fish strain, and methodology as that of Cho and Slinger (1979).
Comparison of the results of Cho and Slinger (1979), Dong et al. (1993), Hajen et
al. (1993), Sugiura et al. (1998), and Bureau et al. (1999) suggests progressive
improvements in the digestibility of protein in regular PBM for rainbow trout over
the past three decades. High digestibility of protein for PBM appears to be
observable in other fish species. For example, Lupatsch et al. (1997) observed a
digestibility of crude protein of about 80 percent for PBM fed to gilthead seabream
(Sparus aurata), a marine fish species widely cultured in the Mediterranean region.
Blood meal
The digestibility of crude protein of blood meal (BM) manufactured using
different techniques has been shown to differ significantly (Cho et al., 1982; Bureau
et al., 1999). Blood proteins appear to be especially sensitive to heat damage, and
the drying technique used can have a very significant effect on digestibility of BM.
Cho et al. (1982) observed that a flame-dried BM had crude protein digestibility of
only about 12 percent, whereas the protein in spray-dried BM was almost
completely digestible. Bureau et al. (1999) observed that the digestibility of crude
protein in spray-dried blood products was significantly higher than that of rotoplatedried, steam-tube dried, and ring-dried BMs (Table 2).
A recent study with rainbow trout suggested that the bioavailability of
lysine in spray-dried or flash-dried BMs was slightly higher than that of L-lysine
HCL (Table 3) (El-Haroun and Bureau, 2004). These results suggest that BM can
be a very good source of bio-available amino acids. However, some differences
between BMs exist. For example, disc-dried BM appears to be an inferior source of
available lysine to spray-dried or flash-dried BMs (Table 3).

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Feather Meal
In the late 1970s, the digestibility of crude protein of feather meal (FeM)
for rainbow trout had been estimated to be between 58 percent and 62 percent (Cho
and Slinger, 1979). Digestibility trials conducted in more recent years suggested
significant improvements. Bureau et al. (1999), for example, estimated the
digestibility of crude protein of four FeMs to be between 77 percent and 86 percent
(Table 2). A very comparable apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) value was
reported by Sugiura et al. (1998) for a FeM fed to rainbow trout. It also appears to
be relatively well digested by other fish species. For example, Lee et al. (2002)
estimated that the digestibility of crude protein of FeM was about 79 percent for
rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli).
Table 2. Manufacturing Characteristics, Crude Protein (CP) Content, and
Apparent Digestibility Coefficients (ADC) of Dry Matter (DM), CP, and Gross
Energy (GE) of Rendered Animal Protein Ingredients from Various Origins.
Ingredients

Processing Conditions

Feather meals
1 Steam hydrolysis, 30 min at 276 kPa, disc dryer
2 Steam hydrolysis, 5 min at 448 kPa, disc dryer
3 Steam hydrolysis, 40 min at 276 kPa, ring dryer
4 Steam hydrolysis, 40 min at 276 kPa, steam-tube
dryer
Meat and bone meals
1 125-135C, 20-30 min, 17-34 kPa
2 same as above but air classification of final
product to reduce ash content
3 133C, 30-40 min, 54 kPa
4 128C, 20-30 min, 17-34 kPa
5 132-138C, 60 min
6 127-132C, 25 min
Poultry by-product meals
1 138C, 30 min
2 127-132C, 30-40 min, 54 kPa
Blood meals
1 Steam-coagulated blood, rotoplate dryer
2 Steam-coagulated blood, ring dryer
3 Whole blood, spray dryer
4 Blood cells, spray dryer
5 Blood plasma, spray dryer
6 Steam-coagulated blood, steam-tube dryer
7 Whole blood, spray dryer
8 Steam-coagulated blood, ring dryer

CP
as is
%
75
82
76
75

ADC
DM CP GE
%
%
%
82
81
80
80
81
78
79
81
76
84
87
80

57
55

61
72

83
87

68
73

50
48
50
54

72
66
70
70

88
87
88
89

82
76
82
83

65
63

76
77

87
91

77
87

83
84
83
86
71
91
82
86

82
87
92
92
99
79
94
87

82
88
96
96
99
84
97
85

82
88
92
93
99
79
94
86

Source: Bureau et al., 1999. (Processing conditions provided by manufacturers).

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Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

Meat and Bone Meal

The digestibility of protein in meat and bone meal (MBM) appears to be
somewhat variable. Bureau et al. (1999) observed digestibility of protein of six
MBMs to be between 83 percent and 89 percent for rainbow trout (Table 2).
McGoogan and Reigh (1996) and Gaylord and Gatlin (1996) observed protein
digestibility of about 74 to 79 percent for MBM fed to red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus). Lower digestibility values were reported by Allan et al. (2000) for
Australian lamb and beef MBM fed to Silver perch (Bidyanus bidyanus). A series
of studies carried out in Japan and Portugal indicated that meat meal (i.e., high
protein, low ash MBM) were very highly digestible for several freshwater and
marine fish species (Gomes et al., 1995; Watanabe et al., 1996; da Silva and OlivaTeles, 1998). Results from a number of trials (e.g., Bureau et al., 2000) suggest that
the ADC of crude protein tends to overestimate the digestible amino acids of MBM,
and that relatively conservative estimates of digestibility of protein should be
assumed for MBM when formulating fish feeds on a digestible protein basis.
Table 3. Relative Bioavailability of Lysine in Blood Meals of Different Origins,
Relative to Lysine-HCL (Assumed to be 100 percent Bio-Available) and Based
on Different Parameters: Weight Gain, Feed Efficiency, and Retained Nitrogen
in Rainbow Trout.
Parameters

Lysine
HCL

Spray-dried
blood meal

Flash-dried
blood meal

Disc-dried
blood meal

Weight gain, g/fish

100

138

150

84

Feed efficiency,
gain-to-feed
Retained N, g/fish

100

139

132

85

100

129

143

86

Source: El-Haroun and Bureau, 2004.

Rendered Animal Proteins as Source of Digestible Phosphorus

Animal protein ingredients generally have high, but variable, phosphorus
(P) content (Table 4). In these ingredients, P is primarily bound with calcium in
what is commonly referred to as bone P. This bone P generally represents a large
proportion of the total P of animal protein ingredients (Figure 1). Some of the P is
also found as part of several other compounds, such as nucleic acids, amino acids,
lipids, and carbohydrates, and is often referred to as organic P.
The estimates of digestibility of P of animal by-products reported in the
literature are highly variable. For salmonid fish, digestibility of P ranges from 17
percent to 81 percent for fish meal, 22 percent to 45 percent for meat and bone
meal, and 15 percent to 64 percent for poultry by-product meal. This high
variability in the estimate of P digestibility of animal protein ingredients is probably
the results of difference in bone P content of the ingredients and the level of
different chemical forms of P in the finished feeds. Hua and Bureau (2006)
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Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

developed a model to estimate digestible P content of salmonid fish feeds based on

levels of different P types. Phosphorus types present in feed ingredients were
classified into broad chemical categories: bone P, phytate P, organic P, Ca
monobasic/Na/K Phosphate (Pi) supplements, and Ca dibasic Phosphate (Pi)
supplements (Figure 2). The relationship between digestible P content of feeds and
various P chemical compound contents was examined through a multiple regression
approach. Multiple regression analysis on data from 22 studies yielded the
following model:
Digestible P = 0.68 bone P + 0 phytate P + 0.84 organic P + 0.89 Ca
monobasic/Na/K Pi supplement + 0.64 Ca dibasic Pi supplement + 0.51
phytase/phytate 0.02 (phytase/phytate)2 - 0.03 (bone P)2 - 0.14 bone P *
Ca monobasic/Na/K Pi supplement (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.96).
The results from this model suggest that the digestibility of different P types differ
significantly and the apparent digestibility of bone P is not additive, as suspected.
The model predicts that animal protein ingredients, such as MBM and PBM, are
highly effective sources of digestible P in feeds formulated with high levels of plant
protein ingredients.

y = 0.980x - 0.711

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

R = 0.97

Total P (%)

Bone P (%)

Figure 1. Bone P Content as a Function of Total P and Ash Contents of

Animal Protein Ingredients.

y = 0.185x

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

R = 0.88

10

PBM

y = 0.188x - 0.852

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

R = 0.94

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

PBM

25

30

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

PBM

35

40

FM

y = -0.057x + 3.749x + 26.839

2

R = 0.76

10

15

20

25

Ash (%)

Ash (%)
MBM

20

MBM

FM

Bone P/Total P(%)

Bone P (%)

MBM

15

Ash (%)

Total P (%)

FM

MBM

Source: Hua et al., 2005.

186

PBM

FM

30

35

40

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

Table 4. Phosphorus Content of Common Fish Feed Ingredients (Dry Matter

(DM) Basis).
Ingredient
Fish meal
Meat and bone meal
Poultry by-product meal
Blood meal
Feather meal

Phosphorus content (g/kg DM)

10.8 - 41.9
24.9 - 70.8
16.5 - 34.5
0.8 - 17.1
5.4 - 12.6

Figure 2. Schematic Representation of a Model Estimating the Digestible P

Content of Fish Feed Based on the Levels of Different P Chemical Forms in
Feeds.

Ingredient
/ feed

Animal ingredients

Bone P

Organic P

Plant ingredients

Phytate P

Phytase effect
Source: Hua and Bureau, 2006.

187

Pi supplement

Ca Mono/
Na/K Pi

Ca-Di Pi

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

Use of Animal Proteins in Feeds

Blood Meal
Spray- and ring-dried BMs are widely used in salmonid feeds due to their
very high digestibility and consistent quality. Good performance of fish have been
observed for fish fed diets containing approximately eight to 20 percent BM in
conjunction with high (more than 20 percent) fish meal levels (Luzier et al., 1995;
Abery et al., 2002). A study carried out at the University of Guelph also
demonstrated that spray-dried BM was of high nutritive value for rainbow trout
(Table 5, Trial #1).
Poultry By-product Meal
The use of PBM in fish diets has been studied quite intensively (e.g., Higgs
et al., 1979; Alexis et al., 1985; Steffens, 1987; Fowler, 1991; Steffens, 1994). The
general conclusion from earlier studies was that approximately 20 to 25 percent
PBM can be included in salmonid diet without effect on growth and feed conversion
of the animal. More recent studies have indicated that feeds formulated to contain
up to 30 percent PBM supported excellent growth performance in rainbow trout
(Table 5, Trial #1). PBM is very similar to fish meal in terms of nutritional value
for rainbow trout, and this ingredient can effectively replace all the fish meal in the
diet of rainbow trout without negative impact on performance (Bureau et al.,
unpublished).
Feather Meal
Fowler (1990) observed that 15 percent FeM (90 percent CP, four percent
lipid) replacing herring meal could be included in the diet of Chinook salmon
without effect on growth and feed efficiency of the fish. Henrichfreise (1989, cited
by Steffens, 1994) observed that 20 to 25 percent FeM could be included in the diet
of rainbow trout without effect on growth and feed efficiency. A more recent study
suggested that about 15 percent feather meal (providing 20 percent of total
digestible protein) could be incorporated in the diet of rainbow trout without effect
on growth and feed efficiency of the fish (Bureau et al., 2000). FeM is quite
commonly used in fish feeds at significantly lower levels (five to 10 percent).
Meat and Bone Meal
Shimeno et al. (1993) observed that 10 percent meat meal (68 percent CP,
16 percent lipid, 11 percent ash) along with 20 percent soybean meal could replace
23 percent brown fish meal in diets for yellowtail, a highly carnivorous fish species.
Bureau et al. (2000) observed that the incorporation of up to 24 percent MBM
(providing about 25 percent of total digestible protein) was possible in feeds for
rainbow trout. The results of the study of Bureau et al. (2000) are in agreement with
the results of Tacon and Jackson (1985), Davies et al. (1989), and Robaina et al.
(1997) who observed that significant amounts of MBM could be included in the
diets of rainbow trout, Mozambique tilapia, and gilthead seabream without effect on
performance (e.g., Table 5, Trial #2).
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Table 5. Performance of Rainbow Trout Fed Practical Diets with Different

Rendered Animal Protein Ingredients Alone or in Combination.

1
Protein Sources
Fish meal, herring
Corn gluten meal
Soybean meal
Blood meal, spray
dried
Feather meal
Meat and bone meal
Poultry by-product
meal
Composition
Digestible protein,
percent
Digestible energy,
MJ/kg
Performance
Initial weight, g/fish
Final weight, g/fish
Feed efficiency,
gain:feed
Thermal-unit growth
coefficient

Trial #1
Diets
2
3

Trial #2
Diets
2
3

28
28
6

24.5
24.5
12

24
24
-

20
20
-

40
11
13
4.5

20
11
5

20
11
5

20
11
5.5

20

30

17
25
-

17
16

25
16

43.3

43.7

44.5 44.6

42

42

42

42

21.3

21.3

21.5 21.6

19

19

19

19

17
17
16
18
35
35
35
35
209
215
202 209 278 247*
264 245*
1.18
1.26 1.19 1.18 1.26 1.11* 1.20 1.09*
0.200 0.205 0.199 0.199 0.261 0.241* 0.252 0.239*

* Significantly different from control diet (Diet 1).

Source: El Haroun et al., unpublished.

Combinations of Animal Proteins

A number of studies have shown that a mixture of high quality rendered
animal protein ingredients could replace most of the fish meal in a practical rainbow
trout diet sustaining high growth. Dabrowski et al. (1995) observed good
performance of rainbow trout fed a diet containing 20 to 30 percent of a fish meal
analogue, formulated using BM, MBM, PBM, and FeM. The potential of different
combinations of rendered animal protein ingredients was recently examined in a 16week feeding trial (Table 5, Trial #2). Diets were formulated with combinations of
PBM, FeM, and MBM providing about two-thirds of the digestible protein. Growth
rates of fish fed diets containing a combination of PBM and FeM was not
statistically significantly different than the growth rate of fish fed the control diet.
Growth rates of the fish fed diets containing combinations of MBM and FeM or
MBM and PBM were slightly lower than that of the fish fed the control diet.
189

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

Amino acid supplementation (L-Methionine or L-Lysine), the two amino acids

predicted to be the most limiting, had no effect on performance of the fish. It is
worth noting that growth rates of fish fed all the experimental diets was superior to
what was observed in all previous trials conducted at the University of Guelph. The
results clearly indicate that most rendered animal protein ingredients have a high
nutritive value and can be very valuable protein sources for fish feed formulation.
However, feeds should be formulated on a digestible basis, and relatively
conservative estimates of apparent digestibility or safety margins should be used.
This is especially critical in the case of FeMs and MBMs.
Use and Nutritive Value of Rendered Animal Fat
Formulated aquaculture feeds are often high in lipids, the bulk of which is
generally provided by fish oil. Because of its cost, foreseeable long-term supply
problems, and more recently, concerns over contaminant levels, it is widely
acknowledged that fish oil should be used more sparingly in aquaculture feeds. Fish
oil availability is increasingly problematic since the demand has grown considerably
with the expansion of the aquaculture industry. Various projections suggest that
within a decade, the demand for fish oil will be well above the available supply.
Along with this increase in demand, the price of fish oil has also risen considerably.
The market price for fish oil has varied between $0.20 and $0.80/kg over the past
decade. Prices in recent years have consistently remained high.
Rendered animal fats, because of their low costs and wide availability,
could be interesting alternative for part of the fish oil in fish feeds. Opposite to fish
oil prices, the price of inedible animal fats has decreased in the last 10 years by 40
to 50 percent to a current price of about $0.30/kg for good quality choice white
grease and tallow. Prices for rendered fats are unlikely to move dramatically over
the next few years. Substantial savings could be made immediately by substituting
some of the fish oil in feed formulae with these more economical lipid sources. The
cost of aquafeed could be reduced by about $3/ton for every percentage point (one
percent) of fish oil replaced by rendered fats. There are very few other dietary
modifications (e.g., fish meal replacement) to current salmonid feed formulae that
could result in such substantial savings.
Animal Fats: Digestibility and Use in Feeds
The ability of fish to use rendered animal fats as an energy source is
dependent mainly upon the digestibility of these ingredients. Studies have suggested
differences in the digestibility and nutritive value of lipid sources with different fatty
acid profiles at different water temperatures. Cho and Kaushik (1990) presented the
results from an experiment indicating that the digestibility of fish oil and plant oils
(rapeseed, soybean, and linseed) remained high over a wide range of water
temperatures (5oC to 15oC). However, the digestibility of lard and tallow were
clearly poorer at lower water temperatures, in contrast with the lack of effect of
water temperatures on the lower melting point oils. Other observations suggest,
190

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

however, that the digestibility of tallow is high for rainbow trout provided the diet
contains a certain amount of fish oil (and/or other lipid sources rich in mono and
polyunsaturated fatty acids). Bureau et al. (2002) found that there was no difference
in the digestibility of lipid (94 percent) of a feed with 16 percent fish oil and that of a
feed with eight percent fish oil and eight percent tallow at a low water temperature
(7.5oC). At 15oC, the digestibility of lipid of the diet comprised of eight percent fish
oil and eight percent tallow was only slightly lower than that of the feed comprised
of 16 percent fish oil (95 versus 98 percent) (Table 6).
Table 6. Lipid Digestibility and Growth Performance of Rainbow Trout
(Initial Weight = 7 g/fish) Fed Practical Diets Containing Fish Oil or Fish Oil
and Tallow Combination Reared at 7.5C or 15C for 12 Weeks.

Ingredients
Fish meal, herring, 68% CP
Corn gluten meal, 60% CP
Fish oil, herring
Beef tallow, fancy, bleachable
Composition
Digestible Protein (DP), %
Digestible Energy (DE), MJ/kg
DP/DE, g/MJ
Performance
Lipid digestibility, %
Weight gain, g/fish
Feed efficiency, gain:feed (as is)
Retained energy, % digestible intake

Water Temperature
7.5C
15C
Diet 1
Diet 2
Diet 1
Diet 2
50
50
50
50
20
20
20
20
16
8
16
8
8
8
44.0
19.5
22.6

43.5
19.9
21.9

44.9
20.9
21.5

44.4
20.8
21.3

93
13.7
1.32
47

94
13.1
1.27
47

98
38.1
1.22
50

95*
39.2
1.15
48

* Significantly different from control diet (Diet 1).

Source: Bureau et al., 1997.

The difference in estimates of lipid digestibility between studies is likely

due to the synergetic effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids on the digestibility of
saturated fatty acids, a well-described phenomenon in poultry. The low digestibility
values reported in Cho and Kaushik (1990) for highly saturated lipid sources is
probably only the result of the methodology used. Cho and Kaushik (1990) used a
reference diet with very low levels of lipids (less than three percent) (Cho, personal
communication). This reference diet was then supplemented with significant
amounts of the test lipid sources (fish oil, soy oil, lard, tallow) producing test diets
in which more than 80 percent of the lipids were provided by the test lipids. It has
been demonstrated, more than 40 years ago, that highly saturated lipids, when used
alone in the diet, are poorly digested by poultry and other animals.
Supplementation of tallow-containing diets with limited amounts of polyunsaturated
fatty acids (e.g., from soy oil) resulted in significant improvements in the
191

Essential RenderingFish NutritionBureau

digestibility of lipids in poultry (Sibbald et al., 1962; Sibbald, 1978). The results
presented in Table 6 are consistent with these observations and indicate that
saturated fatty acids are effectively utilized by rainbow trout at low water
temperature when the diet contains some fish oil. It is suggested that saturated fatty
acids levels of the diet should perhaps not exceed 40 percent of total fatty acids of
the diet of rainbow trout since digestibility of lipids can possibly decrease quite
significantly when more is used.
Several studies have examined the use of poultry fat, tallow, and lard in the
diet of various fish species (reviewed by Bureau et al., 2002). Evidence presented
in these studies indicate that animal fat incorporation levels corresponding to 30 to
40 percent of total lipids of the diet have no adverse effects on growth performance,
feed efficiency, and product quality of most fish species studied. It is transparent
from these studies that diets containing animal fats must contain significant amounts
of n-3 and/or n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids to meet the essential fatty acid
requirements of the fish and to allow for proper digestibility of the lipids.
Conclusion
Formulated aquaculture feeds are often high in protein and fat, and the bulk
of those generally provided by fish meal and fish oil. Because of their high cost and
foreseeable long-term supply problems, progressive increase in the use of
economical protein and lipid sources in aquaculture feeds is inevitable. Feed
manufacturers consequently require information on the nutritive value of various
economical protein and lipid sources.
Rendered animal proteins and fats produced today in North America are
relatively highly digestible and meet high quality criteria required for use in high
nutrient density aquaculture feeds. Rendered proteins and fats are cost-effective
sources of key nutrients and can also be used to improve the nutritive value of more
economical feeds. Sufficient information is available on the nutritive value of
rendered products to allow feed manufacturers to judiciously use these products in
their fish feeds.
References
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Murray cod Maccullochella peelii peelii (Mitchell) fingerlings fed diets with levels of
soybean and blood meal varying. Aquaculture Research. 33:279-289.
Alexis, M.N., E. Papaparaskev, A. Papoutsoglou, and V. Theochari. 1985. Formulation of
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of fish meal by poultry by-products and certain plant by-products. Aquaculture. 50:61-73.
Allan G.L., S. Parkinson, M.A. Booth, D.A.J. Stone, S.J. Rowland, J. Frances, and R.
Warner-Smith. 2000. Replacement of fish meal in diets for Australian silver perch,
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Bureau, D.P., A.M. Harris, and C.Y. Cho. 1999. Apparent digestibility of rendered animal
protein ingredients for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Aquaculture. 180:345-358.
Bureau, D.P., A.M. Harris, D.J. Bevan, L.A. Simmons, P.A. Azevedo, and C.Y. Cho. 2000.
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rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) diets. Aquaculture. 181:281-291.
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Avances en Nutricion Acuicola V. Memorias del VI Simposium Internacional de Nutricion
Acuicola. 3-7 September 2002. Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Cho, C.Y., and S.J. Kaushik. 1990. Nutritional energetics in fish: energy and protein
utilization in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics.
61: 132-172.
Cho, C. Y., S.J. Slinger, and H.S. Bayley. 1982. Bioenergetics of salmonid fishes: energy
intake, expenditure and productivity. Comparative Biochemistry Physiology. 73B:25-41.
Cho, C.Y., and S.J. Slinger. 1979. Apparent digestibility measurement in feedstuffs for
rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Proc. World Symp. on Finfish Nutrition and Fishfeed
Technology, Hamburg June 20-23, 1978. [Link]. Berlin. pp. 239-247.
Dabrowski, K., S.C. Bai, and T. Yanik. 1995. Replacing fish meal protein in salmonid fish
diets. Directors Digest, #263. Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Inc.
da Silva, J.G. and [Link]-Teles. 1998. Apparent digestibility coefficients of feedstuffs in
seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles. Aquat. Living Resour. 11 (1998) 187-191.
Davies, S.J., J. Williamson, M. Robinson, and R.I. Bateson. 1989. Practical inclusion levels
of common animal by-products in complete diets for tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus,
Peters). M. Takeda, T. Watanabe, (Eds.). The Current Status of Fish Nutrition in
Aquaculture. Proc. Third Int. Symp. on Feeding and Nutr. in Fish, Toba, Japan, Aug 28 Sept. 1, 1989. pp. 325-332.
Dong, F.M., R.W. Hardy, N.F. Haard, F.T. Barrows, B.A. Rasco, W.T. Fairgrieve, and I.P.
Forster. 1993. Chemical composition and protein digestibility of poultry by-product
meals for salmonid diets. Aquaculture. 116: 149-158.
El-Haroun, E.R., and D.P. Bureau. 2004. Assessing bioavailability of lysine in different
blood meals using a slope-ratio assay with rainbow trout. Aquaculture Association of
Canada Annual Meeting, October16-20, 2004, Quebec, Canada (abstract).
Fowler, L.G. 1990. Feather meal as a dietary protein source during parr-smolt
transformation in fall chinook salmon. Aquaculture. 89:301-314.
Fowler, L.G. 1991. Poultry by-product meal as a dietary protein source in fall chinook
salmon diets. Aquaculture. 99:309-321.
Gomes da Silva, J., and A. Oliva-Teles. 1998. Apparent digestibility coefficients of
feedstuffs in seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles. Aquatic Living Resources. 11:187191.
Gaylord, T.G., and D.M. Gatlin III. 1996. Determination of digestibility coefficients of
various feedstuffs for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). Aquaculture. 139:303-314.
Hajen, W.E., R.M. Beames, D.A. Higgs, and B.S. Dosanjh. 1993a. Digestibility of various
feedstuffs by post-juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in sea water. 1.
Validation of technique. Aquaculture. 112:321-332.
Hajen, W.E., D.A. Higgs, R.M. Beames and B.S. Dosanjh. 1993b. Digestibility of various
feedstuffs by post-juvehnile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in sea water. 2.
Measurement of digestibility. Aquaculture. 112:333-348.
Henrichfreise, B. 1989. Bewertung von aufgeschlossenem Getreide und hydrolysiertem
Federmehl in der Ernahrung von Regenbogenforellenfuttern. Diss. Landwirtsch Fak.
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Univ. Bonn.
Higgs, D.A., J.R. Markert, D.W. Macquarrie, J.R. McBride, B.S. Dosanjh, C. Nichols, and G.
Hoskins. 1979. Development of practical dry diets for coho salmon, Oncorhynchus
kisutch, using poultry by-product meal, feather meal, soybean meal, and rapeseed meal as
major protein sources. Proc. World Symp. on Finfish Nutrition and Fishfeed Technology,
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Hamburg June 20-23, 1978. [Link]. Berlin. pp. 191-218.
Hua, K., and D.P. Bureau. 2006. Modelling digestible phosphorus content of salmonid fish
feeds. Aquaculture (in press).
Hua, K., L. Liu, and D.P. Bureau. 2005. Determination of phosphorus fractions in animal
protein ingredients. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53:1571-1574.
Lee, S.M. 2002. Apparent digestibility coefficients of various feed ingredients for juvenile
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Luzier, M.J., R.C. Summerfelt, and H.G. Ketola. 1995. Partial replacement of fish meal with
spray-dried blood powder to reduce phosphorus concentrations in diets for juvenile
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McGoogan, B.B., and R.C. Reigh. 1996. Apparent digestibility of selected ingredients in red
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Robaina, L., F.J. Moyano, M.S. Izquierdo, J. Socorro, J.M. Vergara, and D. Montero. 1997.
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(Sparus aurata): Nutritional and histological implications. Aquaculture. 157:347-359.
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Sibbald, I.R. 1978. The true metabolizable energy values of mixtures of tallow with either
soybean oil or lard. Poultry Science. 57:473-477.
Steffens, W. 1987. Further results of complete replacement of fish meal by means of poultry
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62:278-282.

194

RENDERED PRODUCTS IN SHRIMP AQUACULTURE FEEDS

Yu Yu, Ph.D.
National Renderers Association
Summary
Fish meal (FM) has become expensive for commercial feed applications.
Poultry by-product meal (PBM) and meat and bone meal (MBM) may be used as
replacement for FM. This chapter describes research in which PBM and MBM
have been evaluated for their impact on feed intake, digestibility, weight gain,
carcass sensory characteristics, immune response, and survival rate when used as
dietary FM replacements. Nutrient digestibility, maximum FM replacement rate,
and digestible essential amino acid (EAA) profile are important least cost
formulation criteria for selection of protein ingredients and minimizing the
variability in growth performance of aquatic animals. Protein, essential amino acids
(EAA), and energy in PBM have been shown to be digested more than 84 percent
and 73 percent by Litopenaeus vannamei (white shrimp) and Penaeus monodon
(black tiger shrimp), respectively. Limited meat and bone meal data indicate that
protein and EAA digestibility of MBM is similar to that of PBM in L. vannamei, but
no reliable EAA digestibility data for MBM have been reported for P. monodon.
Energy digestibility MBM is about 14 percent lower than that of PBM due to the
high content of ash and saturated fatty acids.
When used alone, PBM appears to be adequate in meeting digestible EAA
requirements of shrimp with a minor deficiency in sulfur amino acids (AAs),
whereas MBM needs to be supplemented with histidine and sulfur AAs (methionine
and cystine). However, under zero-water exchange (eutrophic) rearing conditions,
white shrimp growth was not significantly different between FM and PBM or MBM
(100 percent replacement of FM). Supplementation of microencapsulated EAAs
may broaden and increase the use of rendered protein meals in shrimp feeds.
Feeding PBM or MBM at high rates (up to 80 percent replacement of FM) does not
affect shrimp conformation, carcass composition and sensory characteristics,
survival rate, or immune response.
Under clean water rearing conditions, and without effective
supplementation of EAAs, the maximum FM protein replacement rate by PBM is
80 percent for both P. monodon and L. vannamei feeds, while the maximum FM
protein replacement rate by MBM is 80 percent and 60 percent for P. monodon and
L. vannamei, respectively. With the adequate supplementation of EAAs and
essential fatty acids (EFAs), the FM protein replacement rate could be increased to
100 percent by MBM and PBM.
Replacement value of hydrolyzed feather meal (FeM) for FM in shrimp
feeds has not been widely researched. The maximum FM protein replacement by
FeM is 33 percent (steam-pressure hydrolyzed, SPH), 66 percent (SPH plus
crystalline lysine and methionine), and 43 percent (enzyme treated FeM). Greater

Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

use of FeM in shrimp feeds requires supplementation of EAAs, EFAs, and perhaps
also, palatability enhancers.
The main advantage of using rendered products in shrimp feeds as FM
replacements is the reduction in cost of feed and weight gain. The typical savings at
60 to 80 percent FM replacement by MBM and PBM is a 15 to 25 percent cost
reduction. Research supports the use and value of PBM, MBM, and FeM as FM
replacement in feeds for carnivorous and omnivorous shrimp species.
Introduction
Animal proteins are considered essential dietary components for
carnivorous aquatic animals, and are desirable protein sources for omnivorous
species. FM has been the prime choice among all animal proteins in aquaculture
feeds for its protein quality and palatability. However, for various reasons, the
supply of FM will be insufficient to meet the demand for feeding of both aquatic
and terrestrial species. PBM, MBM, and FeM are potentially suitable replacements
for FM in aquafeeds due to their resemblance to FM in nutritional composition, but
are much lower in cost. Recent studies funded by the National Renderers
Association (NRA) and others (Davis, 2000; Kureshy et al., 2000; Kureshy and
Davis, 2002; Samocha et al., 2004; Allan and Rowland, 2005; Davis et al., 2005;
Tan et al., 2005; Tidwell et al., 2005; Yu, 2006) have demonstrated that a large
portion of FM can be replaced by PBM and MBM without impairing the growth of
fish and shrimp.
For effective use of PBM and MBM as FM replacements, aquafeed
nutritionists need to know the digestibility coefficients of key nutrients preferably
measured in the same species for which the diets are being formulated. This
improved precision in formulation will not only result in more consistent and
predictable growth of the aquatic animal but will also give a more accurate estimate
of feed cost of production. Reliable knowledge about the maximum rate of FM
substitution by PBM and MBM without causing a negative effect on weight gain is
important to avoid erratic growth performance while reducing the dependence on
FM. This chapter presents recent findings on digestibility and growth response of
shrimp when fed diets with PBM and MBM as FM replacements.
Composition of Poultry By-product Meal, Meat and Bone Meal, and
Hydrolyzed Feather Meal
Nutrient and amino acid composition of PBM, MBM, FeM, and FM used
in several digestibility and growth trials in China (Xue and Yu, 2005) are listed in
Table 1. The FM samples were taken from a leading aquafeed mill in South China,
and were identified to be of Peruvian origin. U.S. renderers supplied the PBM,
MBM, and FeM which were considered of high quality as evident when compared
with compositions listed in Nutrient Requirements of Fish published by the National
Research Council (1993).
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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

Requirements: Energy, Protein, and Amino Acids

Requirements of energy, protein, and EAA of most aquatic species are
interrelated and should be evaluated simultaneously for one particular species.
Estimates of requirements for protein and amino acids are given in Table 2 (Bureau,
2000). Gross requirements for EAA can be estimated from the EAA profile of the
carcass. For feed mills to meet the requirements of one particular species, it is
important to know total protein, EAA as percent of feed, and EAA requirements for
the species. Formulation precision can be improved by using digestible protein and
EAA for shrimp requirements and ingredient contributions. Utilization of
crystalline amino acids may be lower in shrimp feeds as compared with fish or
poultry feeds. Coated EAA for slow rate of release may be desirable for shrimp.
Table 1. Nutrient Composition (percent) of Meat and Bone Meal, Poultry Byproduct Meal, Hydrolyzed Feather Meal, and Fish Meal Used in Shrimp
Digestibility and Growth Trials.
MBM1
96.6

PBM2
97.5

FeM3
97.2

FM4
92.6

Crude protein

54.0

65.6

80.0

62.9

Crude fat

12.7

12.5

6.0

11.1

Dry matter

Essential Amino Acids (EAA)

Arginine

3.33

4.01

5.73

3.20

Histidine

1.43

1.72

0.69

1.61

Isoleucine

1.93

2.69

3.84

2.40

Leucine

3.66

4.85

6.80

4.41

Lysine

3.27

4.42

2.04

4.41

Methionine

1.29

1.59

0.67

1.60

Phenylalanine

2.07

2.70

4.30

2.43

Threonine

2.10

2.71

3.8

2.50

Valine

2.44

3.13

5.87

2.63

Cystine
Tyrosine

0.61
1.39

0.74
1.92

4.16
2.73

0.59
1.91

Meal and bone meal (U.S.).

Hydrolyzed feather meal (U.S.).

Poultry by-product meal (U.S.).

Fish meal (Peruvian).

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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

Table 2. Protein and Amino Acid Requirements of Shrimp.

Protein % (Juvenile)
Arginine
% Protein
% Feed 1
Histidine
% Protein
% Feed
Isoleucine
% Protein
% Feed
Leucine
% Protein
% Feed
Lysine
% Protein
% Feed
Methionine + Cystine
% Protein
% Feed
Phenylalanine + Tyrosine
% Protein
% Feed
Threonine
% Protein
% Feed
Tryptophan
% Protein
% Feed
Valine
% Protein
% Feed
1

P. monodon
40

L. vannamei
35

5.8
2.32

5.8
2.03

2.1
0.84

2.1
0.73

3.4
1.36

3.4
1.19

5.4
2.16

5.4
1.89

5.3
2.12

5.3
1.86

3.6
1.44

3.6
1.26

7.1
2.84

7.1
2.48

3.6
1.44

3.6
1.26

0.8
0.32

0.8
0.28

4.0
1.6

4.0
1.4

On a 90% dry basis.

Digestibility Trials
Nutrients and EAA digestibilities of PBM, MBM, and FM have been
measured in P. monodon and L. vannamei (Table 3). Test protein was typically
mixed with a base mix (FM being the only protein source) at a ratio of 3 to 7. A
typical base mix analysis used for shrimp trials in China (Xue and Yu, 2005) is
given in Table 4. Under similar experimental conditions, protein, and EAAs of all
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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

three protein meals were well digested (83 to 88 percent) by L. vannamei,

suggesting the suitability of PBM and MBM as FM replacement in L. vannamei
diets.
Limited digestibility data with P. monodon suggest that FMs protein,
energy, and EAAs were highly digestible (89 to 93 percent, Table 3), and the
protein and EAAs in PBM and MBM were 20 percent less digestible than FM. No
apparent reasons can be given for the higher digestibility of EAAs noted in L.
vannamei compared to P. monodon when fed the same test protein from the same
source. Energy in MBM was least digestible among the three protein meals and
was likely related to the high content of ash and saturated fatty acids.
Table 3. Nutrient Digestibilities of Rendered Non-Marine Animal Protein
Meals in Shrimp.
4

M
77
73

V
81
85

M9
93
89

Essential Amino Acids (EAA)

Arginine
85
Histidine
86
Isoleucine
86
Leucine
86
Lysine
93
Methionine
86
Cystine
76
Phenylalanine
86
Tyrosine
85
Threonine
82
Valine
84

86
89
91
89
93
95
76
89
88
85
81

90
91
89
70
85
81
79
77
89
79
82

90
91
89
70
85
81
79
77
89
79
82

93
93
90
91
95
93
85
90
100
91
91

Avg.

88

83

83

92

M
77
61

85

Meat and bone meal.

2
Poultry by-product meal.
3
Hydrolyzed feather meal.
4
L. vannamei (Forster et al., 2003).
5
P. monodon (Smith, D.M., 1995).

FM3

V
84 - 90
76 - 84

V
82 - 85
69

PBM2

Protein
Energy

MBM1

L. vannamei (Xue et al., 2006).

7
P. monodon (Xue et al., 2006).
8
L. vannamei (Xue et al., 2006).
9
P. monodon (Smith, D.M., 1995).

No reliable digestibility data for EAAs in MBM have been reported for P.
monodon, but one could assume an average value close to that of protein (77
percent), which is similar to the digestibility of PBM (Table 3).
Data in Table 1 and Table 3 suggest that PBM should be considered one of
the best substitutes for FM in shrimp feeds, while the limiting factor for MBM is the
relatively low content of EAAs rather than the digestibility of EAAs. More
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measurements of digestibilities of EAAs are needed for MBM and FeM in order to
predict the weight gain response of shrimp to FM substitution by these two proteins.
Table 4. Ingredient Percentages of Base Mix Used in Shrimp Digestibility
Trials.
Ingredient
Fish meal
Soybean meal
Peanut bran
Squid meal
Blood meal
Fish oil
Soy oil
Soy lecithin
Wheat flour
Zeolite
Premix
Analysis
Dry matter
Crude protein
Fat
Gross energy (MJ/kg)
Ash
Total phosphorus

Percent
33.0
8.0
20.0
3.0
3.0
1.0
1.0
1.5
25.0
2.0
2.5
89.9
43.7
8.0
18.2
11.8
1.7

Digestible Amino Acids Profile

Digestible EAA specifications in shrimp feeds are important for
nutritionists in predicting or ensuring growth performance and protein utilization.
When digestible EAAs are expressed as percent of digestible protein of MBM and
PBM, and are compared with the established requirements (Table 5), PBM meets all
the EAA requirements, with only the exception of sulfur-containing amino acids
(methionine + cystine). In clear water rearing systems and with PBM as the only
source of dietary protein, the weight gain of shrimp is likely to be reduced by about
eight percent compared with the ideal protein feeding condition (i.e. meeting 100
percent of the requirements). A similar comparison for MBM shows the slight
deficiency in sulfur-containing amino acids and histidine, which could limit the
weight gain by about 40 percent, should MBM be the sole protein source in shrimp
diets in clean water conditions. Therefore, in practical shrimp feed formulation,
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total replacement of FM protein by MBM is not recommended (see details in the

section on Growth Trials).
Supplementation of crystalline EAAs in shrimp diets has not produced
consistently positive growth response (Cheng et al., 2002; Tan and Yu, 2003; Xue
and Yu, 2005) and the critical factor is the effectiveness of the release rate control
treatment (e.g., microencapsulation) applied to the EAAs. The success of this
technology would allow a greater and broader use of many animal by-product
protein meals in shrimp diets.
Under zero water exchange conditions (eutrophic water), Forster et al.
(2003) showed that MBM and PBM can replace 100 percent of the FM protein in
shrimp diets without causing significant adverse effects on weight gain or feed
efficiency. This apparent contradiction to the EAA profile comparison (Table 5)
was explained by the nutrients contributed by the microflora flourishing in the water
under the minimum water exchange condition. This practice has been gaining
acceptance by modern shrimp producing farms worldwide for disease prevention
purposes. Therefore, in green water (fertilized pond conditions) shrimp maintain
normal weight gains when fed a diet in which FM protein has been 100 percent
replaced with either PBM or MBM.
Table 5. Comparison of Digestible Amino Acid Requirements of Shrimp and
Amino Acid Profiles in Meat and Bone Meal and Poultry By-Product Meal.

Arginine

Requirements 1
(% Protein)
5.3 - 5.8

Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine

2.0
2.5 - 4.2
4.3 - 8.2

1.7
3.2
6.2

2.2
3.5
6.9

Lysine

5.2 - 6.1

5.7

6.1

Methionine + Cystine
Phenylalanine + Tyrosine
Threonine

3.5
4 - 7.2
3.5 - 4.4

2.1
6.1
3.5

3.2
6.7
3.6

Valine

3.4 - 4.0

4.4

3.9

Essential Amino Acids

Digestible amino acids profile in

PBM3
MBM2
6.6
3.7

Akiyama et al., 1992; Chen et al., 1992; Millamena et al., 1997; Millanena et al., 1996a;
Millamena et al., 1996b; Millamena et al., 1998; Millamena et al., 1999; Dietary protein
is 40%.
2
Meat and bone meal. Total amino acids (Table 1) x AA digestibility coefficient (Table 3)
digestible protein content x 100.
3
Poultry by-product meal. Total amino acids (Table 1) x AAs digestibility coefficients
(Table 3) digestible protein content x 100.

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Protein Efficiency Ratio

Since the main function of MBM and PBM in shrimp diets is to provide
protein for its conversion biologically to shrimp body mass, various researchers
have measured the protein efficiency ratio (PER) of shrimp fed FM, MBM, or PBM
diets (Tan and Yu, 2002a; Tan et al., 2003; Tan and Yu, 2003; Tan and Yu, 2002b;
Cruz-Suarez et al., 2004). Substitution of FM protein by MBM or PBM did not
cause significant reduction of PER (average 1.75) until high rates (greater or equal
to 80 percent) of substitution were reached. The results are in agreement with the
comparison of EAA profile versus requirements (Table 5). The main reason for the
deterioration of PER at high rates of substitution under clean water conditions is
most likely due to deficiency in some EAAs.
Immune Response
Only Chinese workers (Yang et al., 2002; Yang et al., 2003) have
evaluated the immune response of shrimp (fresh water shrimp, Macrobrachiun
nipponense) when fed FM substituted diets with MBM (up to 50 percent
replacement) or PBM (up to 100 percent replacement). As shrimp lack true
antibodies and have to rely on innate mechanisms, three immune parameters (total
haemocyte count, phenoloxidase activity, and respiratory burst or superoxide anion
production) were compared between the FM control and FM replacement groups.
After a 70-day growth trial, no significant differences in immunological parameters
were observed for all groups. It was concluded that MBM or PBM could replace
FM up to 50 percent and 80 percent, respectively in diets for shrimp without
significant negative effect on the growth, survival, and immune parameters.
Sensory Evaluation
Meat and Bone Meal
Reports on sensory evaluation of shrimp fed MBM diets have been scarce.
Australian workers (Smith, 1996) compared P. monodon fed either control (FM) or
MBM diets (20, 40, 60 percent inclusion rates) for nine flavor characteristics
(metallic, meaty, sweet, seafoody, muddy/earthy, fresh, salty, weedy, and other) and
found only meaty flavor being significantly different. However, this was not
correlated with the inclusion level of the MBM. There was also no significant
difference in the overall acceptability of the taste of the shrimp. Similar findings,
although by a less sophisticated evaluation method, were reported by Chinese
workers (Tan and Yu, 2002b) with graded inclusion rates of MBM (up to 40
percent) in diets fed to L. vannamei.
Poultry By-product Meal
Only one trial evaluated the flavor of shrimp fed diets with multiple
inclusion rates (up to 38 percent) of PBM (Tan et al., 2003). Taste score was
reduced only when PBM replaced 100 percent of FM in the diet (3.5 versus 4.1; 5 =
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best). These studies indicate that the inclusion of high levels (up to 80 percent) of
MBM or PBM in the diet is unlikely to have an adverse effect on shrimp sensory
characteristics.
Growth Trials
Poultry By-product Meal
Shrimp growth response to feeding of PBM depends on (1) the inclusion
rate, (2) the grade as defined by the manufacturing processes, (3) the complexity of
dietary formulation (i.e., single or multi-protein ingredients), (4) total protein
content in the diet, (5) stocking density of the shrimp, and (6) nutrients (natural
foods) availability from the water. For true comparisons of protein quality, shrimp
should be fed a single protein feed in clean (filtered) water rearing conditions.
Results of a typical trial in clean water conditions comparing PBM with FM is
depicted in Figure 1. Fresh water shrimp (macrobrachium nipponense) grew at a
faster rate when fed PBM replacing up to 100 percent of FM in diets. Possible
reasons for the growth rate difference are that the EAA profile in PBM fits
requirements of this particular shrimp species closer than that of FM, and the quality
variation (composition and digestibility) of the FM may have been greater than that
of the PBM used in this trial.

Relative Wt. Gain (% FM Control)

Figure 1. Weight Gain Response of Fresh Water Shrimp (M. nipponense) FM

Substituted Diets with Graded Levels of PBM (China, 2003).
150.0
140.0
130.0
120.0
110.0
100.0
90.0
80.0
30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fish Meal Replacement %

When formulations with multi-protein ingredients (practical diets) were

tested, high grades of PBM (e.g., flash dry, pet food grade, low ash, etc.) all have
supported a weight gain equal or superior to FM at high replacement rates (up to 80
percent, Figure 2 for L. vannamei and Figure 3 for P. monodon).
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Details of a recent shrimp growth trial with P. monodon are provided in

Table 6. Survival rate is not listed because no significant relationship was seen
when PBM was substituted in the diets for FM. Since PBM and FM contain
comparable levels of crude protein, dietary substitution of FM by PBM has been
frequently done on equal weight basis for growth trials as illustrated in the formula
for a typical substitution trial with P. monodon in China (Table 7; Xue and Yu,
2005). This practice is strongly discouraged as it ignores the possible variability in
EAA content and their digestibilities as illustrated in this chapter. Test diets for FM
substitution growth trials should be formulated on a digestible nutrients basis (Allan
and Rowland, 2005). FM substitution rates ranged from 25 to 100 percent. Among
all growth response variables, weight gain is considered to be the most important
economic variable for aquaculture producers, and it therefore was selected for
analysis of response trend to FM substitution. Maximum replacement rate is
defined as the point when weight gain begins to decline sharply.

Relative Wt. Gain (% FM Control)

Figure 2. Weight Gain Response of White Shrimp when Fed FM Substituted

Diets with Graded Levels of PBM (Texas, 1998X, 1998; Hawaii, 2002;
Quigdao, China, 2002).
150.0
140.0
130.0
120.0
110.0
100.0
90.0
80.0
10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fish Meal Replacement %

P. monodon shrimp fed PBM substituted diets gained more weight (up to
six percent) until the replacement reached 75 percent. At 100 percent FM
replacement, weight gain was identical to that FM control, and supplementation of
crystalline methionine resulted in no further improvement in weight gain. Body
composition of shrimp was not affected by PBM replacement up to 100 percent
(Table 6).

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Relative Wt. Gain (% FM Control)

Figure 3. Weight Gain Response of Shrimp (P. monodon) when Fed FM

Substituted Diets with Graded Levels of PBM (China, 2005).

150.0
140.0
130.0
120.0
110.0
100.0
90.0
80.0
20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fish Meal Replacement %

Table 6. Response of Penaeus monodon Shrimp to Fish Meal Substitution with

Poultry By-product Meal in Growth and Body Composition.
FM
Replacement
rate (%)
08

IW1
(g)

Growth

Body composition (%)6

FI4
FCR5
(g)
Water CP Lipid Ash
7.8 3.42 76.0 17.2 .5
4.2

0.2

SGR2
4.25

Gain3
2.28

25

0.2

4.23

2.38

8.0

3.37

78.3

15.7

.6

3.7

50

0.2

4.41

2.51

7.9

3.13

78.6

15.4

.5

3.9

75

0.2

4.51

2.70

7.8

2.88

79.2

15.2

.5

3.8

100

0.2

4.28

2.60

8.4

3.22

77.9

16.0

.7

3.6

100+Met.7
(0.16%)

0.2

4.23

2.44

8.8

3.59

81.3

13.7

.3

3.3

56-day trial by Xue and Yu, 2005.

1
IW = Initial weight.
2
SGR = Specific growth rate.
3
WG = Weight gain.

FI = Feed intake.
FCR = Feed conversion (feed/gain) ratio.
6
On wet basis.
7
Met = Crystalline methionine.
5

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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

Table 7. Nutrient Composition (Percent) of Control and Experimental Diets

Used in Penaeus monodon Shrimp Growth Trials.

0
Ingredient
Fish meal
Poultry by-product meal
Soybean meal
Peanut bran
Squid meal
Zeolite
Soy lecithin
Fish oil
Soy oil
Wheat flour
Na2HPO4
Methionine
Other
Analysis
Dry matter
Crude protein
Crude fat
Ash
Total phosphorus
Gross energy (MJ/kg)
1

Percent FM replaced by PBM

25
50
75
100

100+AA1

37
0
12
16
3
2
1.5
1
1
24
1.6
0
1

28
9
12
16
3
2
1.5
1
0.9
25
1.6
0
1

19
18
12
16
3
2
1.5
1
0.8
25
1.6
0
1

9
27
12
16
3
2
1.5
1
0.7
26
1.6
0
1

0
36
12
16
3
2
1.5
1
0.6
26
1.6
0
1

89.0
44.2
8.0
10.5
1.5

90.0
44.1
8.3
10.2
1.5

90.0
43.7
8.6
9.7
1.6

89.0
43.6
8.6
9.4
1.5

89.0
43.0
8.7
8.9
1.5

90.0
43.0
8.3
8.9
1.5

18.1

18.5

18.6

18.7

19.1

19.1

Amino acid (methionine).

0
35
12
16
3
2
1.5
1
0.6
26
1.6
0.16
1

Source: Xue and Yu, 2005.

The growth response of P. monodon to PBM substitution for FM is not in

full agreement with digestibility data in Table 3, even though the source of PBM
was the same for both the digestibility and growth trials. According to Allan et al.
(2000), protein and EAA digestibilities of FM by P. monodon were in the range of
80 to 90 percent, which are much higher than 59 to 78 percent of PBM reported by
Xue and Yu (2005) (Table 3). One possible reason for better weight gain of shrimp
fed PBM was the difference in actual EAA content in PBM and FM. This may also
explain the zero response in weight gain to methionine supplementation. High
quality PBM could meet EAA requirements of P. monodon adequately. Another
possible explanation could be the increased feed intake resulting from PBM
substitution for FM. These results imply the maximum FM protein replacement rate
with PBM in shrimp feeds in clean water culturing systems is about 80 percent.
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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

Digestible EAA profile analysis agrees well with weight gain response of L.
vannamei to FM substitution with PBM but to a less extent with P. monodon.
Meat and Bone Meal
Tan et al. (2005) measured growth response of L. vannamei to MBM
substitution for FM (Table 8). Weight gain was not affected up to 60 percent of
replacement, but there was a seven percent reduction in weight gain at 80 percent
replacement. Feed conversion ratios also deteriorated by nine percent at the high
level of replacement (Table 8). However, data in the literature on weight gain
response of P. monodon to feeding diets in which FM was replaced by MBM show
a slight positive trend (Figure 4; Yu, 2006). This disagrees with the analysis of
EAA profiles listed in Table 5. Possible explanations are: (1) EAA digestibilities of
MBM by P. monodon were under-estimated, (2) some provision of EAAs from
natural foods in the water, and (3) increased feed intake with greater levels of
substitution. The maximum FM protein replacement rate by MBM under practical
culturing conditions is 80 percent for P. monodon and 60 percent for L. vannamei.
However, in a minimum water exchange system, MBM can replace 100 percent FM
without significant effect on weight gain and feed utilization (Forster et al., 2003).
Table 8. Response of Litopenaeus vannamei Shrimp to Fish Meal Substitution
with Meat and Bone Meal.
FM replacement rate (%)
0
20
30
40
50
60
80

IW2 (g)
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.9

WG3
5.86
6.03
5.82
6.16
5.78
5.82
5.46

FI4 (g)
8.0
8.6
4.4
8.1
8.2
8.4
8.1

FCR6
1.37
1.42
1.39
1.32
1.41
1.44
1.49

56 day trial by Tan et al., 2005.

1
40% protein anchovy FM.
2
IW = Initial weight.

WG = Weight gain.
FI = Feed intake.
5
FCR = Feed conversion ratio.
4

Hydrolyzed Feather Meal

Only a limited number of feeding trials have been conducted with FeM as
a FM replacement in shrimp feeds. A Hawaiian study indicated that without the
supplementation of crystalline lysine and methionine, steam-pressure-hydrolyzed
FeM could replace 33 percent of FM in white shrimp feeds without losing
performance (Cheng et al. 2003). Substitution rate could be increased to 66 percent
by supplementing lysine and methionine.
When FeM was treated with an enzyme specifically developed for
hydrolyzing FeM, Mexican workers have shown that up to 43 percent of FM in
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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

white shrimp feed could be replaced by treated FeM (Mendoza et al., 2001). With
proper supplementation of microencapsulated EAAs and other nutrients (e.g.,
essential fatty acids), FeM (steam or enzyme hydrolyzed) may be used to replace
FM protein to levels greater than 60 percent in shrimp feeds.

Relative Wt. Gain (% FM Control)

Figure 4. Weight Gain Response of Black Tiger Shrimp when Fed FM

Substituted Diets with Graded Levels of MBM (Australia, 1995, 1996X,
1999; Thailand, 2002 (28 days), 2002 (60 days); Vietnam, 2003).
130.0
120.0
110.0
100.0
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Fish Meal Replacement %

Recommendations for Application of PBM and MBM

The recommended digestion coefficients of protein, energy, and EAA, and
the maximum FM replacement rate for L. vannamei shrimp are given in Table 9 for
MBM and Table 10 for PBM. These values are useful in formulating diets utilizing
PBM and MBM as FM replacements while guarding the normal growth
performance of shrimp. All digestion coefficients were discounted by five percent
as a safety margin.
Table 9. Formulation Recommendation for Meat and Bone Meal in L.
vannamei Shrimp Feeds.

Protein
Energy
Maximum fish meal replacement rate (%)
1

Digestibility coefficient x 0.95 (discount).

Digestibility (Percent)1
78
66
60 - 70
Source: Tan et al., 2005.

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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

Table 10. Formulation Recommendation for Poultry By-product Meal in

Litopenaeus vannamei Shrimp Feeds.
Digestibility (Percent)1
80
80

Protein
Energy
Essential Amino acids
Arginine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Valine
Cystine
Tyrosine
Maximum fish meal replacement rate (%)
1

Digestibility coefficient x 0.95 (discount).

81
85
86
85
88
90
85
81
77
72
84
80
Source: Xue and Yu, 2005.

Feed nutritionists should use the analyzed nutrients and EAA values of all
ingredients available for feed formulation. While digestibilities and the maximum
FM replacement rates are higher for PBM than MBM, nutrient requirement
specifications of the feed will determine the optimum use rate of the two protein
meals. Generally, diets with relatively high digestible protein requirements (20
percent and above) are more likely to use PBM and MBM, while low digestible
protein requirement diets will more likely select plant source ingredients.
Conclusion
PBM, MBM, and FeM are high protein source dietary ingredients for
carnivorous and omnivorous aquatic animals. Recent research has indicated that
PBM resembles FM in nutritive value and could replace most of FM (up to 80
percent) in shrimp and several other economically important fish diets without
causing a reduction in weight gain. MBM should be mainly considered for its cost
advantage over FM as its nutritive value is slightly lower than FM and PBM. The
maximum FM protein replacement rate by MBM is 60 percent for L. vannamei and
80 percent for P. monodon. Under limited water exchange culturing systems, the
FM protein replacement rate could be increased to 100 percent by PBM and MBM.
The maximum FM protein replacement rate by FeM should be about 40 percent.
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Essential RenderingShrimp NutritionYu

Greater use of FeM requires blending with other quality protein meals to improve
palatability and amino acid balance or supplementation with coated crystalline
EAAs. Decisions on selection of ingredients and their inclusion rates when
formulating aqua diets should be largely based on an accurate nutrient composition,
digestibility, palatability, and the risk of anti-nutritional factors.
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Millamena, O.M., M.N. Bautista, O.S. Reyes, and A. Kanazawa. 1996b. Valine requirement
of post-larval tiger shrimp Penaeus monodom. Aquaculture. 2:129-132.
Millamena, O.M., M.N. Bautista-Teruel, O.S. Reyes, and O.S. Kanazawa. 1998.
Requirements of juvenile marine shrimp, Penaeus monodom (Fabricius) for lysine and
arginine. Aquaculture. 164:95-104.
Millamena, O.M., M.N. Bautista-Teruel, A. Kanazawa, and S. Teshima. 1999. Quantitative
dietary requirement of post-larval tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodom for histidine, isolencine,
leucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. Aquaculture. 179:169-179.
National Research Council. 1993. NRC Nutrient Requirements of Fish. National Academy
of Science, Washington, D.C.
Samocha, T.M., D.A. Davis, I.P. Saoud, and K. DeBault. 2004. Substitution of fish meal by
co-extruded soybean poultry by-product meal in practical diets for the Pacific white
shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Aquaculture. 231:197-203.
Smith, D.M. 1995. Preliminary evaluation of meat meal in aquaculture diets for prawns (P.
monodon) Parts 1 and 2. Meat Research Corporation Sub Program 93/120. Australia.
Smith, D.M. 1996. Evaluation of meat meal in aquaculture diets for the giant tiger prawn P.
monodon. Meat Research Corporation. Sub Program 93/120. Australia.
Tan, B.P., K.S. Mai, S.X. Zheng, Q.C. Zhou, L.H. Liu, and Y. Yu. 2005. Replacement of fish
meal by meal and bone meal in practical diets for the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
(Boone). Aquaculture Research. 36:439- 444.
Tan, B.P., S.X. Heng, H.R. Yu, and Y. Yu. 2003. Growth, feed efficiency of juvenile L.
vannamei fed practical diets containing different levels of poultry by-product meal. NRA
research Report No. 24. National Renderers Association, Inc., Hong Kong, China.
Tan, B.P., and Y. Yu. 2003. Replacement of fish meal with meat and bone meal and
methionine on growth performance of white shrimp (L. vannamei). NRA Research Report
No. 25. National Renderers Association, Inc., Hong Kong, China.
Tan, B.P., and Y. Yu. 2002a. Digestibility of fish meal, meat and bone meal, and poultry byproduct meal by white shrimp (L. vannamei). NRA Research Report No. 13. National
Renderers Association, Inc., Hong Kong, China.
Tan, B.P., and Y. Yu. 2002b. Digestibility of fish meal with meat and bone meal on growth
performance of white shrimp (L. vannamei). NRA Research Report No. 14. National
Renderers Association, Inc., Hong Kong, China.
Tidwell, J.H., [Link], L.A. Bright, and D. Yasharian. 2005. Evaluation of plant and
animal source proteins for replacement of fish meal in practical diets for the largemouth
bass Micropterus salmoides. J. World Aquaculture Society. 36(4):454-463.
Xue, M., and Y. Yu. 2005. Digestion and growth response to dietary fish meal substitution
with poultry by-product meal of shrimp (P. monodon and L. vannamei). NRA Research
Report No. 49. National Renderers Association, Inc., Hong Kong, China.
Yang, Y., S.Q. Xie, W. Lei, X.M. Zhu, and Y.X. Yang. 2002. Effect of replacement of fish
meal by meat and bone meal and poultry by-product meal in diets on the growth and
immune response of Macrobranchium nipponense. NRA Research Report No. 27A.
Yang, Y., S.Q. Xie, and W. Lei. 2003. Nutritional and immune response of Macrobranchium
nipponense fed diets with graded levels of poultry by-product meal in replacement of fish
meal. NRA Research Report No. 27.
Yu,Y. 2006. Use of poultry by-product meal, and meat and bone meal in aquafeeds. Asian
Aquafeeds: Current developments in the aquaculture feed industry. W.K. Ng and C.K. Ng
(editors). Malaysian Fisheries Society Occasional Publication No. 13, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. pp. 19-39.
211

First Meeting of the Association of American Producers of Domestic Inedible

Fats in Chicago, 1933. (It Became the National Renderers Association in 1942.)

Early 7th Regional Renderers Convention in Minneapolis, MN, 1939.

212

THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR RENDERED PRODUCTS

Kent Jay Swisher
Vice President, International Programs
National Renderers Association
Summary
Modern efficient renderers are mainly concentrated in North America,
where they process nearly 25 million tons of raw materials per year, in the European
Union (EU), about 15 million tons per year, and in the leading livestock and meat
processing countries of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay, and New Zealand,
roughly 10 million tons per year. The value of the products sold by the worldwide
rendering industry is estimated to be in the range of $6 to $8 billion per year. The
global rendering industry provides products that are critical to other industries
around the world, and they are developing new products such as biofuels and
enzymes to meet changing demands worldwide. Rendered products include edible
and inedible tallow, lard and greases, feed fats (yellow grease and poultry fat),
animal protein meals, hides and skins, and gel bone. High-quality fats and proteins
improve the nutrition of farm animals, poultry, and companion animals. Renderers
also contribute essential ingredients for industrial products like fatty acids,
lubricants, plastics, printing inks, and explosives; and consumer products such as
soap, cosmetics, shaving cream, deodorants, perfumes, polishes, cleaners, paints,
candles, and caulking compounds.
In the United States, exports have traditionally represented one-quarter of
U.S. product annual disappearance. However, in 2004, that number dropped to onefifth due to trade distortions created by the discovery of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) in North America. Trade and use of animal fats and grease
have been relatively unaffected by BSE trade restrictions because the World
Organization for Animal Health or OIE lists tallow as a product that can be safely
traded if it has a maximum insoluble impurity of 0.15 percent. (The OIE is an
intergovernmental organization that is involved in recommending standards in
regards to the control of animal disease.) At the time of this writing, China is the
only known country to ban the importation of animal fats from North America.
However, animal proteins are facing much more scrutiny. At the time of this
writing, ruminant animal proteins are banned by all U.S. major importers, whereas
porcine and poultry meals have faired better. It must be noted that production and
trade of meat and bone meal (MBM) includes ruminant MBM, porcine meal, and
poultry meal. Non-ruminant protein meals should be unaffected by BSE concerns.
Even though the trade and production statistics lump all of these products under one
term, MBM, the author tries to distinguish between these products where
appropriate.
The outlook for rendered products, especially animal proteins, is quite
favorable. Even with many global trade impediments to rendered products, there is

Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

a huge growing demand and this demand will become a catalyst for the resumption
of trade.
History of Global Trade of Rendered Products the Early Years (1800s-1945)
The early years of rendering and trade in rendered products were
dominated by fat recovery and trade of potential tallow, soap, glue, and candlemaking materials. The value of these products cannot be overlooked. For example,
in the book The Cattle on a Thousand Hills, the author, Robert Glass Cleland,
reported correspondence between two Western pioneers that translated to the sale of
a single steer equating to $16 per head for fat and only $6 per head for meat. The
tallow was worth approximately $0.20 per pound, which is similar to todays price
in nominal terms. However, this $0.20 per pound in 1880 is equivalent to $3.67 per
pound if converted to 2004 value by using the Consumer Price Index, yet the actual
price in 2004 was approximately $0.19 per pound. This shows the relative
importance of animal fats in the early years of the industry.
Prior to the depression, the United States was importing a fair amount of
competing oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, and whale oil, while it exported much
smaller amounts of tallow and lard. The nation was clearly a net importer of fats
and oils. By 1932, the price of imported copra (coconut) oil, mainly from the
Philippines, was driving down the price of rendered fats. The price of copra was
nearly $0.02 per pound and it drove the price of animal fats down to similar levels.
This price was an all-time low, and was a decrease of 75 percent from the normal
average prices. In recent years, trade experts have learned to talk about fair trade
instead of just free trade. This global trade problem threatened the very existence of
renderers in the early 1930s and became the rallying call for the industry to organize
and form the American Producers of Domestic Inedible Fats in 1933. This
organization later became the National Renderers Association (NRA). The first act
of the organization was to successfully lobby the U.S. government to impose the socalled fats and oils excise tax, which became part of the Revenue Bill of 1934. The
intention of the organization was not to stop imports, but to provide some price
support for the commodities, hence creating a fair market environment. The
organization was successful and this legislation helped to strengthen and stabilize
prices while still keeping the market open for imports. Focus on keeping this policy
in place continued until World War II began. The World War II years found a
controlled economy along with fixed prices for rendered products. In other parts of
the world the same scenario transpired along with a basic collapse of commercial
infrastructures in some countries. After World War II, the market for rendered
products changed quickly and dramatically.
The Global Market for Animal Fats and Greases
Before and shortly after World War II, the U.S. rendering industry was
mostly dedicated to the domestic market. Animal protein production went to the
local feed industry and the majority of tallow went to domestic soap manufacturers
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Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

to produce flakes, powders, and granules. A major turning point for the industry
came in the early 1950s when the U.S. soap industry turned to detergents that were
made from petrochemicals. Tallow producers lost 40 percent of their market in a
couple of years and fat prices dropped to less than three cents per pound. This was
a 50 to 75 percent price drop for tallow. At this time the rendering industry decided
to work on promoting its products to the global marketplace and by 1953, between
one-third and one-half of all tallow produced was exported, and by 1956, at least
half of tallow and grease production was exported, indeed making up for the lost
market domestically. It was this same year that the NRA entered into a cooperative
agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service
(FAS) to jointly fund international marketing activities for animal fats and greases.
This important cooperative relationship remains to this day. The initial marketing
efforts of the FAS/NRA cooperation from the 1950s through 1980 were aimed at
promoting industrial demand for beef tallow from soap companies and the fatty acid
chemical industry through technical and marketing seminars and the production of
technical and promotional literature. In addition, highly successful national soap
and hygiene promotion programs were undertaken in Japan, Turkey, Taiwan, Korea,
and elsewhere in collaboration with domestic soap producers and government
ministries of education and health to encourage soap usage, and thus demand for
high quality tallow.
Figure 1. NRA Booth Promoting Soap Use at a Trade Show in Asia. Early
Promotional Efforts Included Billboards in Subways, Magazines, Newspapers,
and Education Hand Washing Campaigns at Grade Schools.

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Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

Figure 2. NRA President Ralph Van Hoven Participates in a Soap Exhibit in

Osaka, Japan, in the Late 1950s.

Figure 3. Tallow-Based Laundry Soap from the 1950s Produced and Packaged
by Nihon Detergent Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Toho Fats & Oils Co., and
Nippon Fats and Oils Co.

216

Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

Over the period of 1960 to 2004, the global market for fats and oils became
saturated. Rendered animal fats, the traditional choice for soaps, began receiving
great pressure from detergents and competing vegetable oils (Table 1).
Table 1. Global Exports of Fats and Oils, 1960 - 2004.
1960

1996

2004

Million Metric Tons

Soybean
0.67
5.69
9.06
Palm Oil
0.62
10.80
25.06
Rapeseed Oil
0.05
1.75
1.15
Sunflowerseed Oil
0.22
2.71
2.52
Coconut Oil
0.27
1.40
1.73
Palm Kernel Oil
0.06
0.91
1.85
Fish
0.36
0.77
0.71
Tallow
1.08
2.12
2.25
Source: Oil World (1960 1996); USDA/FAS for 2004 vegetable oil data; FAO for fish oil
and tallow 2004 data.

Tallow went from being the largest exported fat in 1960, to the fourth
largest traded in 2004, and from a commodity that set the oil and fat prices to one of
a price taker. The dramatic increases in the production of competing vegetable oils
that resulted in large supplies during this time had the affect of depressing prices for
animal fats. The trade in palm oil, the major competitor to tallow for industrial
uses, went from 0.62 million metric tons (mmt) in 1960 to approximately 25 mmt in
2004, or a 40-fold increase in exports versus a two-fold increase in tallow exports in
the same period. Global soybean oil exports also grew 14-fold over the same
period. This was the result of the large growth in the production of these products.
For example, palm oil production grew from 1.32 mmt in 1960 to 33.24 mmt in
2004, and soybean oil production grew from 3.36 mmt to 32.43 mmt during the
same period. Malaysia and Indonesia have historically been the largest producers of
palm oil. Together, these two countries have traditionally accounted for well over
80 percent of total global production in palm oil. In regards to soybean production,
traditionally the United States has been the largest producer followed by Brazil,
China, and Argentina.
As stated earlier in this chapter, the rendering industry output is bound by
livestock production. Hence, the industry cannot increase or decrease output in
changes to market conditions, and has become a price taker in the global market.
The large increases in production of competing vegetable oils have been partly
fueled by government support and intervention in the production of these products,
giving them an unfair advantage against rendered fats and greases in the world
marketplace. These same government policies have also had the effect of
artificially changing the global fats and oils prices and, hence, unfairly affected the
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Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

price that renderers receive in the global marketplace for their products. The major
suppliers of tallow in the world are as follows (Table 2).
Table 2. Tallow Exports by Major Suppliers, 2000 2005.
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

%
change
last 2 yr

Metric Tons
United
States
Australia

915,879

781,383

1,034,398

904,673

853,015

790,204

-7.36%

384,099

414,962

340,901

384,758

396,129

376,064

-5.07%

Canada

227,099

252,480

245,243

173,433

289,432

227,654 -21.34%

New
Zealand
Brazil

117,421

125,045

114,180

136,337

143,760

142,493

-0.88%

146

22,974

13,352

4,259

46,347

44,491

-4.00%

World
1,687,718 1,611,027 1,814,947 1,653,582 1,807,845 1,658,928 -8.24%
Total
Source: Global Trade Atlas for national exports; world total excludes intra EU trade.

Tallow production is tied to the cyclical nature of the beef industries in the
producing nations. Exports from the major suppliers have been fairly static over the
last five years. However, it is interesting to see a very large increase in exports
from Brazil. Brazils rendering industry is fairly new and will probably continue to
increase its exports in the near future. The majority of tallow exports from these
countries are utilized for industrial purposes with the remaining used in livestock
feed as an energy source. The major importers for tallow are listed in Table 3.
Table 3. Tallow Imports by Major Markets, 2000 2005.
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

%
change
last 2 yr

454,512

430,619

-5.26%

Metric Tons
Mexico

261,458

283,464

377,441

370,966

China
332,914
299,265
320,865 296,478 318,520
Cent. Am 139,852
136,832
161,852 150,460 169,214
& Carib
Turkey
123,656
88,436
136,430 116,640 130,993
Pakistan
99,838
71,324
84,324 113,483
70,189
Nigeria
47,615
57,215
51,585
62,705
57,834
World
1,687,718 1,611,027 1,814,947 1,653,582 1,807,845
Total
Source: Global Trade Atlas; world total excludes intra EU trade.
218

306,575 -3.75%
98,389 -41.86%
133,891
2.21%
83,126 18.43%
105,440
1,658,928 -8.24%

Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

As would be expected, Mexico, the largest importer of tallow, imports

nearly all of their tallow from the United States, and China imports from Australia
and New Zealand. Before BSE was found in North America, China was importing
increasingly large quantities of tallow from North America. However, after BSE
was found, China closed the market and as of this writing they have not re-opened
to tallow from North America, despite all scientific evidence that shows tallow with
a maximum insoluble impurity level of less then 0.15 percent is safe.
Post World War II Protein Meals
Research at Purdue University by Professor Plumb in the early 1900s
showed that pigs fed protein residue or tankage along with corn grew much better
then those fed corn alone. So began the feeding of rendered animal proteins to
livestock because of the rich nutrient content and amino acid complex of these
proteins. Prior to World War II, very little, if any, animal proteins were traded.
Most were fed back to the livestock industry in the countries where they were
produced. After World War II, there continued to be little trade in animal proteins
because they were valuable and thus utilized in the countries where they were
produced. Hence, it is extremely difficult to find trade data for animal proteins prior
to the late 1980s. It appears that entering the late 1980s, exports of animal proteins
meals started to increase dramatically. Many countries in the world are protein
deficient and as their livestock industries have developed, the need for imported
protein feed ingredients has grown. High quality animal proteins offer a good
source of nutrition along with a desirable amino acid complex, and are a very good
complement to plant-based protein meals in a ration.
Animal protein meal exports have become increasingly more important to
the American rendering industry. During the period 1992 to 2002, U.S. exports
went from 160,000 metric tons to over 550,000 metric tons, a near four-fold
increase. However, in 2004 and 2005, due to BSE concerns by importing nations,
exports of animal proteins decreased substantially. On the domestic side, according
to the U.S. Census Bureaus monthly surveys and NRA estimates, U.S. production
of animal protein meals is somewhat static to down slightly (Table 4).
Table 4. U.S. Production and Consumption of Animal Protein Meals.
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

%
change
last 2 yr

4,020.5

3,881.1

-3.5%

Thousand Metric Tons

Production
Consumption

4,215.5

4,120.1

4,525.1

3,845.1

Domestic
3,729.6
3,619.1
3,916.7
3,296.8
3,841.5
3,644.9
-5.1%
Exports
485.8
501.0
608.4
548.3
179.0
236.2 32.0%
Total
4,215.5
4,120.1
4,525.1
3,845.1
4,020.5
3,881.1
-3.5%
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. Global Trade Atlas for exports. Domestic consumption is derived.
219

Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

The livestock industry must comply with a 1997 Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) BSE safeguard measure that prohibits the feeding of
ruminant-derived (mainly cattle and sheep) materials back to ruminant animals.
This has resulted in market differentiation whereby porcine materials and poultry
meals command a price premium. As a consequence, prior to December 2003,
renderers successfully marketed ruminant-derived and/or mixed-species materials
into the export market. However, since the United States announced a case of BSE
from an imported cow toward the end of 2003, all export markets for ruminant or
mixed materials have disappeared. The exports of 236,000 metric tons in 2005 was
attributed mostly to poultry by-product meal, porcine meal, feather meal, and a brief
period of exports of ruminant MBM to Indonesia before two additional cases of
BSE were reported. Amazingly enough, after BSE was reported, most international
markets even closed the doors to North American porcine and poultry meals.
However, government-to-government negotiations soon resulted in most of these
markets reopening. This has led to price premiums in the domestic market for these
proteins as opposed to ruminant MBM. There also continues to be a shift in
consumption whereby ruminant or mixed material is being fed domestically to
poultry and pigs, and the single species, non-ruminant material is commanding a
premium in the export market, opposite the case prior to December 2003.
World exports of animal proteins were relatively stable in the time period
2000 to 2005 (Table 5). The European Union issued a ban on the exports of MBM
due to BSE in 2000 that caused a 29 percent decrease in global exports of MBM
between 2000 and 2001. Soybean acreage in the major producing countries
continues to grow, pushing exports of soybean meal from approximately 36 mmt in
2000 to about 48 mmt in 2005.
Table 5. World Meal Trade, 2000 2005.
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

%
change
last 2 yr

59.91

62.27

3.9%

Million Metric Tons

Total veg. &
fish meal

48.79

52.79

53.72

58.49

Soy
36.11
41.53
42.67
45.41
46.15
47.89
Fish
3.46
3.19
2.88
3.13
3.55
3.60
Other
9.22
8.07
8.17
9.95
10.21
10.78
Animal Prot.
1.37
0.97
1.23
1.12
1.26
1.27
Sources: USDA/FAS Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade Circular, February 2006.
NRA estimates and forecast for animal proteins.

3.8%
1.4%
5.6%
0.8%

The world trade in protein meals increased by approximately four percent

in 2005, continuing a trend of increases in trade for all protein meals. Soybean meal
trade increased by four percent to total 48 mmt versus trade in animal proteins of a
little over one million tons.
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Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

In 2005, U.S. exports of MBM increased by about 42 percent over 2004

levels mainly due to a substantial increase in exports of non-ruminant protein meals
to Mexico and to the brief period in which ruminant MBM was exported to
Indonesia (Table 6). Australian exports increased, as did exports from Argentina.
Both countries were filling the demand that was left open due to the United States
and Canada being out of the ruminant MBM market. Of interest to note among the
group of exporters is that the EU-25 continues to increase exports of MBM. As
they re-enter the export market they will be strong competition to U.S. exports.
Brazil is one of the worlds largest producers of poultry and beef, so, as their
rendering industry develops, they could become a major competitor as well.
Table 6. Meat and Bone Meal Exports by Major Suppliers, 2000 2005.
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

%
change
last 2 yr

136,932

193,857

41.6%

Metric Tons
U.S.

460,824

458,641

569,435

505,671

Australia
192,903
204,747
222,424
282,486
201,869 205,821
N. Zealand 133,169
140,384
132,540
131,390
233,018 132,049
EU-25
365,628
21,773
32,638
46,007
111,434 117,559
Canada
53,005
65,634
110,011
77,393
60,891
57,811
Brazil
2,243
3,493
16,448
31,847
44,505
40,296
Argentina
62,952
32,302
39,864
41,813
75,058
75,887
World Tot. 1,050,745 884,311 1,180,683 1,197,084
872,504 915,890
Source: Global Trade Atlas for national exports; does not include intra EU trade.

2.0%
-43.3%
5.5%
-5.1%
-9.5%
1.1%
5.0%

Regarding global importers of MBM, Indonesia continues to be the largest

importer (Table 7). However, in 2005, imports declined by 15 percenta
continued decline since 2004. This decrease is mostly due to the presence of avian
influenza in that country and the liquidation of poultry flocks. In 2005, imports of
MBM by Egypt also declined by 34 percent, again due to the concerns of avian
influenza and the impact on the poultry industry and consequently the feed industry.
In 2005 the major suppliers of MBM to Egypt were Argentina and Uruguay. In
2004, imports of MBM into China were down 79 percent due to banning MBM
from the United States and Canada, its two major suppliers. However, in 2005,
Australia filled this demand and exports grew by 78 percent.

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Essential RenderingGlobal MarketSwisher

Table 7. Meat and Bone Meal Imports by Major Markets, 2000 2005.
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Metric Tons
Indonesia
283,816 250,021
310,301
394,379 212,056 180,469
Egypt
65,112
74,610
111,465
106,920 110,651
73,518
Mexico
92,755
79,868
62,634
61,711
59,750 113,267
Bangladesh
10,971
24,746
30,373
30,667
110,187
46,032
China
135,972
75,314
130,932
73,561
21,097
37,323
Taiwan
35,023
31,142
56,169
88,020
36,420
44,044
World Tot. 1,050,745 884,311 1,180,683 1,197,084 872,504 915,890
Source: Global Trade Atlas for national exports; does not include intra EU trade.

%
change
last 2 yr
-14.9%
-33.6%
89.6%
-58.2%
76.9%
20.9%
5.0%

Traditionally, exports of protein meals went to countries with larger

poultry sectors because they have provided nutrients needed by poultry at
reasonable prices. MBM is unique as compared to other feedstuffs in that it
provides for a highly digestible source of protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorous
all in one source. Poultry producers understand the importance of MBM in the
ration because of its nutritional and economic benefits. This is important for poultry
companies competing as low-cost producers in the global marketplace. Using
animal proteins as opposed to a corn and soybean meal-only diet, has shown a five
percent savings in feed cost, with some showing a savings as high as 10 percent
(Render, August 2004). According to researchers in Brazil, when their poultry
industry stopped using animal proteins to meet European Union requirements, the
following observations were noted (Penz, Brazil, 2004):
$10/ton increased feed cost
Poorer feed conversion
Compromised pellet quality
Increased harmful oligosaccharides and antigens
Increased feet and leg problems
Increased water intake and wet litter
Lower metabolizable energy
Variability of SBM protein, digestibility not accounted for in research
Hence, there is good reason why animal proteins are so highly demanded
around the world from poultry producers. Demand for animal proteins is starting to
increase in the aquaculture sector as well. As the production of fish meal, a main
ingredient in aquaculture feed, is not keeping up with the demand, prices are rising
to extreme levels and aquaculture producers are searching for alternatives to fish
meal. Animal proteins are an excellent source to partially replace and complement
fish meal in an aquaculture ration, at a fraction of the cost of fish meal.

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Production Outlook for Rendered Products

Extrapolating data from the Economic Research Service (ERS) meat
production forecasts, U.S. production of protein meals should remain steady in the
near-term and rise to over 2.9 mmt by 2013 (Table 8), a 19 percent increase over
2003. Production of animal fats and greases is predicted to rise by 15 percent
between 2003 and 2013, reaching approximately 4.9 mmt in 2013 (Table 9).
Table 8. U.S. Animal Protein Meal Production Forecast, 2003 2013.
Year

Metric Tons

2003
2004
2005
2006 (Forecast)
2007 (Forecast)
2008 (Forecast)
2009 (Forecast)
2010 (Forecast)
2011 (Forecast)
2012 (Forecast)
2013 (Forecast)

2,432,603
2,392,234
2,565,505
2,601,388
2,655,684
2,709,603
2,767,493
2,800,743
2,833,385
2,867,069
2,900,551

Table 9. U.S. Production Outlook for Fats and Greases, 2003 2013.
Year

Metric Tons

2003
2004
2005
2006 (Forecast)
2007 (Forecast)
2008 (Forecast)
2009 (Forecast)
2010 (Forecast)
2011 (Forecast)
2012 (Forecast)
2013 (Forecast)

4,243,334
4,302,755
4,185,366
4,367,026
4,458,174
4,548,690
4,645,872
4,701,690
4,756,486
4,813,033
4,869,241

Unknown variables within the United States could change the production
forecasts dramatically. Of specific concern is the long awaited follow-up to FDAs
July 14, 2004, advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) that was officially
published in the Federal Register on October 5, 2005. There was a 75-day public
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comment period that closed on December 20, 2005. Currently, the FDA is
reviewing all comments and will make a determination regarding a final rule. The
FDA has the ability to implement the rule as written, alter the rule due to comments,
or decide not to issue a final rule. Due to the process involved in issuing a final
rule, and the extremely low level of risk, it may likely be towards the end of 2006
before it is known what FDAs final decision will be regarding a final rule. This
ANPR proposes, among other things, the elimination of specified risk material
(SRM) from cattle over 30 months and dead stock from the feed chain. An NRA
funded study by Informa Economics predicts that these restrictions, if enacted,
would decrease production of MBM by over 35,800 metric tons, valued at over $7.1
million dollars. The same restrictions would decrease tallow production by 21,772
metric tons at a value of over $8.6 million. Hence, total rendered product
production could fall by over 57,572 metric tons. This is equal to approximately
four percent of U.S. exports by volume (2005 data). As stated earlier, the comment
period for this rule ended on December 20, 2005. As of September 2006, FDA had
taken no action on this rule. Due to the relatively high cost and disruption to the
market, for a relatively miniscule risk level, and the already proven effectiveness of
existing regulations, it would be hard to justify such a rule on pure scientific terms.
Another unknown variable in the production of fats and greases is energy prices.
Production of fats and greases in 2005 was down approximately three percent
compared to 2004 production, while at the same time the cattle slaughter by weight
was higher, along with MBM production. It appears, due to high energy costs,
producers of fats and greases relied upon their own production to fuel their plants,
hence leading to a decrease in the reported production of fats and greases. If this
trend continues, the production forecast would need to be adjusted downward.
Outlook for Rendered Products
The demand outlook for rendered products is quite favorable. Aside from
the continued demand for rendered products in traditional markets, the future holds
great promise for new demand patterns to form. Demand for fats and greases is
expected to increase dramatically as biodiesel production continues to absorb more
raw materials, including both vegetable oils and animal fats and greases. The
demand for animal proteins should continue to grow in the long term; however, in
the short term, the stigma of BSE still acts as a catalyst for importing nations to
raise regulatory barriers blocking the imports of some products. As time passes,
and the relative low risk of BSE in North America is understood, and as demand for
protein meals grows, markets will open slowly to the imports of MBM. The
rendering industry is quite unique in that it takes waste material from the slaughter
of animals and converts this waste into high quality, high value products that are in
turn the solution to providing safe alternative ingredients to the livestock,
aquaculture, and industrial sectors.

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ProblemShortage of Fish Meal

SolutionAnimal Proteins as a Substitute
The outlook for increased demand for animal proteins is being fueled by
demand for fish meal, for which animal proteins make a good substitute. Fish meal
is a major feed ingredient in poultry rations, but more so in aquaculture rations.
According to Dr. Albert Tacon, University of Hawaii, the average annual growth in
the aquaculture sector has been approximately nine percent per year since 1970. In
contrast, the average annual growth rate in the non-food catch of fish has only been
0.8 percent per year between 1970 and 2002 (Tacon, 2004). This contrast shows the
dramatic increase in demand for fish meal and the lack of increased supplies while
prices of fish meal have increased to unheard-of levels. In May 2006, it was
reported that fish meal prices reached nearly $1,000 per metric ton as opposed to
average traditional price levels of $400 to $600 per metric ton. This is compared to
rendered protein meals that range from $120 to $300 per metric ton. As this
shortage of fish meal continues and the prices increase, feed millers will have no
choice but to find alternative proteins, and rendered protein meals are a good fit.
Feed trials that have been conducted by NRA further prove the positive effect of
substituting rendered protein meals for fish meal (Yu, 2006). Furthermore, the
reduced fish meal supply could have catastrophic effects on the aquaculture sector
in China. Since fish is considered to be the food of choice in China, much like beef
is in the United States; disruption in the aquaculture sector is a serious concern. The
substitution of animal proteins for fish meal in poultry and aquaculture rations is a
viable solution to the ever-growing crises created by the shortage of fish meal, and
feeding trials have proven the replacement to cause no ill effects.
Problem High Energy Costs and Reliance on Unstable Foreign Oil
SolutionAnimal Fats and Greases as a Feedstock for Biodiesel
In regards to fats and greases, the outlook for use in biodiesel is the largest
variable on the demand side of the equation. The drastic rise in oil prices and the
uncertainty of day-to-day supplies of oil from unstable regions of the world have led
many nations to look to renewable energy sources and biodiesel as a solution.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Biodiesel is made by transforming
animal fat or vegetable oil with alcohol and can be directly substituted for diesel
either as neat fuel (B100) or as an oxygenate additive (typically 20 percent-B20).
The European Union is the worlds largest producer of biodiesel and the United
States is the second largest producer. The growth in biodiesel production is
astonishing. According to the European Biodiesel Board, European Union
production of biodiesel between 2002 and 2004 increased by about 35 percent per
year, and increased by 65 percent in 2005 versus 2004 (Table 10).

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Table 10. Estimated EU Biodiesel Production.

Year

Million Gallons

2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Source: European Biodiesel Board.

278
319
430
580
955

In the United States, biodiesel production went from a relatively small

production of two million gallons in 2000 to 75 million gallons in 2005. The
growth tripled between 2004 and 2005 (Table 11). Extremely high energy prices
starting in 2005 and continuing through 2006, along with government incentives to
develop renewable fuels have sparked massive growth in biodiesel production.
Since animal fats and greases are a good raw material for biodiesel, demand for
these products will increase as biodiesel production continues to increase. On a
global level, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts global production of
biodiesel to increase from below 0.8 billion gallons in 2003 to approximately 6.2
billion gallons by 2020 (Table 12). Hence, a whole new market for fats and oils is
emerging in which both vegetable and animal fats will compete.
Table 11. Estimated U.S. Biodiesel Production.
Year

Million Gallons

1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Source: National Biodiesel Board.

0.5
2.0
5.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
75.0

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Table 12. Global Biodiesel Production Projections to 2020.

Year

Million Gallons

1990
0
1995
211
2000
309
2005
991
2010
2,906
2015
4,438
2020
6,208
Source: International Energy Agency/Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (IEA/OECD), 2004, p 169.

Conclusion
In conclusion, there continues to be a very large demand for animal
proteins globally from countries that are protein deficient. Animal proteins are best
positioned for use in the poultry and aquaculture industries, as well as in pet food
and swine rations. As fish meal prices continue to climb, demand for high quality
animal protein meals continue to rise as well. However, one obstacle for North
American proteins is the food and feed safety barrier related to BSE. Unfortunately,
the situation in the EU, where close to 200,000 cases of BSE have been reported,
drove the global regulatory structure to stop trade of ruminant MBM from any
country that had a case of BSE. Obviously, North America, with fewer than 12
cases total through August 2006, should not be treated similarly to the European
Union in regard to risk level and import standards.
There is also a growing demand for animal fats and greases as a renewable
energy source. Their use for energy is two-fold. First, they can be used directly in
industrial burners. As energy prices rise, there is more direct burning occurring,
especially within renderers own plants. Second, the growing biodiesel industry
will also demand more. Currently, in the United States, most of the biodiesel
facilities utilize soybean oil, and in the EU, they use canola oil. However, there are
a growing number of plants that can use multiple sources of feedstock, and some
that utilize animal fats and greases alone. Since this industry is at the beginning of
major expansion, it is hard to predict the ultimate impact. However, the expansion
will result in increased demand for animal fats and greases. Rendered products are
the solution to two major problems being faced today and in the foreseeable
futurethe growing cost of energy and the growing cost of fish meal.

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References
Australian Government, Biofuels Task Force. 2005. Report of the Biofuels Task Force to
the Prime Minister. pp. 39-55.
Cleland, R.G. 1951. The cattle on a thousand hills Southern California, 1850-1870.
Huntington Library, California.
Energy Information Agency. 2005. Annual energy outlook 2005 with projections to 2025.
EIA, United States Department of Energy, Washington DC.
European Biodiesel Board, 2003-2006, Statistics, the EU Biodiesel Industry.
[Link]/[Link].
Federal Register. 2005. Docket No. 2002N-0273, Substances Prohibited from use in Animal
Food or Feed. 70:58570-58601.
Firman, J.D., D. Robbins, and G.G. Pearl. 2004. Poultry Rations. Render. 33(4):12-20.
Informa Economics. 2004. An Economic and Environmental Assessment of Eliminating
Specified Risk Materials and Cattle Mortalities from Existing Markets. Prepared for
National Renderers Association, August 2004.
International Energy Agency. 2004. Biofuels for transport: an international perspective.
International Energy Agency, OECD.
Internationale Statistische Agrarinformationen. 1990. Oil World: 1963-2012. ISTA Mielke
GmbH. Hamburg, Germany.
Internationale Statistische Agrarinformationen. 1997. Oil World Annual. 1997. ISTA
Mielke GmbH. Hamburg, Germany.
Mohammad, H.A., M.J. Mohd Fauzi, and A. Ramli. 1999. Interactions Between Malaysian
and Indonesian Palm Oil Industries: Simulating the Impact of Liberalization of Imports of
CPO from Indonesia. Journal of Oil Palm Research. 11( 2):48.
National Biodiesel Board.
[Link]/pdf_files/fuelfactsheets/Production_Graph_Slide.pdf
Penz, A.M. 2004. Federal University of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Consequences of
using poultry diets formulated without animal protein meals. International Seminar
Novus-NRA, Ixtapa, Mexico. Sept 30 Oct 1.
Williamson, S.H. 2005. What is the Relative Value? Economic History Services, December
14. [Link]/hmit/compare/.
Tacon, A.G. 2004. Use of fish meal and fish oil in aquaculture: a global perspective. CAB
International.
United Kingdom House of Commons. The BSE Inquiry. Crown copyright;
[Link]/.
Yu Y. 2006. Rendered Animal Proteins for Aquafeeds. National Renderers Association,
Inc., Hong Kong.

228

INDUSTRIAL AND ENERGY USES OF ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS,

PAST AND FUTURE
S. A. McGlashan, Ph.D.
Manager, Environment and Co-Products
Meat and Livestock Australia, Ltd.
Summary
This chapter addresses the application of rendered products to the
production of energy and other industrial uses. The high volume of rendered
product generated precludes investigation into most high value/low volume markets.
Future regulation relating to biosecurity and environmental protection has the
potential to restrict traditional market access for rendered co-products. It is
essential to develop product applications that demand large volumes of raw material
to ensure the viability of the rendering industry.
Historically, tallow has had much wider energy and industrial application
than protein-based meals. Fertilizer and soil conditioners were a minor avenue for
animal by-products whilst there was widespread and profitable use of protein-based
meals in the feed and food sector.
Rendered products have traditionally been used as a source of digestible
protein, nutrients, and energy in the feed and food industries. There are
physical/chemical methods for transforming that intrinsic energy value into a
commercial fuel. Tallow-derived biodiesel is the most obvious alternative use for
animal by-products. Use of protein meals as energy sources is technically feasible
using pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and incineration/co-firing, but may have
economic limitations.
The potential for industrial uses of protein meals is limited. Proteins are a
potential raw material for bio-based plastics and carton board adhesives. Natural
forms of hydroxyapatite, found in high-density leg bones of cattle, sheep, and goats,
has application as an absorbent, a catalyst, a dental substrate, and as a bone
substitute. If these industrial applications are to be realized there are several
technical and economic hurdles to overcome.
Historical and Current Uses of Rendered Products
Historically, non-feed, non-food applications for rendered co-products,
with the exception of tallow, has tended to be limited in their application to niche
markets (Pearl, 2003). Generally, these markets were too small to support large
volumes of meat and bone meal and poultry meal.
Hundreds of industrial chemical applications have used, and in some cases
still use, fat and fatty acids as a feedstock, whereas relatively few applications were
developed for meat and bone meals beyond adhesives, soil conditioners, and
fertilizers. The onset of World War I and II saw significant demand for rendered
glycerin for the production of explosives, specifically tri-nitroglycerin or TNT. The

Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

demand for rendered co-products for these applications (see Table 1 for more
examples) has declined with the increase in use of widely available, and often
cheaper, petroleum/synthetic-based products.
Table 1. Industrial Uses for Fats and Fatty Acids.
Explosives
Saddle soap
OLEO margarine & shortening
Crayons
Cosmetics
Ceramics
Creams and lotions
Tallow for tanning
Hair conditioner

Makeup
Solvents
Chemicals
Insecticides
Paraffin
Dish and hand soap
Mink oil
Shaving cream
Bone char to filter
and decolorize
sugar solutions

Paints
Industrial oil and lubricants
Rubber products
Floor wax
Herbicides
Medicines
Antifreeze
Biodegradable detergents
Bone china

Source: California Department of Food and Agriculture,

[Link]/ahfss/mpi/by_products.mtm.

The process of rendering animal parts has been documented for at least
2,000 years (Grummer, 1992). The purpose of rendering was to produce tallow and
other rendered animal fats to make soap and candles.
Energy Production
Tallow can be used directly as a boiler fuel or to manufacture biodiesel.
Some systems may require filtration for fats and greases before use as boiler fuel.
Inadequately filtered biofuel could cause fuel handing problems and increased
gaseous emissions.
Agricultural and Industrial Applications
Soap making was a major use of tallow. In the nineteenth century the
Industrial Revolution transformed the agriculture sector. The development of
intensive livestock production led to a burgeoning disposal problem. Rendering
became an attractive solution. Early twentieth century processes separated the fat
and water from the protein, called tankage, which was then used as a fertilizer.
Protein streams from rendered co-products are well suited to adhesive
applications due to the large number of available chemical functionalities for bond
formulation. Animal-based adhesives have been used since the early 1800s and
consumption peaked at 70 million kilograms (kg) (approximately two percent of
current consumption of petroleum-derived adhesives) in 1948. Low cost synthetic
adhesives quickly infiltrated the market after World War II, making its animalbased, and technically inferior, competitor economically non-viable.

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Future Uses of Rendered Products

The high volume of rendered product generated precludes investigation
into most high value/low volume markets. It is essential to develop product
applications that demand large volumes of raw material to ensure the viability of the
rendering industry. No differentiation is made between types of tallow or protein
for future uses.
Energy
Rendered products have traditionally been used as a source of convertible
protein, nutrients, and energy in the feed and food industries. There are
physical/chemical methods for transforming that intrinsic energy value into a
commercial fuel.
Biodiesel
In 1898, Rudolph Diesel first demonstrated his compression ignition
engine at the Worlds Exhibition in Paris. Its fuel source was based on peanut oil,
the first biodiesel. Diesel believed biomass fuel to be a viable alternative to the
resource consuming steam engine. Vegetable oils were used in diesel engines until
the 1920s when an alteration was made to the engine, enabling it to use a residue of
petroleum - what is now known as diesel No. 2.
Biodiesel is a diesel fuel substitute produced from renewable sources such
as vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking oils. Biodiesel is biodegradable
and non-toxic, and has significantly fewer emissions than petroleum-based diesel
when burned. Biodiesel functions in current diesel engines, and is a possible
candidate to replace fossil fuels as a significant supplier to the worlds transport
energy.
Biodiesel is produced by the transesterification of animal fats such as
tallow; the triglycerides react with methanol to produce methyl esters and
glycerides. The process is typically catalyzed by either sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
or potassium hydroxide (KOH) to increase reaction rates. The product of the
process is a liquid fuel similar to regular diesel. Biodiesel has a gross calorific
value of approximately 33.3 megajoules per liter and a density of 0.88 kg per liter
(Khan, 2002). One advantage that biodiesel offers over some other energy sources
(such as methane) is that the resulting fuel is already in liquid form and is therefore
more easily stored and transported. Biodiesel is already in wide use around the
world. It is blended with diesel in the same way that ethanol is blended with petrol.
Biodiesel, however, has been found to be suitable for blending at much higher
concentrations than ethanol without requiring engine modifications. The standard
blend is 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent diesel (Paisley, 2003). However,
depending on its use, biodiesel production from tallow offers challenges that
biodiesel production from traditional vegetable oils does not.
One disadvantage that biodiesel produced from tallow has as a liquid fuel
is related to its cold flow properties. Crystallization in tallow esters (biodiesel)
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

occurs due to the high melting points of the saturated fatty acid esters present in the
biodiesel (Papadopoulos, 2005). Neat (100 percent) methyl tallowate biodiesels
have been shown to crystallize at significantly higher temperatures than regular
diesel (i.e., up to 15C). This is attributed to the high levels of saturated fatty acids
present in beef tallow, leading to the production of methyl stearate by esterification
(melting point of methyl stearate is 39.1C).
Several options exist for the improvement of cold flow characteristics,
including blending with regular diesel, use of branched chain alcohols, and the use
of additives. Blending with regular diesel is the current preferred method due its
simplicity and practicality (National Biodiesel Board, 2005). The use of branched
chain alcohols in the esterification reaction (isopropyl alcohol instead of methanol)
has been shown to improve cold flow properties. The resultant diesel will comprise
isopropyl tallowate instead of methyl tallowate. This indicates that isopropyl esters
have a crystallization point 7C to 11C lower than methyl esters produced from the
same source (Wang, 2003). The problem with the use of branched chain alcohols is
the increase in costs of manufacture. The use of additives similar to those used in
regular diesel would be ideal. Currently, however, such additives do not exist.
A method for improving the cold flow properties of biodiesel is
winterization. This process essentially involves cycling the biodiesel through
cooling stages and filtering out the crystallized components. This process reduces
the amount of saturated (higher melting point) methyl esters and therefore improves
the cold flow characteristics. However, it is impractical in mass production due to
the large amount of product lost during the filtration and due to the energy
requirements involved with the repeated cooling stages. Obviously, future
improvements of cold flow characteristics are likely to come from methods that
inhibit crystal formation and growth rather than from the removal of the low
melting point components.
By-products of Biodiesel Production
Biodiesel would be produced from the animal fat extracted by the
rendering process. The fats produced by the rendering process can be divided into
two groups, edible and inedible. Edible fats are likely to attract a higher price in the
food industry. Inedible rendering products typically attract a lower price and may
be more suitable for biodiesel production.
Higher levels of free fatty acids (FFA) generally mean lower quality and
value of the tallow. A higher FFA composition is likely to require more pretreatment before biodiesel production, and will generate a lower quality glycerin byproduct. Commercial operations do exist that convert FFA to biodiesel in the
presence of acid-based catalysts where the FFA content is less than 20 percent.
Table 2 is a summary of the mass and energy balances used to calculate the
economic viability of biodiesel production with a basis of one 400 kg steer input to
the process, derived from the overall mass balance.

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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

Table 2. Mass Balance for Bio-Diesel Production.

Tallow
Methanol
Glycerin
Biodiesel

Input
37.20 kg
3.72 kg

Output
3.72 kg
37.20 kg

Source
Overall mass balance
Stoichiometry (Duncan, 2003)
Stoichiometry (Duncan, 2003)
Stoichiometry (Duncan, 2003)

The primary benefit would be the conversion of low value inedible

rendered products to a higher value medium energy content fuel. Such a process
could either reduce the overall energy demand of a site or provide a valuable liquid
fuel for transport and sale. The rate of production of biodiesel is almost 1:1 input
animal fat reacted in weight terms.
Currently, diesel prices are high enough to ensure significant industry
profitably. However, current prices are significantly above historic averages, and a
return to historic averages would make the industry unsustainable.
Given the relatively low effect of capital cost on the production cost of
biodiesel, compared to the cost of the feed tallow, economic viability in the future
will not be greatly enhanced by technological improvements in processing. The
future viability of biodiesel production will be determined by the price of regular
diesel fuel and the cost of the tallow feedstock. Additionally, the long-term
economic viability of biodiesel production will be affected by the tax arrangements
for alternative fuels. Overall, the viability of biodiesel fuels is heavily influenced
by market trends, due to the low capital cost proportion of the investment, and the
widely variable prices of both feed and product streams. The relatively inexpensive
alternative of natural gas for on-site heating and the need for tax relief or sustained
high diesel prices affect the viability of investments in biodiesel fuels.
Given the political instability of Middle East oil trading nations, the long
term cost of crude oil (and therefore diesel) cannot reliably be predicted, thus
increasing the potential risk of the investment. While the market for tallow remains,
meat producers producing tallow from a rendering operation would be better off
selling the tallow, possibly to a centralized biodiesel producer if the current trend of
increasing oil prices continues, rather than taking on the potential economic risks
associated with biodiesel production themselves. Renderers can potentially reap the
benefits of biodiesel production from a centralized facility and take advantage of
economies of scale benefits in the form of increased tallow prices, without incurring
operation costs themselves.
The operating costs of biodiesel production estimated in Potential
Feedstock Supply and Costs for Biodiesel Production (Nelson, 1994) indicate that
most of the operating cost associated with typical biodiesel production is the cost of
the raw material (oil/fat). The cost of methanol, labor, catalyst, and auxiliaries was
deemed to be very low; in this study, the raw material cost was estimated as 85.8
percent of the total yearly operating costs.
The utilization of this technology depends heavily on the type of rendering
that a plant is using, and therefore the possible feeds into the biodiesel production
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

process. Considering the evaluation of Nelson (1994), economic viability of tallow

to a biodiesel operation is most dependent on the cost of the primary feedstock. For
this reason, a plant producing high-quality, high-value tallow capable of being sold
for edible purpose is much less likely to benefit from this technology than one
producing low grade tallow for livestock feed.
Hydrogen Production from Glycerol
Glycerol is a major by-product of the production of biodiesel via
esterification of animal fats. While glycerol has its uses in the manufacture of soap
and other chemicals, its value is expected to decline in the coming years as a result
of increased biodiesel production worldwide. The U.S. Department of Energy
predicted in 2004 that biodiesel production could reach two billion gallons per year
after the implementation of renewable energy incentives. This level of biodiesel
production would result in the co-production of two billion pounds of glycerol per
year. The Chemical Market Reporter stated, also in 2004, that the worldwide
demand for glycerol was 494 million pounds. This expectation that supply will
outstrip demand resulting in lower glycerol prices gives reason to explore
alternative uses, given that the economic viability of the biodiesel production
process is at least in part dependant on the sale of glycerol.
Thus, entirely new applications for glycerol need to be developed. A
promising process involves aqueous-phase reforming of glycerol to produce
hydrogen (Liu, 2005). Hydrogen is a clean fuel and feedstock to the energy and
industrial chemicals industries. One of the advantages of this process is that the
reforming reaction and the water/gas shift reaction are both thermodynamically
favorable at similar operating conditions. As a result, it is possible to have the
reactions in this process take place in a single vessel. Liu (2005) indicates that an
optimum temperature for reforming is approximately 250C, and under these
conditions the product gas from the reformer contains 63.8 percent hydrogen and 33
percent carbon dioxide with the remainder ethylene and methane. This gas could be
used in combustion systems as is; however, pressure swing absorption can be used
to generate a pure stream of hydrogen and a pure stream of carbon dioxide, which
would represent more valuable products. The benefit of this operation is conversion
of glycerol to a more valuable product, hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used as a
chemical feedstock for the production of ammonia or methanol. Methanol
production may be of particular interest as it is one of the reactants required to
produce biodiesel upstream. Hydrogen can also be used as a fuel in fuel cells.
Given the environmental benefits of fuel cells over standard internal combustion
engines, it is likely that the demand for pure hydrogen may rise in the future, and
glycerol reforming is likely to be a cost-effective method of producing pure
hydrogen from a non-fossil fuel source. The pure carbon dioxide by-product also
has a value to the food industry and as a refrigerant in the meat industry. Its supply
is, however, relatively abundant. It should be noted that although the process has a
carbon dioxide outlet stream, it is still considered carbon neutral as far as
greenhouse gases. This is because the carbon released was previously absorbed
during the creation of organic matter rather than sourced from fossilized fuels.
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

Ultimately, the viability of this process is dependant on the value of the feed,
glycerol, which is expected to decrease with future surplus supply.
Uses for Meat and Bone Meal
Meat and bone meal (MBM) revenue is an important aspect to the
profitability of rendering operations and meat industry in general. The ramifications
of a total feed ban needs special consideration. If a feed ban were implemented, it
would be essential to have alternative, profitable, avenues for the use of MBM.
Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a similar technology to gasification. However, pyrolysis
occurs in the absence of air and the product is a liquid rather than a gas. The
product of pyrolysis is called bio-oil and has a heating capacity of around 16 to 19
megajoules per kg (Paisley, 2003). Bio-oil yield rates are strongly enhanced by
providing heat at a faster rate into the reactor, which in turn enhances the pyrolysis
reaction rate. This reaction is rapid thermal pyrolysis, or RTP. In order to achieve
these fast reaction rates, the feed is typically ground into fine particles (less than
two millimeters) (Paisley, 2003). In order to aid reaction speed and decrease
moisture content in the bio-oil, the feed typically needs a moisture content of less
than 15 percent. Particle size reduction and drying technology may also be required
depending on the waste to be treated.
Table 3. Mass Balance for PyrolysisOutput from Input of 32 kg MBM
(Approximate Yield from Steer).
Bio-oil
Char
Non-condensable
gases

Output
Source
20 kg
Based on 560L/ton input (Wisconsin Biorefining)
8 kg
Based on 15 - 25% yield (DynaMotive)
4 kg
Based on 10 - 15% yield (DynaMotive)

Table 3 is a summary of the mass balance used to calculate the economic

viability of pyrolysis with a basis of one 400 kg steer input to the process, derived
from the overall mass balance.
The major potential of pyrolysis is the production of a liquid fuel suitable
for storage and transport. An advantage of this technology over other methods of
energy extraction from waste streams is the milder operating conditions, typically
around 500C, compared to 800C to 900C for gasification, and the very short
processing times compared to the several weeks required for anaerobic digestion.
The capital investment required for this technology would be similar to
that of gasification in that both require a fluidized bed combustor. The materials of
construction may be cheaper for pyrolysis given the lower operating temperature.
Much larger capital costs will be involved if drying or size reduction is necessary.
Capital cost estimates vary and are largely dependant on feed pre-treatment
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

requirements. McArthur (1996) indicates that the portion of the capital costs
attributed to the furnace itself is relatively small, with material preparation, drying,
and pre-treatment costs accounting for approximately half the capital cost. As
expected, the current processing conditions and, therefore, potential feeds will
largely dictate viability.
The bio-oil yield is expected to be around 560 liters per ton dry feed
(Wisconsin Biorefining Development Initiative), with a calorific value of 16 to 19
megajoules per kg (Paisley, 2003). Given recent escalations in oil prices, analysis
into its use as a liquid fuel may be warranted; however, its relatively low energy
density and incompatibility with standard internal combustion engines may cause
problems. Its overall economic viability is also dependent on alternate uses for its
feedstock, particularly in relation to the pyrolysis of MBM, which is currently a
valued feed product. Fortuitously, MBM typically is a fine powder and has very
low moisture content of about five percent, making it an ideal feed for pyrolysis. A
basic financial analysis indicates this use of MBM is not viable and the process will
not be considered while a market for MBM as a food animal feed ingredient
remains.
The most mature and suitable technology for implementation within the
meat processing industry is a fluidized bed reactor. Unfortunately, the small feed
size requirements (small particles are needed to aid reaction rate) may be a problem
in consideration of the energy that is required for particle size reduction, with the
exception of MBM. Fluidized bed technology is well understood and could be
scaled up from the current demonstration size to commercial size.
Few companies have built and operated a commercial biomass to bio-oil
facility using RTP technology. The commercial success of these operations is based
on the generation of multiple products:
Higher value chemical products extracted from the bio-oil
Bio-oil for lower value energy uses
Char for internal energy use, or for sale.
Key to commercial success seems to be extraction of higher value chemical
by-products that occur naturally during the pyrolysis of biomass, in addition to the
bio-oil itself. Furthermore, the feedstock biomass used in this process is generally
from waste timber product. Research into possible by-products that could occur
from the pyrolysis of typical abattoir biomass is warranted.
Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic digestion does not deactivate pathogens as the maximum
temperature attained in commercial composting is below that required for pathogen
and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prion inactivation. MBM may
require prior heat treatment (pasteurization) in order to meet further use regulations.
Pasteurization of a feed stream of this size would incur significant additional costs
to the anaerobic digestion process. The feedstock would also require cooling and
inoculation with fresh bacteria for the digestion to proceed. Anaerobic digestion
produces methane and carbon dioxide gas and fertilizer, so it is possible that the
presence of high risk materials (i.e., brain, spinal cord, etc.) may not be allowed to
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enter the process stream given that the fertilizer would find its way back into the
ecological system.
Co-firing/Incineration
Examples of co-firing/incineration of MBM can be found in Europe; Lagan
Cement, Ltd., has plans to co-fire as much as 45 percent MBM with coal in their
kilns. Castle Cement also has plans to substitute MBM for some coal. This
substitution offers several advantages over other disposal options. It not only
provides a method of energy recovery, but reduces net greenhouse gas emissions by
replacing coal with a carbon neutral fuel. A carbon neutral fuel is a fuel derived
from a biomass. It is considered carbon neutral because the carbon released upon
combustion was absorbed from the atmosphere during the growth of the organism.
As mentioned, treatment at high temperatures has been shown to have the best
results in deactivation of the BSE prion (USDA, 2005). Another advantage is the
resultant ash is incorporated in the final cement product. The amount of solid waste
that ends up in landfills is therefore reduced.
Meat and Bone Meal Inclusion in Concrete and Asphalt Construction Composites
It appears that the application of MBM in concrete and asphalt
construction applications may have some promise and warrants further study. The
higher end applications may become more attractive upon the utilization of a
fractionated meal product.
The most attractive short-term solution lies in developing construction
applications. As mentioned, the calorific value of MBM makes the economics of
energy recovery marginal, yet both of these solutions are far more attractive than the
expense of landfill disposal.
Few issues are anticipated with using MBM in construction applications.
Perceived environmental issues of energy recovery via incineration may generate
negative public opinion and considerable pressure to close this disposal avenue.
Electricity Generation via Fuel Cell Technology
Fuel Cell Applications
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy
directly to electricity. Fuel cells offer a significant inherent advantage over typical
combustion cycles. In a typical internal combustion engine, efficiency is lost due to
the conversion of stored chemical energy first to heat energy, then to mechanical
energy, and finally to electricity. Fuel cells have a potential for significantly higher
efficiencies than internal combustion engines as they are not subject to
Rankine/Carnot cycle efficiency limitations. There is a common misconception that
fuel cells are energy carriers, like batteries. They are, in fact, energy converters,
similar in application to boilers/engines though they have a more direct conversion
path from the stored energy of the fuel to electricity. In theory, a fuel cell can
continue to produce power indefinitely if a fuel stream such as hydrogen is
constantly provided. A battery, however, can no longer produce power when the
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

stored chemical energy is expended. This is an obvious attraction for virtually any
power consuming process. A higher conversion efficiency of stored chemical
energy to electricity brings along with it reduced operating costs. The problem fuel
cells have commercially is related to their very high installed costs and processes
that are typically more complicated and sensitive to variation than standard power
generation.
Issues of reliability and capital cost are expected to decline as demand for
alternate power increases, thus allowing the manufacturers to take advantage of
economies of scale and increased volume.
With an increased demand,
manufacturers are expected to be able to optimize their production process. Much
research is being undertaken into fuel cell configurations and materials of
construction in order to reduce capital costs.
Figure 1. Basic Fuel Cell Configuration, from [Link].

2e-

Load

Fuel In

Oxidant In
O2

H2
Positive Ion
or
Negative Ion

H2O

H2O
Depleted Fuel and
Product Gases Out

Depleted Oxidant and

Product Gases Out

Anode

Cathode
Electrolyte
(Ion Conductor)

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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

Figure 1 shows the basic cell configuration. The electrochemical reactions

occurring within the cell are:
at the anode:
O2 + 2e- O2at the cathode:
H2 + O2- H2O + 2ewith the overall cell reaction:
O2 + H2 H20
In order to produce energy from the cell, a constant source of hydrogen and
oxygen are required. Of particular interest in terms of applications to the meat
industry is an integration of fuel cell technology with anaerobic digestion. Unlike
other energy conversion options, fuel cells do not lose efficiency as the unit size is
scaled down. An immediate application to the industry is the conversion methane
generated by anaerobic digestion into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.
It is expected that the fuel cell would operate at temperatures high enough
to facilitate the reforming of methane to hydrogen and carbon dioxide within the
fuel cell. There are low temperature fuel cell options that could operate with an
external reforming stage. Generally speaking, research is still required to quantify
the performance and durability of a high temperature internal reforming fuel cell
powered by methane.
High temperature fuel cells are expected to be of great interest. A growing
demand for fuel cells will correspond to an increased demand for the precious metal
catalysts required for low temperature fuel cell operation. Typically, platinum
catalysts are required for low temperature fuel cells, whereas nickel or perovskites
can be used to catalyze high temperature fuel cells.
Proteins for Plastics
Demand and use of environmentally friendly plastics manufactured from
renewable resources is increasing annually.
Currently, the most mature
technologies use wheat and cornstarches, soy proteins, and oil-derived esters as
feedstock.
Few commercially produced biodegradable plastics are price competitive
with traditional oil-derived plastics such as polyethylene and polystyrene.
Legislation, in the form of an environmental tax, typically is required to give biobased plastic a competitive edge. Bio-based plastic derived from fermentation
processes (as for protein-based plastics) are generally more expensive than those
manufactured via chemical processes. Current low conversion rates of protein to
bio-based plastic are a significant stumbling block to being price competitive.
Most biodegradable plastics are inherently mechanically inferior to
polyethylene and polystyrene. However, polyethylene and polystyrene are
significantly over engineered for most applications. For example, the plastic
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

shopping bag can be filled with groceries to a point where it is quite difficult to lift,
yet the bag is intact.
A wide range of proteins can and have been used to produce edible and/or
biodegradable casings and coating for food, pharmaceuticals, and industrial
products. For example, small intestines (predominantly collagen) were the original
casing for sausages. A recently edited book by Gennadios (2002) provides a
comprehensive review of the subject. Forming mostly relies on solvent casting,
using water, acidic water, alkaline water, or aqueous ethanol as the solvent
(depending on the type of protein). Extrusion is used for collagen productsa
purified and acidified aqueous suspension is extruded into a coagulating bath.
Thermoplastic extrusion, as used commonly in the plastics industry, is not
employed for protein-based films. However, there is evidence that some proteins
can display thermoplastic properties, and inducing these properties to enable the use
of more traditional extrusion technology is an area of research (Gennadios, 2002).
Protein films themselves tend to be quite brittle, so a range of plasticizers
can be used, such as glycerol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, sorbitol, sucrose,
and polyethylene glycol. The use of plasticizers tends to decrease film stiffness
and tensile strength, while increasing elasticity and permeability. The properties of
protein films can also be modified by cross-linking the protein molecules and
modifying the molecular structure using various physical and chemical processes
such as heat, pressure, shear, irradiation, or acid or alkali treatment.
In general, the hydrophilic nature of protein films means they have poor
moisture barrier properties, though structural modification and/or the addition of
waxes or lipids can decrease water vapor transmission rate (Tharanathan, 2003).
They also tend to have poor mechanical properties compared to synthetic and
polysaccharide-based films. However, in low to medium relative humidity
applications, they can provide excellent barriers to oxygen, aroma, and oils.
In order to be successful, the major technical issue of film stability under
thermal processing would need to be solved. The major technical challenge of
thermal stability of the protein during processing needs to be overcome in order to
develop significant production capability.
Hydroxyapatite as a Catalyst
Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is found in high-density leg bones of cattle, sheep,
and goats. Some current uses of synthetic HAP are as an absorbent, a catalyst, a
dental substrate, and as a bone substitute. Clearly, public perception eliminates the
use of animal products in biomedical applications; hence, the focus applications for
HAP are as a catalyst and absorbent.
The market for solid catalyst car exhausts and fuel cells is a high valueadded area and seems set for future growth on the back of exponential growth in the
nanotechnology sector. There is prior art in the use of synthetic HAP as a catalyst
support (e.g., Lewis et al. (U.S. Patent Office, 2003)). However, the catalytic
specificity differs between the many forms of the material. This specificity may
enable animal-derived HAP to be differentiated from its synthetic rival.
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

A patent search on the subject revealed a large number of references

relating to different uses of HAP. Freedom to operate will depend on finding a path
through the maze of Japanese patents published in recent years.
It will be very difficult to penetrate and develop the human medical market
for reconstructive bone and dental applications. Non-human markets for HAP
ceramics and catalysts eliminate the perceived health impact with human contact.
At this stage there is too little information in the public domain to reach a
conclusion on future opportunities. However, this is a moderate risk application
area with the potential to add value to the MBM co-product stream. Key research
and development challenges are:
Process scale-up
Natural variation in raw materials
Performance testing against synthetic alternatives.
If HAP could fill even a niche application in the ceramic or catalyst
market, the demand for its supply would have a considerable impact on the coproducts industry.
Proteins as Adhesives
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, protein streams from rendered coproducts are well suited to adhesive applications due to the large number of
available chemical functionalities for bond formulation. The primary target market
is for protein-based adhesive formulations that may act as substitutes for
formaldehyde resins and, particularly, urea-formaldehyde resins in applications for
adhesives for wood composite products, such as plywood, particleboard, and
chemical additives for paper making and coating. Animal protein-based adhesives
can be derived from animal blood, although some involve the use of specific
proteins primarily selected from collagen and blood albumin.
The use of waste protein as a raw material in the manufacture of adhesives
for wood composites has been the subject of extensive study in many countries over
the past 50 years. Despite this fact, there are few, if any, large-scale uses of waste
animal proteins in this way.
The bulk of the non-water resistant, lower strength adhesives are at the
lower end of the cost scale and find use in interior housing construction products,
principally flooring. The relatively low value of the bulk of adhesive products
coupled together with the costs of transforming waste animal protein into a form
that is suitable for use in adhesive formulations makes this use economically
unattractive.
By comparison with wood composite adhesives, the potential application
of waste animal protein products to the manufacture of paper and carton board
products is a poorly explored subject. Significant performance shortcomings in
many currently used chemicals and their relatively high value combine to make this
an attractive potential product for waste proteins.
The barrier to wood composite market applications is the inherent low
water resistance of protein-based adhesives and resulting accelerated biodeterioration of the product. Research into cross-linking processes and reactive
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

addition or modification of functional groups may overcome some aspect of the

adhesives poor water resistance, but is unlikely to produce an epoxy-resin to match
synthetic resins on either performance or cost basis. There is real potential in shortterm (one to three months) storage packaging paper and carton board.
Adhesives are used to reduce creep (fatigue or progressive stressdependent failure) in stackable boxes, but as a result the container cannot be
recycled. Pressure is mounting to recycle all forms of paper. There is the additional
problem that recycled carton boxes exhibit four times as much creep (U.S. Patent
Office, 2003). If a protein-based adhesive replaces the current non-recyclable
version, inoculation with a protease (to make the adhesive water soluble) could
enable recycling of the used item possible.
Successful research into, and development of, a cross-linking agent that
significantly reduced the overall creep in recycled boxes would make waste animal
protein-based adhesives a commercial reality. Elimination of formaldehydes,
particularly for indoor formulations, is a very positive step forward in public
perception. The drive to be environmentally friendly and the fact that this adhesive
would be manufactured from a waste stream would combine to give a significant
marketing advantage over traditional products.
The market for carton board packaging would have the largest product use,
thus development of an adhesive suitable for this application will generate
significant increasing demand for protein-based co-products.
Incentives for Discovery
The preamble for the Clemson University Animal Co-Products Research
and Education Center dedication conference (April 2006) states, It is imperative to
society that the rendering industry remains viable. As stated in this books first
chapter, Overview of the Rendering Industry, the availability of rendered products
for animal feeds in the future depends on regulation and the market. Future
regulation relating to biosecurity and environmental protection has the potential to
restrict traditional market access for rendered co-products. Hence, it is essential that
new applications and avenues for profitable disposal of co-products are discovered,
researched, developed into a viable commercial process, and widely adopted by the
industry in order to maintain rendering as a viable and valuable service to the meat
processing sector.
References
California Department of Food and Agriculture. 2006. Beef by-products.
[Link]/ahfss/mpi/by_products.htm
Duncan, J. 2003. Costs of Biodiesel Production. Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Authority, New Zealand. [Link]/eecalibrary/renewableenergy/biofuels/report/[Link] .
DynaMotive. 2006. [Link].
Freel, B., and R. Graham. 2000. Commercial Bio-oil Production via Rapid Thermal
Processing. Ensyn Group, Boston. [Link]/info/[Link].
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Essential RenderingIndustrial and Energy UsesMcGlashan

Gennadios, A. 2002. Protein-based films and coatings. 1st ed. CRC Press.
Grummer, R.R. 1992. Chapter 6: Inedible Fats and Greases. Inedible Meat By-Products.
Eds. Pearson, A.E. and [Link]. Elsevier Applied Science, London and New York. pp.
113-148.
Hanlon, J., R. J. Kelsey, and H. E. Forcinio. 1998. Handbook of Package Engineering. 3rd
ed. CRC Press.
Khan, A. 2002. Research into Biodiesel Kinetics and Catalyst Development. The
University of Queensland.
Liu, B., Y. Zhang, J.W. Tierney, and I. Wender. 2005. Hydrogen by Catalytic Reforming of
Glycols. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh.
McArthur, K. 1996. Financial Feasibility Analysis of Alternative Potential Biomass Based
Products. University of Nevada, Reno.
[Link]/uced/reports/technicalreports/fy1995_1996/9596_12rpt.pdf
National Biodiesel Board. 2005. Cold weather blending study.
[Link]/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/gen/20050728_Gen-[Link]
Nelson, R.G., S.A. Howell, and J. Weber. 1994. Potential Feedstock Supply and Costs for
Biodiesel Production. Presented at the sixth national bioenergy conference in Nevada,
October 2-8. [Link]/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/gen/19941006_gen290.pdf
Paisley, M. 2003. Biomass Energy. Kirk-Othmer Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology.
Papadopoulos, E., and S. Clarke. 2005. Modification of Tallow for Better Performance as
Biodiesel. Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Pearl, G.G. 2003. Non-feed, non-food applications for animal by-products. Render.
32(1):22-25.
Tharanathan, R.N. 2003. Biodegradable films and composite coatings: past, present and
future. Trend in Food Science and Technology. 14:71-78.
USDA. 2005. General Guidelines for the Disposal of Carcasses.
[Link]/NCIE/oie/pdf_files/[Link].
U.S. Patent Office. 1996. Patent number 5569482, Process for producing edible
proteinaceous film.
U.S. Patent Office. 2003. Patent number 6544439, Low coke formation catalysts and
process for reforming and synthesis gas production.
Wang, P. 2003. The production of isopropyl esters and their effects on a diesel engine. Iowa
State University. [Link]/biodiesel/Technical%20Papers/Wang%[Link].
Wang, Y., and G.W. Pauda. 2003. Tensile Properties of Extruded Zein Sheets and Extrusion
Blown Films. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 228:886-893.
Wisconsin Biorefining Development Initiative. 2006. [Link].

243

Drawing in Newspaper from 1884.

Early Rendering Route Equipment and Driver.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE RENDERING INDUSTRY

Gregory L. Sindt, P.E.
Environmental Engineer
Bolton and Menk, Inc.
Summary
The rendering industry has a significant positive impact on environmental
quality. The processing of low economic value organic matter from the livestock
production, meat processing, food processing, and food service industries by the
rendering industry reduces the amount of wastes deposited in landfills and
discharged to municipal wastewater treatment facilities. The rendering of dead
stock from livestock production reduces the risk of groundwater pollution and
public health problems associated with improper disposal of livestock mortalities.
The rendering industry also has the potential for producing negative
impacts on environmental quality. Even though most rendering facilities do not
produce hazardous wastes, the handling and processing of organic raw materials
produce significant amounts of undesirable biodegradable by-products that can have
significant impacts on water and air quality. Modern rendering facilities have
sophisticated treatment processes and control equipment for maintaining acceptable
water and air emissions. Water and air emission control systems require significant
capital and plant operating costs.
The rendering industry operates under several sets of environmental
regulations. In addition to governmental control under federal, state, and local
regulations, the rendering industry is also subject to pressures from environmental
interest groups and individual citizens. It is becoming increasingly difficult to site
new facilities and to ensure compliance with all environmental regulations as the
number and complexity of rules and regulations as well as environmental legal
issues continue to increase.
Many members of the rendering industry rely on industry and trade
organizations such as the National Renderers Association (NRA) and the American
Meat Institute (AMI) and their environmental committees for monitoring the
development of environmental policy and regulations.
The developing environmental management system (EMS) concept is a
step toward self-regulation and environmental quality improvement implemented on
a plant scale. EMS programs are encouraged by environmental regulatory agencies
including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Environmental regulation will become more stringent and compliance will
become more complex and expensive as more water and air contaminants are
regulated in the future. The regulation of greenhouse gases and ammonia air
emissions and total nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved solids wastewater
discharges will be challenges in the near future. Regulation of other contaminants
unknown at this time will undoubtedly develop in response to environmental
research and real or perceived environmental problems.

Essential RenderingEnvironmental IssuesSindt

The rendering industry has voluntarily participated in EPA research and

industry survey projects. This type of cooperative work, rather than the traditional
confrontational relationship with regulators, is leading to the development of federal
rules, regulations, and policies that are based on the application of reliable and
economically feasible control technology to provide adequate environmental
protection.
Wastewater Issues
Rendering plants generate significant volumes of wastewater. The
wastewater contains contaminants that are relatively low in long-term
environmental risk, but cannot be released directly to the rivers, streams, or lakes
without proper treatment. Wastewater discharges are regulated by federal, state,
and local laws and rules.
Environmental Concerns
There are four basic categories of environmental concerns regarding
wastewater generated and discharged by rendering plants: protection of aquatic life,
protection of human and animal health, protection of receiving stream aesthetics,
and protection of water supply quality. Protection of aquatic life requires the most
significant attention and expense in wastewater treatment.
Limiting the discharge of organic matter attains protection of aquatic life
from low dissolved oxygen in streams downstream of wastewater discharges.
Organic matter is used as a food source by bacteria in streams. As bacteria consume
the organic matter, they consume oxygen. If the rate of oxygen consumption by the
bacteria exceeds the rate that oxygen dissolves into the stream, the dissolved oxygen
concentration will decrease and fish will die due to lack of dissolved oxygen. Fish
kills due to inadequate dissolved oxygen downstream of inadequately treated
municipal and industrial discharges were common prior to the large scale
construction of biological wastewater treatment facilities in the United States in the
1970s and 1980s.
Carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD) and biochemical
oxygen demand (BOD) are methods of measuring the organic matter concentration.
CBOD and BOD are the amounts of oxygen consumed by microorganisms as they
utilize the contaminants as a food source during a five-day laboratory test. The
results are expressed in terms of milligrams per liter (mg/l), or parts per million, of
oxygen consumed during the five-day test.
BOD has been used for several decades as the measure of organic
concentration. CBOD is similar to BOD, but the reaction of organic nitrogen is
blocked in the CBOD test. The amount of nitrogen reaction is assumed to be
insignificant in the BOD test when testing low strength wastewater. The BOD and
CBOD concentrations are similar in wastewaters that have low nitrogen
concentrations. Reaction of nitrogenous compounds during the BOD test can be
significant in wastewater with high organic nitrogen and ammonia concentrations
such as rendering plant wastewater. Therefore, the use of CBOD rather than BOD
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Essential RenderingEnvironmental IssuesSindt

is preferred for these wastewaters. The CBOD concentration is always less than the
BOD concentration. Raw rendering plant wastewater has CBOD concentrations in
the range of 4,000 to 10,000 mg/l. Typical CBOD limitations for discharge to
streams are 10 to 25 mg/l.
Ammonia is produced from the biological degradation of proteins. Total
Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) is the sum of organic nitrogen and ammonia. Ammonia is
very toxic to aquatic life. Free ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) coexist in
equilibrium in water. Ammonia is toxic whereas ammonium is not toxic.
Ammonium is converted to free ammonia as the pH increases. Ammonia is also
more toxic at higher stream temperatures. Therefore, pH and temperature are
important considerations in evaluating ammonia toxicity to aquatic life. Ammonia
toxicity increases with increasing pH and temperature. Raw rendering plant
wastewater has TKN concentrations in the range of 500 to 1,000 mg/l. Typical
ammonia limitations for water quality in streams are less than two mg/l expressed as
nitrogen.
Aquatic life is sensitive to pH. The typical range of allowable pH for
discharge to streams is six to nine.
Some dissolved salts such as chloride and sulfate can be toxic to aquatic
life. Rendering plant wastewater can contain high concentrations of dissolved salts
due to salt discharge from hide operations and salts contained in raw materials such
as blood serum water. Total dissolved solids (TDS) are the concentration of solids
that pass through a filter paper. It is a measure of the dissolved organic matter and
salts. The concentrations of specific components of the TDS such as chloride,
sulfate, and other constituents are of greater concern rather than the TDS
concentration. Therefore, the use of TDS as an aquatic life protection parameter is
not as technically sound as the use of specific contaminant concentrations such as
chloride and sulfate. Although several states have had water quality standards for
dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate, and other dissolved constituents for several years,
in many cases they have not applied the standards for these parameters to discharge
permit limitations until recently. The development of regulatory standards for
constituents that make up dissolved solids will be important in the future as states
develop revised water quality standards.
Wastewater from rendering facilities contains the liquid that drains from
uncooked raw material, including potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Fecal
coliform is used as an indicator of the potential for pathogenic organisms. The
concentration of fecal coliform is expressed in terms of most probable number per
100 milliliters (MPN/100 ml). The typical limitation for fecal coliform discharge to
streams and lakes is 200 to 400 MPN/100 ml.
Total suspended solids (TSS) are a measure of the amount of material that
can be removed from the wastewater by passing a sample of wastewater through a
filter paper. TSS is an important aesthetic water quality parameter. Typical
suspended solids limitations for discharge to streams are 10 to 30 mg/l.
Phosphorus and nitrogen compounds are sources of nutrients for plant
growth in lakes and streams. Rendering process wastewater can have relatively
high concentrations of nitrogen compounds as a result of protein degradation.
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Essential RenderingEnvironmental IssuesSindt

Nutrients stimulate excessive growth of algae in lakes and streams and thereby
impact the aquatic life and water aesthetics. Limitations on phosphorus discharge to
the Great Lakes drainage basin have been in effect for several years. The 2004 EPA
rules require that discharges from rendering facilities to streams and lakes contain
no more than 134 mg/l of total nitrogen. Local limitations based on state water
quality standards may be more stringent. Typical phosphorus discharge limitations
in regions with phosphorus water quality standards are 1.0 mg/l of total phosphorus.
Phosphorus and total nitrogen limits may become significantly more stringent as
states adopt more stringent nutrient water quality standards.
Oil and grease is an aesthetic water quality parameter. Oil and grease is
defined as any material that can be recovered with an organic solvent such as
hexane. Oil and grease is more correctly defined as hexane extractable material
(HEM) as all compounds recovered by the test method may not actually be true oil
or grease. Excessive oil and grease discharge can result in floating solids
accumulation in streams and lakes. Excessive oil and grease discharge to city
sewers forms grease coatings in sewers and leads to sewer maintenance problems.
Typical oil and grease limitations for discharge to city sewers are 100 to 200 mg/l.
Regulation of Wastewater Discharges
Limitations on wastewater discharge to streams and lakes are based on two
considerations: minimum quality based on the use of treatment technology
(technology-based limits), and quality required for protection of the stream or lake
water quality (water quality-based limits). The EPA establishes the minimum
water quality based on the application of treatment technology for specific
industries, commonly referred to as categorical industry discharge limitations or
effluent limitation guidelines (ELGs). The rendering industry is subject to the
ELGs for the renderer subcategory of the Meat and Poultry Products Point Source
Category as published in the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR Part 432,
Subpart J). The EPA established ELGs for independent renderers in 1975 and
periodically reviews them. The EPA revised the ELGs for the renderer subcategory
in 2004, which includes standards for new and existing point source dischargers to
streams and lakes. The standards for ammonia, BOD, oil and grease, and TSS are
based on raw material volume and are expressed in terms of pounds of contaminant
per 1,000 pounds of raw material. The fecal coliform standard is 400 MPN/100 ml,
and the total nitrogen standard is 134 mg/l as per the rules promulgated in 2004.
Water quality-based discharge limits are based on the water quality
standards for the receiving stream. State regulatory agencies develop standards for
protection of aquatic life and other uses of streams and lakes. Limits for discharges
to streams are calculated by allocating the stream capacity for receiving and
assimilating wastewater constituents from all sources without violating the stream
water quality standards.
Direct discharges to streams and lakes are authorized with National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by state
regulatory agencies under authorization of the EPA and the Clean Water Act.
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Essential RenderingEnvironmental IssuesSindt

EPA may also impose standards for categorical industry discharge to

municipal treatment facilities referred to as pretreatment standards. EPA did not
include pretreatment standards for the renderer point source subcategory in the 2004
rules.
Limitations on discharge to publicly owned treatment works (POTW), or
municipal sanitary sewers, are based on state rules, local city ordinances, and the
POTW treatment facility capacity. In general, the wastewater characteristics from
rendering facilities are compatible with conventional POTW treatment processes, if
the POTW has adequate treatment capacity.
Discharges to POTWs are commonly authorized by local municipal
ordinances and agreements between industrial users and the POTWs. In some
regions, state permits or state approval of treatment agreements are required.
Storm water discharges are authorized with NPDES permits issued by state
agencies under authorization of the EPA.
Wastewater Sources
Contaminants in rendering plant wastewater represent lost product. For
example, the oil and grease discharge is grease that could have been recovered as
finished grease in the rendering operations. The protein loss to wastewater can be
estimated by multiplying the TKN concentration by 6.25. Ammonia discharge is
indicative of the amount of protein that has been degraded. The organic nitrogen
(TKN minus ammonia nitrogen) discharge is indicative of actual protein loss to the
wastewater system. Packing plants routinely use the wastewater oil and grease and
TKN monitoring data to determine product loss and indicators of production plant
performance.
Rendering facility wastewater generation rates and characteristics are quite
variable and are functions of raw material types and condition, type of rendering
processes, and general housekeeping practices. Wastewater problems are often the
result of relatively low volume but very high concentration wastewater sources. A
typical dead stock rendering plant with three to seven million pounds of raw
material per week production capacity generates about 100,000 gallons of
wastewater per day with 5,000 lb CBOD and 900 lb TKN per million pounds of raw
material.
A typical rendering plant generates wastewater from the following sources:
Raw material liquids
Cooking condensate
Restaurant grease processing
Blood processing
Plant wash down and sanitation
Hide operations
Air pollution control equipment
Non-contact cooling water
Storm water
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Even though raw material liquids are only a small fraction of the total
wastewater volume, these liquids can be a significant source of CBOD, organic
nitrogen, and ammonia. For example, the CBOD concentration of whole blood is
in the range of 150,000 to 200,000 mg/l. Liquids that drain from raw materials
increase in volume and strength as the raw material quality degrades during long
holding periods in hot weather.
In conventional rendering facilities, cooking vapors are cooled and vapor
condensate is discharged with the wastewater. The cooking vapor condensate
contains condensable organic compounds, ammonium, and aerosol grease and
solids carryover from the cooking process. Some rendering processes experience
foaming problems and the foaming results in periodic very high concentrations of
grease and solids in the vapor condensate. The amount of cooking condensate is
easily estimated from rendering process yields. Cooking condensate quality is a
function of raw material type and quality. Cooking condensate from feather
processing and from degraded raw material can have very high ammonia
concentrations. Typical cooking condensate has 2,000 to 5,000 mg/l CBOD and
500 to 1,000 mg/l TKN.
Some rendering facilities use short term, high temperature treatment of
cooking vapors to destroy odorous organic compounds and discharge the thermally
treated vapors to the atmosphere rather than condense the water vapor. These plants
do not generate cooking condensate liquid waste.
The free water removed from restaurant grease is very high strength due to
free fatty acids and protein degradation products. Typical restaurant grease process
wastewater has 50,000 to 100,000 mg/l CBOD, 100 to 800 mg/l phosphorus, and
1,000 to 3,000 mg/l TKN.
Steam coagulation and centrifugal separation of whole blood generates
serum water that has very high CBOD and TKN concentrations. Typical blood
serum water has 7,000 mg/l CBOD, 150 mg/l phosphorus, and 1,800 mg/l TKN.
Hide salt brine raceways generate wastewater that has very high TDS,
sodium, and chloride concentrations. Typical chloride concentrations in salt brine
hide operations are 100,000 to 150,000 mg/l.
Packed bed air scrubbers produce wastewater with relatively low organic
strength but high TDS concentration due to the addition of chemicals such as bleach
and caustic soda.
Primary Pretreatment
Conventional wastewater pretreatment prior to discharge to municipal
sanitary sewers involves removal of oil and grease and suspended solids. The
removal of suspended solids also removes the CBOD fraction that is associated with
the suspended solids.
Conventional wastewater pretreatment includes the following unit
operations:
Screening
Gravity separation
Flow equalization
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Chemical pretreatment
Dissolved air flotation
Rotary drum screens with opening sizes of about 0.030 inches are used for
removal of large diameter solids.
Gravity separation is the removal of particles and free floatable grease by
gravity. The solids and grease are removed in circular or rectangular tanks with
scraper mechanisms for continuous grease and solids removal.
Flow equalization is used to provide a more consistent flow rate and
wastewater characteristics for downstream pretreatment operations.
Flow
equalization tanks also act as grease traps for partial protection of downstream
operations from slug grease discharges.
Chemical pretreatment is the addition of chemicals to enhance the removal
of oil and grease and small solids. Solids and grease remain in suspension due to
surface charge characteristics. Most solids in suspension have net negative surface
charges. Reduction of the pH with acid addition reduces the negative surface
charge. Addition of metal coagulants such as aluminum sulfate (alum) further
reduces the net negative particle surface charges and forms metal precipitates that
trap the small solids inside larger agglomerates of solids called floc. Organic
polymers with high surface charges further assist with coagulation of solids and floc
formation.
The destabilized solids from the chemical pretreatment step are typically
removed with dissolved air flotation (DAF). Conventional DAF involves
introduction of water that is saturated with air at high pressure along with the
chemically pretreated wastewater into a circular or rectangular open-top tank. As
the pressure is reduced, the air comes out of the solution, small bubbles form on the
particles, and the particles float to the tank surface. The solids are scraped from the
surface and removed. A portion of the treated wastewater is re-circulated to the
dissolved air pressurization system.
Pretreatment with chemicals and DAF typically produces wastewater with
less than 100 mg/l oil and grease and TSS. Solids and grease recovered from
pretreatment operations are commonly rendered along with the raw material.
Conventional pretreatment does not remove soluble CBOD or soluble
TKN. Soluble proteins can be removed with aggressive chemical pretreatment for
denaturing proteins followed by DAF. Proteins can be denatured with acid addition
to very low pH and/or addition of a strong oxidizing agent such as chlorine.
Aggressive chemical pretreatment for soluble protein removal is usually not costeffective as compared with biological secondary wastewater treatment.
Secondary Treatment
Secondary treatment refers to the removal of organic contaminants using
biological treatment processes. Secondary treatment processes involve the same
basic natural biodegradation of the organic matter that occurs in streams and lakes.
The biodegradation occurs in tanks with very high concentrations of
microorganisms so that the organic matter can be removed from the wastewater in a
much shorter time period than in the natural aquatic environment.
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Anaerobic secondary treatment is the biological removal of organic

contaminants in the absence of oxygen. Most of the organic matter is converted by
bacteria into methane and carbon dioxide gas referred to as biogas. Some of the
organic matter is incorporated into biomass or sludge. Organic nitrogen is
converted into ammonia. The biogas is about 70 percent methane, or natural gas
with a heating value of about 700 BTU per cubic foot. The biogas can be recovered
for use as a boiler fuel for heating the anaerobic process and for use in production
plant boilers. Anaerobic processes produce about eight to ten cubic feet of natural
gas equivalent per pound of CBOD removed.
Anaerobic lagoons and covered anaerobic reactor tanks are typically used
in the rendering industry for anaerobic biological secondary treatment. The tanks
are covered for control of air emissions and biogas recovery. Many newer
anaerobic lagoons are covered with plastic membranes for biogas recovery.
Anaerobic processes perform best at about 100F. Anaerobic lagoons are typically
not heated. Anaerobic reactor tanks are usually heated to maintain the 100F
optimum operating temperature. Anaerobic pretreatment removes about 80 to 90
percent of the CBOD. Most of the organic nitrogen is converted to ammonia.
Therefore, there is no significant reduction in TKN with anaerobic secondary
treatment.
Aerobic secondary treatment is the biological removal of organic
contaminants in the presence of oxygen. Organic matter is converted by bacteria
and other microorganisms into carbon dioxide, water, and biomass or sludge. The
activated sludge process is commonly used for aerobic biological treatment. The
activated sludge process includes aeration tanks in which oxygen is supplied to the
microorganisms using compressed air and air diffusers. The microorganisms,
referred to as activated sludge, are removed from the treated liquid by gravity in a
separate clarifier tank and returned to the aeration basin.
Batch treatment processes, or sequencing batch reactors (SBR) are also
used as secondary treatment processes. A separate clarifier tank is not used in the
SBR process. The SBR process is operated as a batch process. Solids are separated
in the aeration tank by turning off the aeration air, allowing the solids to settle, and
decanting the liquid.
The activated sludge solids are retained in the aeration basin system for
several days even though the liquid retention time may be less than two days. The
long solids retention time provides for very rapid removal of organic contaminants.
The activated sludge process generates about four to five times the mass of
biological solids per pound of CBOD removed than anaerobic processes. The
disposal of the activated sludge biosolids can be a significant operating cost. Waste
activated sludge is typically land-applied as a plant nutrient and soil amendment.
Aerobic and facultative lagoons have been used for biological secondary
treatment, but the use of lagoon treatment for direct discharge to streams is
becoming less common as the discharge limitations become more stringent. Lagoon
treatment produces discharge with significant TSS concentration due to algae
growth in the lagoons. Lagoon treatment requires very long retention times to
achieve ammonia removal in cold climates.
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Disinfection
Disinfection refers to the removal of pathogenic organisms. Use of a
strong oxidizing agent such as chlorine or ultraviolet light is commonly used for
disinfection of rendering plant wastewater. Chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite
or bleach are common sources of chlorine. Chlorine contact basins are designed
with adequate volume and flow control baffles to ensure that the liquid is retained
for at least 15 minutes prior to discharge. Chlorine is toxic to aquatic life.
Unreacted chlorine is removed prior to discharge with a reducing agent chemical
such as sulfur dioxide or sodium metabisulfite.
Tertiary Treatment
Tertiary treatment refers to processes that remove contaminants beyond
conventional CBOD and TSS removal in secondary treatment processes. This
includes ammonia, total nitrogen, phosphorus, and enhanced TSS removal. Tertiary
treatment is frequently required to meet nutrient and ammonia discharge limits.
Suspended solids removal may be required for meeting stringent CBOD or BOD
discharge limits because biodegradable, organic suspended solids contribute to
CBOD.
Organic nitrogen is converted to ammonia in anaerobic and aerobic
biological treatment processes. Ammonia can be biologically converted to nitrate in
the activated sludge process under the proper operating conditions. This process is
called nitrification. Nitrification is accomplished in the activated sludge secondary
treatment process by providing proper operating conditions. In general, nitrification
requires longer solids retention times than conventional activated sludge process
operation because the nitrification bacteria have slower growth rates than other
organisms. The nitrification process requires adequate aeration to provide oxygen
for the biological conversion of ammonia (NH3) to nitrate (NO32-). Nitrification
also produces acid so pH control and alkalinity addition is usually required.
Nitrification processes usually achieve ammonia nitrogen concentrations of
less than two mg/l. Nitrate removal is required for meeting nutrient, or total
nitrogen, discharge limits. Nitrate is removed by the biological conversion of
nitrate to nitrogen gas in the absence of dissolved oxygen. This process is called
denitrification. Bacteria in the presence of nitrate, no dissolved oxygen, and a food
source utilize nitrate in a manner similar to oxygen and convert the nitrate to
nitrogen gas. This is called anoxic biological treatment. Anoxic treatment is a
separate stage of biological treatment. Ammonia is converted to nitrate in aeration
basins as part of the secondary treatment process. The sludge removed in the
clarifier following the aeration basin and the aeration basin effluent contain nitrate
and bacteria, but very little organic carbon food source. Dentrification is
accomplished by bringing the clarifier return sludge and re-circulated aeration basin
effluent in contact with raw wastewater in a mixed, but non-aerated basin. The
bacteria use the nitrate as they metabolize the organic matter in the raw wastewater.
Denitrification is accomplished in SBR batch processes by operating with
extended periods of no aeration after raw wastewater is introduced at the start of
each batch. The denitrification process provides some benefits to the operation of
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the nitrification process. The use of CBOD in the raw wastewater as a food source
in the anoxic process reduces the CBOD load and aeration requirements in the
activated sludge process. The denitrification process produces alkalinity and raises
the pH. This reduces the alkalinity chemical addition required in the activated
sludge process for neutralization of acid produced by nitrification. The effluent
nitrate concentration achieved with denitrification processes is dependent on the
relative concentrations of TKN and CBOD in the raw wastewater and the sludge
recirculation rate. There must be adequate CBOD available as a food source in the
anoxic process for nitrate removal.
Phosphorus is removed by chemical precipitation.
Phosphate is
precipitated with aluminum using aluminum sulfate (alum) and with iron using
ferric chloride or ferric sulfate. The chemicals are commonly added ahead of the
clarifiers in an activated sludge secondary treatment process. The precipitated
phosphate solids become part of the activated sludge. Separate stage phosphorus
precipitation following the activated sludge clarifiers can be used to produce a
phosphorus rich sludge and reduce the solids loading on the activated sludge
process.
Phosphorus can be removed biologically in the activated sludge process
under the proper operating conditions. The bacteria can concentrate the phosphorus
in the biomass. The use of long solids retention times required for nitrification and
denitrification at rendering facilities usually do not provide the operating conditions
conducive for biological phosphorus removal. Chemical phosphorus removal can
consistently achieve one mg/l total phosphorus discharge quality.
Additional suspended solids removal is usually required if the suspended
solids and CBOD discharge limits are less than about 15 mg/l. Enhanced suspended
solids removal is commonly accomplished with filtration using granular media
filters. The suspended solids are captured within the pores of deep bed filters.
Deep bed filters are single media sand or dual media sand and anthracite coal. The
solids are removed from the filters by backwashing with water and air. Shallow bed
filters remove solids by capturing the solids on the upper surface of the very small
diameter granular filter media. In moving bridge filter equipment, the filter is
divided into narrow segments. The solids are cleaned from the media surface by
water backwash using a traveling backwash mechanism that isolates and
backwashes each filter segment. Tertiary filtration can consistently achieve five
mg/l TSS discharge water quality.
Land Application
Wastewater from rendering operations can be applied to agricultural land
for beneficial use of the water as an irrigation water supply. The nitrogen and
phosphorus contained in the wastewater is used beneficially as a supplement or
replacement for commercial fertilizers. The organic carbon in the wastewater
stimulates the growth of beneficial soil bacteria.
Wastewater application rates are usually limited by the nitrogen or
phosphorus uptake rate of the crop, or agronomic rate. Wastewater is usually
pretreated for reduction of CBOD prior to storage and land application for
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minimization of odor emissions. Extensive pretreatment is not required because the

ammonia, phosphorus, and organic matter in CBOD are beneficial for soil fertility.
Therefore, land application can have a significant capital and operating cost
advantage over secondary and tertiary treatment and discharge to a stream.
Wastewater is land-applied using conventional irrigation equipment such
as center pivots and traveling guns. Highly concentrated wastes with potential for
odor emission can be land-applied with direct injection to the root zone with knife
or field cultivator injection.
Use of sodium and other dissolved salts are limitations to the use of land
application disposal. Excessive sodium application can cause clay soils to expand
and lose the porous soil structure. This leads to inability to percolate water through
the soil profile and development of a hard soil crust and loss of fertility. Dissolved
salt application is a particular concern in arid climates where the salts accumulate in
the upper soil profile due to high evaporation and low precipitation rates.
Air Quality Issues
Odor emissions have historically been the most significant air emission
issue in the rendering industry. Regulation of odor emissions has been challenging
due to the difficulty in quantifying odor concentrations. Odor emissions are often
regulated at the local governmental level and regulations are often based on
nuisance concepts rather than on analytical concepts.
The use of citizen or expert odor panels in qualitative evaluation and
characterization of odors is frequently used in the evaluation of odor emissions.
The odor unit concept has been developed as a method of quantifying odor
intensity. The odor unit is a measure of the dilution required to reduce the odor to a
concentration that is not detected by a panel of odor experts.
Other air emissions from rendering facilities are regulated by the EPA
under the Clean Air Act and by states. In general, ammonia, particulates, nitrogen
and sulfur oxides from boiler operations, and hydrogen sulfide or reduced sulfur are
the emissions of most concern at rendering facilities. Greenhouse gases from boiler
operations may become significant issues in the future.
Air Emission Controls
Rendering facilities have extensive controls for odor and particulate
emissions. Most facilities do not have significant emissions of other constituents
that require operation of emission control equipment. Particulate emissions from
production operations that generate dust are commonly controlled with bag houses.
Bag houses are fabric filters that capture particles as the air is passed through the
filters. The filters are cleaned by periodic air purging and/or vibration.
Rendering plants are designed for capture and treatment of potentially
odorous air and vapors. The room air ventilation systems are designed for
maintaining negative pressures in the rooms, thereby preventing air escape from the
rooms. Production operations that generate high intensity odors are designed with
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vapor and air collection systems that isolate the odor sources from the lower
intensity room air.
Odor control methods include the following processes:
Chemical oxidation
Combustion
Thermal destruction
Biological odor reduction
Chemical oxidation involves absorbing the odorous compounds into water
and then oxidizing the odorous compounds with a strong oxidizing agent such as
chlorine or chlorine dioxide. Odorous compounds can also be oxidized directly in
the vapor phase with ozone. The air from room air ventilation systems is usually
scrubbed in a chemical oxidation system using packed bed scrubbers with chlorine,
bleach, or chlorine dioxide.
Cooking vapors have high odor intensity. Cooking vapors are often treated
in a two-stage process. The vapors are cooled and particulate is partially removed
in venturi scrubbers. The vapors are passed through a venturi pipe restriction at a
high velocity. Water is sprayed upstream of venturi. The cooking vapors are
cooled and portions of the particulate and aerosol grease entrained in the vapors are
removed in the venturi. The vapors from the venturi can be further treated in a
chemical packed bed scrubber.
Cooking vapors can also be condensed with an air-cooled condenser or a
shell and tube condenser using non-contact cooling water. The non-condensable
vapors can be treated chemically or incinerated in a boiler. The high intensity odors
from rendering processes and non-condensable cooking vapors are often used
blended with combustion air at the plant boilers. The odorous compounds are
incinerated in the boilers.
Odorous compounds can be removed by thermal destruction. Thermal
destruction involves heating the odorous vapors to very high temperatures that
result in destruction of the odorous compounds. This technique is applied to
treatment of cooking vapors and other very high intensity odors. The advantage of
thermal destruction of cooking vapors is that it does not generate cooking vapor
condensate. The water evaporated from the cooking process leaves via the air
emissions rather than as a wastewater emission.
Odorous compounds are organic compounds that can be used as a food
source by bacteria. Biofilters are used for biological removal of odor. A biofilter
consists of a packed bed that serves as a support structure for bacterial growth. The
odorous air is passed through the packed bed. The odorous compounds are
absorbed into the moist bed and bacteria consume the compounds as a food source.
Other Environmental Issues
Compliance with all environmental regulatory requirements can be very
challenging, particularly for small, independent renderers that do not maintain fulltime environmental staff. The following is a partial list of environmental
regulations and requirements for operation of rendering facilities:
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Wastewater NPDES permitting for process wastewater discharges to

streams
Local wastewater pretreatment and discharge permitting
Storm water NDPES permitting and reporting
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures plans and implementation
Land application permitting and reporting
Air emission permits and inventory reporting for Clean Air Act Title V
regulations
Toxic chemical release reporting
Underground and above ground storage tank registration and reporting
Hazardous chemical inventory reporting
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know regulations
Solid and hazardous waste disposal requirements

It is becoming increasingly difficult to manage environmental compliance

and track environmental issues as the federal and state regulations grow at
seemingly exponential rates.
Many renderers rely on industry and trade
organizations such as the NRA and the AMI and their environmental committees for
monitoring the development of environmental policies and regulations. These
industry and trade organizations pool the resources of its members to maintain close
watch on developing environmental issues and policies. These trade organizations
retain legal and technical consultants for monitoring regulatory agency and legal
developments, and for developing the trade organization policies on environmental
issues. While the trade organizations have been quite effective in providing
professional and scientific input into the development of federal rules and policies,
it has been quite difficult to monitor the state and local regulatory developments.
Environmental Management Systems
The development of the EMS concept in recent years is a step toward selfregulation and environmental quality improvement implemented on a plant scale.
The EMS approach to environmental management in meat packing, food
processing, and rendering industries has been developed in a cooperative effort
between federal and state regulatory staff and industry organizations including the
AMIs Environmental Committee.
An EMS is a systematic, iterative approach to achieve individualized,
facility specific environmental and other organizational goals through continuous
improvement. It is based on the objective of identifying environmental or process
weaknesses that can adversely impact the operations. The EMS approach ranks the
weaknesses and develops a prioritized schedule for resolving the problems.
Progress is evaluated annually and the plan is modified for continuous
improvement. The results improve financial performance and reduce environmental
noncompliance risks. The EMS system energizes the employees to become part of
the improvement team.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a
standard for EMS systems. The ISO standard 14001 defines EMS as the part of
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the overall management system that includes organizational structure, planning

activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources for
developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing, and maintaining the
environmental policy.
An EMS accomplishes the following:
Identifies environmental risks and impacts
Prioritizes risks and impacts
Applies management control to risks and impacts
Builds a business case for continuous improvement
An EMS includes evaluation of regulatory compliance, pollution
prevention, waste reduction, and utility management. Facilities that have
implemented EMS programs have documented significant improvements in
environmental compliance records and reductions in operating costs that have
greatly exceeded the costs of EMS program development.
Regulatory agencies, including the EPA, are encouraging the development
and implementation of EMS programs. EPA has indicated that it may reduce the
frequency and scope of regulatory compliance inspections and relax enforcement
action penalties for facilities with EMS programs.
A formal ISO 14001 EMS is a very structured approach that requires
periodic outside audits by ISO certified auditors. Full implementation of the ISO
14001 EMS program is a big task and experience has demonstrated that the ISO
14001 EMS is not suited for all facilities. An EMS program can be developed in
phases, or tiers, that address the facilitys immediate needs and then expanded in the
future. The AMI Environmental Committee has developed a four-tier EMS
program and model EMS that leads to ISO 14001 certification.
Cooperative Development of Environmental Protection Standards
The rendering industry has voluntarily participated in EPA research and
industry survey projects. Renderers have assisted regulators with technical input
and review of proposed environmental regulations. This type of cooperative work,
rather than the traditional confrontational relationship with regulators, is leading to
the development of federal rules, regulations, and policies that are based on the
application of reliable and economically feasible control technology to provide
adequate environmental protection.
As environmental protection and regulation expand to address future
environmental quality concerns, cooperation between regulators and the regulated
community will become more important. This cooperative effort is required for
development of environmental policies and regulations that are reasonably and
economically achievable.

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Research and the Rendering Industry

Gary G. Pearl, D.V.M.
Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Inc. (Retired)
Introduction
The rendering industry is one of the longest existing industries as described
by Frank Burnham in The Original Recyclers (Franco and Swanson, 1996). Its
research role can similarly be traced well into the eighteenth century. Though
historically the crude process of extracting fat from animal tissue or carcasses via
open flames could be characterized as a form of rendering, rendering evolved
during the 1900s as a process. Its predecessors comprehended the value of
collecting the fat drippings from the open fire cooking that accompanied their
successful hunts. As the industrialized evolution progressed, the value of these
traditional customs was modified into cooking vat systems that utilized the three
basic principles of rendering: removal of water, fat extraction from the protein
fraction, and sterilization. The process continued to provide products that could
subsequently be stored and used for both life sustaining and life enhancing benefits.
The progression that brought the rendering industry from open fire process to its
modern, electronically controlled and monitored systems of todays facilities was
assisted by a number of factors, but research has proven to be a consistent
significant influence.
As animal agriculture evolved into animal production units that replaced
hunting at-large for meat, milk, eggs, and hides, the evolution of how to be more
productive and more efficient has been a primary motive to bring modern
agriculture to the present. Research has influenced nearly every aspect of animal
agriculture in its progress to modern day standards. Historical accounting of the
symbiotic relationship of the rendering industry with all segments of animal
agriculture is most evident in the quest to keep meat, milk, eggs, fiber, and now
bioenergy at the top of the agriculture production chain. Research has made
significant contributions in guiding the production and processing of rendered
animal products and assisting in the production of the safest, most economical, most
wholesome animal-derived food in the world. Research will continue to be a
proactive component in guiding the rendering industry into its future role as being a
vital, integral part of sustainable animal agriculture.
Research
Research is described as the diligent search, inquiry, scientific
investigation, and study to discover new facts. Thus, If you only look at what is,
you might never attain what could be (Anonymous). In actuality, research has
progressed from a basic trial-and-error process. An idea was successful if one could
demonstrate that a theory or even an idea worked. Science and the process of
research have become a rather precise process. The requirements are now well

Essential RenderingResearch AccomplishmentsPearl

articulated and for a referenced journal publication, a research report must undergo
a stringent peer review process. Although the research process varies substantially,
to be effective, it must contain basic components. An objective must be established
in concert with a hypothesis. A plan or protocol to solve the identified problem or
hypothesis is developed. The plan is implemented to develop data to scientifically
and statistically be evaluated. Duplication or replication of the exact treatment
parameters must be sufficient to assess a statistical interpretation of the resultant
data. Thus, the principles of good experimental design for animal science research
are based on standard textbooks that outline design and analysis of experiments.
The American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) has published Techniques and
Procedures in Animal Science Research as an assist to guide the process (ASAS,
1969-1998). This rather simplistic review of the highly scientific process of
establishing research conclusions provides opportunities for questions of
interpretation or application. There are many examples of such pertaining to animal
research that will be addressed later in this chapter. However, it is a fact that
research results and their interpretation and implementation create obsolescence and
change our lives daily. It is important to note that in composite, over 80 percent of
the increased efficiency and overall productivity advancements in American
agriculture can be directly attributed to research and its application.
Historical Perspective
The formality of animal research has not always been as clearly articulated
as the modern scientific approaches of 2006. Nutrient requirement development has
been a perpetual process subject to interpretation, safety factor inclusion, and
substantial personal bias. It has been a similar evolution for all species. Matching
nutrient specifications to the established or believed-to-be requirements has been
likewise a process requiring multiple interpretations.
The actual scientific approach to early animal nutrition projects can be
described as astute observation and demonstration when compared to todays
research standards. As a historic perspective, Dr. George Fordyce of England in
1791 was the first to use a control group experiment to document the need for
calcium supplementation in laying hens to produce eggs with shells that did not
break easily in the nest. A hundred years later, Professor C.S. Plumb at Purdue
University reported the first experiment to demonstrate the accelerated growth that
occurred when animal proteins were used to supplement ear corn rations that
heretofore had been the standard diet for growing-finishing pigs in the Midwest. It
was a historic event that opened the research arena to protein nutrition. The early
studies utilized animal protein to a great extent, which consisted of both meat and
milk sources. Plant-sourced supplements were comprised of high fiber legumes
which preceded the advent of the oil seed evolution that now predominates todays
protein ingredient market. Demonstrations of the benefits of animal proteins were
common. Morrisons Feeds and Feeding was first published in 1898 and was
received with widespread favor by practical stockmen and professors and students
of animal husbandry (Morrison, 1957). The first edition was written by Dean
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William Arnon Henry of the University of Wisconsin. Annual or biannual editions

have provided volumes with updated scientific data. Numerous veterinary journals
of the early 1900s reference the preventative qualities of animal protein and meat
for many diseases and conditions in animals such as cannibalism in cooped
chickens. Despite the current protests against closed housing systems used today, it
was necessary to coop poultry as a protection from predators, even in those days.
Feather picking and other cannibalistic conditions were reported that could be
prevented via providing chunks of meat suspended on wires for the poultry to peck
on. The Practical Stock Doctor, copyrighted in 1904, references the use of lard,
tankage, and skimmed milk in many of the remedies for many of the described
diseases (Waterman, 1904).
Today there are innumerable journals, both animal science and veterinary
science, which have continued to relate to refining the nutritive requirements of
animals. The journals have been historically prolific in adding science with each
new volume. Combined, there are undoubtedly more volumes published on animal
nutrition than nearly any other subject. The American Dairy Science Association
was founded in 1906, followed by the formation of the American Society of Animal
Science and the Poultry Science Associations in 1908. These associations/societies
were brought together as the Federation of Animal Science Societies to represent
the member societies as a scientific liaison in 1998. The journals, section, and
national meetings provided by these organizations have been the primary sources
for the establishment of animal nutrient requirements. The National Research
Council of the National Academy of Sciences has routinely published species
reports that summarize the knowledge of the nutrient requirements and the
nutritional characteristics of nutrient sources (NRC, 2006).
Thus, research based on scientific principles has guided the animal
industries through a rather archaic period to todays standards in which the United
States is now producing an even greater number of animals for meat, milk, eggs,
fiber, and bioenergy with less than one percent of its population compared to more
than 80 percent when the country was founded.
The Formative Years of FPRF
The Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Inc. (FPRF), is now in its 44th
year of research and technical services to the rendering industry. Formally
chartered as a foundation on June 20, 1962, FPRF has completed over 570
individual research projects and innumerable scientific and technical manuscripts in
support of rendering and rendered animal products. FPRF is perhaps as well known
by its acronym as by its official name. It is a recognition acquired through its close
collaboration with the scientific community and for its funding support of quality
projects.
Rendered animal product research was previously sponsored under the
direction of the National Renderers Association (NRA) Research Committee. This
committee was inspired by Robert J. Fleming in 1959 for the development of a
foundation concept for directing the industrys research initiatives. The formation
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and initial funding of the foundation can be credited to the vision of Bob Fleming,
National By-Products, Inc., and Charles L. Haussermann Jr., Darling Delaware
Company, Inc. It is indicative of change and ironic that these two companies
became one in 2006.
The vision that research commands a different business model as compared
to other organizational functions inspired the foundations formation. FPRF was
founded with a specific research and education mission and a non-lobbying
reference in its bylaws. The success of the action of the founders of FPRF is
evident as one reviews the scientific criteria and understands the requirements of
research to be accepted by peer reviewed journals and by end users. A research
committee was formed on October 23, 1962. Dr. Fred D. Bisplinghoff, Faber
Industries, Inc., was a charter member of that committee. Dr. Bisplinghoff is a
current life member of the FPRF Research Committee and served as its president
and director of technical services from 1988 to 1993.
It is not possible to review each of the research arenas that the foundation
has pursued during its tenure, nor is it possible to credit all of the contributors to the
research committee or the multitude of scientists and researchers that have been a
part of the foundations history. However, during the early 1960s, animal fats
commanded significant attention. Exploration as herbicide sprays, attempts to
modify saturated fatty acids and tallow, dehydration of saturated fats, and the use of
animal fats as waterproofing agents for concrete commanded research project
approvals. Odor abatement studies were high priority projects. A pilot plant
operation was available at Theobald Industries and was used by the Battelle Institute
for odor abatement research. The foundation later acquired a patent for an
olfactometer to measure odor components and intensity (FPRF, 1965).
In the late 1960s, projects addressing odor and alternative uses for tallow
were still priorities. It is interesting to note that a project proposal to study the use
of Ozone for Odor Control was rejected early on, but an FPRF project by Dr.
Annel Greene at Clemson University was completed in 2002 addressing the same
objective. The late 1960s brought attention to potential Salmonella and pesticide
contamination of rendered animal products and research was stimulated in these
areas. Research continues to improve our understanding and control over biological
and chemical product safety hazards today.
The 1970s, with the increased usage of animal fats as feed ingredients, as
well as the advancement of amino acid (AA) nutrition brought new opportunities for
research. Calf milk replacer, catfish, and digestible AA studies were conducted.
The competition from the advent of the corn-soy concept compromised the use of
animal by-products in swine rations in favor of the simplicity of on-farm blending
of local corn, commodity soybean meal and a small package of vitamins and
minerals for the Mix Mill era. Enhanced attention to swine nutrition studies was
initiated as animal protein ingredient suppliers are now frequently asked about
amino acid content and digestibility. Targeted research projects with basic animal
nutrition studies are, and will continue to be necessary to command a marketplace
position in all species diets. Under the FPRF research committees guidance, a
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number of multi-species projects are currently in progress to address these

objectives.
The 1970s also brought interest in the enhancement of the energy content
for the diets of most animal species. Animal fats contribute 2.6 to 3.8 times the
metabolizable caloric value as compared to corn, and this attribute commanded
research that were directed to these usages. The dairy cow, the lactating sow, laying
hen, broilers, and both feedlot and range cattle were targets for research projects for
the utilization of animal fats. The benefits of feeding fats were later expanded into
the equine, companion animal, and aquaculture species.
The rendering industry responded by supplying on-farm fat storage with
systems to deliver directly to farm prepared diets. The development of dried fats
brought numerous new products to the marketplace. By the 1980s, research projects
were highly oriented towards nutritional subjects. The foundation was organized
with four subcommittees: fats, protein, special projects, and nutrition. As will be
noted in the ruminant nutrition chapter of this book, the research that demonstrated
the benefits of by-pass protein to the ruminant animal provided new uses and
innovative products for animal protein ingredients. The foundation was extremely
involved in supporting research that brought major advances in understanding the
mysteries of many of the digestive processes in the ruminant animal. Projects
funded by FPRF for numerous research leaders in ruminant nutrition have assisted
in bringing a by-pass protein concept to those that now incorporate mathematical
models for predicting undegradable and degradable fractions of protein and amino
components and their digestible availabilities. Unfortunately, many of these
benefits in ruminant nutrition provided by animal co-products were eliminated or
critically compromised via the 1997 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) feed rule
restricting ruminant protein use and subsequent regulatory and consumer reaction.
Research and the Last Decade
The 1990s brought new challenges, but also, as always, new opportunities
to animal agriculture and the rendering industry. It was a period in which the
intensity of food safety concerns was exacerbated. The bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the United Kingdom fueled reactions of fear,
perceptions, myths, regulatory processes, opportunistic marketing programs, and
enhanced animal rightist activities that are unprecedented heretofore. Several forces
have been proactive in countering these intensified influences. It is very evident
that research and science have provided positive roles; however, it is very difficult
to counter fear and perceptions. Nevertheless, these influences have affected
FPRFs focus.
The reality of the influences that all of these issues have on a research
program must be recognized. FPRF has completed, initiated, or collaborated in
approximately 200 research projects in the past decade. Nearly all of these projects
have resulted in peer-reviewed publications and significant contributions to the
numerous nutrition and scientific conferences held each year. Project objectives
and priorities have been altered in the past decade. In the mid-1990s, the foundation
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established a policy to direct 75 percent of its resources to projects with nonfeed/non-food objectives, but reserve 25 percent for focused multi-species nutrition
studies. This research agenda brought special attention to biosecurity issues, new
use applications, aquaculture, and bioenergy.
FPRF became involved in cooperating with the National Soydiesel
Development Board in 1992, which was later renamed the National Biodiesel
Board. The biodiesel industry is dramatically expanding, not only in the United
States, but also internationally. Additionally, the demand for alternative fuels and
the economic drivers for energy prompted the need for biofuel research. With a
project at the University of Georgia, FPRF provided animal fats and recycled
restaurant grease/used cooking oils to heat the campus during the winter of 2002,
and provided important data for the emissions and energy comparisons to the fossil
fuels. FPRF has become the clearinghouse for the resultant final report and its
interpretation (Adams, 2002). A significant volume of the rendering industrys total
fat production is now being used as a biofuel.
Biodiesel, as it relates to the rendering industry, actually deserves a book
of its own. The number of biodiesel producing facilities is expanding rapidly, and
also expanding biodiesel availability. Though most of the current facilities are
structured to use plant oils, numerous rendering companies in both the United States
and Canada have, or are strongly considering investments in biodiesel production
facilities. Griffin Industries, Inc. was the first North American rendering company
to construct a facility and produce biodiesel at their Butler, Kentucky, location in
1998. The American Soybean Association (ASA) can be credited for dedicating the
primary resources for biodiesel initiatives. FPRF and the rendering industrys goals
have been to support a neutral feedstock specification, regulation, and legislative
agendas. Legislative actions to retain parity among the feedstocks have been a
constant issue and have not always resulted in the equality that rendered animal
fats/oils deserve. Technical processes and analytical data provide assurances that
the lipid feedstocks of the rendering industry can result in the production of quality
biodiesel that meets the current requirements of the American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM) Standard D6751. The biofuels derived from animal fats
have not been immune from similar biosecurity issues so common to rendered
products. However, the questions regarding any influence that BSE, other
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), and toxicants have on the safety
of biodiesel/biofuel have been addressed. FPRF Directors Digest No. 329 provides
a summary to those queries (Pearl, 2004). In addition, an extensive literature review
conducted by Clemson University draws conclusions of extremely low biosecurity
risk in total (Greene and Dawson, 2005).
The rendering industrys production of lipid feedstock sources
approximates nearly one-third of all fats and oils currently produced in the United
States and Canada. Alternative fuels and energy sources will continue to be not
only a domestic opportunity, but one the entire world must address more
aggressively. Rendered animal co-products are positioned to remain a major
contributor to the alternative energy needs of the United States.
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Research addressing the microbial security of rendered products has been

evident throughout FPRFs history. More recently, a study at the University of
Illinois conducted by Dr. Fred Troutt validated the effectiveness of the sterilization
process of proper rendering. Seventeen rendering facilities cooperated with Dr.
Troutt, his associates, and FPRF in conducting the trial (Troutt et al., 2001).
Research continues at the Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center
(ACREC) to address this subject. It is hoped that the construction of a pilot
rendering facility can be planned in the near future.
In keeping with FPRFs revised research priorities, it continued in the
1990s with the traditional nutrition studies but with a more focused priority. Its
funded aquaculture work expanded into an international program. Projects were
completed or are in progress in China, Vietnam, Canada, United Kingdom, and
numerous research facilities in the United States in a variety of fish and shellfish
species. Aquaculture has been projected to be a major opportunity for animal
derived feed ingredients. However, the growth of aquaculture in North America has
not kept pace with the rest of the world. Seafood and shellfish imports into the
United States now rank third in balance of trade, behind petroleum and automobiles.
Thus, the current market and short range market projections for aquaculture
production must be directed at the international segment while not ignoring the
slower growing industry in North America.
The diversity of projects can be seen by reviewing the list of completed
projects and those in progress on the FPRF Web site, [Link]. The projects
have served the industry well in meeting current market, new market development,
regulatory, and legislative needs. It is probable that continued diversity will be
necessary in the future. However, the development of ACREC as an adjunct and
complimentary research asset, with its focused mission supplemented with focused
animal nutrition studies, will position FPRF well into the future in meeting the
wants and needs of the rendering industry.
BSE Research and Surveillance
In events leading up to and the promulgation of the 1997 feed rule, FDA
recognized that numerous needed scientific facts were, and still are not available
concerning the TSEs, including BSE. Dr. Stephen Sundlof, Director, Center for
Veterinary Medicine (CVM), said, Research from independently validated studies
in the etiology, pathogens, and transmission of TSEs would be helpful to FDA as
well as to other governments as each of us pursue efforts to reduce the risk of TSE
diseases in man and animals. More importantly from the perspective of effective
regulatory and enforcement measures, there is great need for more scientific
knowledge about the assay of the agent(s) in food or feed, a reliable assay for
specific protein in meat and bone meal, manufacturing processes that destroy or
otherwise denature the disease agent(s), and tests for the diagnosis of TSE disease in
live animals (Sundlof, 1997). Though a strong endorsement for research in all of
the aforementioned areas, few answers have become available in the decade that has
passed. However, in response to the need, FPRF established an international team
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to develop a protocol for inactivation research in 1997. A study was designed and
widely endorsed by several agencies and organizations. It would have been a
valuable investment for all of animal agriculture but was not fundedanother
example of missed opportunities in research.
The rendering industry has been a primary contributor to the enhanced
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) BSE surveillance program. It
has cooperated to the fullest in acquiring surveillance data, especially for the high
risk non-ambulatory and dead animals on farms. The number of cattle brains
examined has been impressive over the past two years. However, the need for the
enhanced program required several years of encouragement. In 1996, FPRF
developed a diagnostic laboratory survey to assemble data on central nervous
system (CNS) diseases. There were 23 state laboratories that participated in the
survey in coordination with state veterinarians. The results were provided to
APHIS and FDA. Data were collected on the numbers of bovine specimens
submitted to their laboratories with histories of CNS symptoms. In addition, data
were obtained on those specimens submitted to the National Veterinary Services
Laboratories (NVSL) for BSE confirmation. Specimens with a positive diagnosis of
other CNS diseases such as listeriosis, rabies, polio, or chemical toxicities were not
submitted to NVSL. The Dx Monitor Summer 1996 Issue reported the surveillance
of BSE in the United States totaled 3,425 brains during the period of 1986 through
July 31, 1996. The FPRF survey of accredited state diagnostic laboratories reported
through their state veterinarians that they had examined and provided a diagnosis of
another CNS causative agent or a negative BSE examination on 8,383 animals
during the period of 1991 through June 1996. These data provided a much greater
assurance that BSE was not present or of very low incidence in the U.S. cattle herd
at that time.
In 1997, a TSE Surveillance Sub-Committee was again developed to assist
in a program to assure the proper disposal of cattle carcasses condemned for CNS
disorders at packinghouses while awaiting a confirmatory test for BSE. The subcommittee was headed by Dr. Fred Bisplinghoff and comprised of Dr. Gary Pearl,
Doug Anderson, Edward Murakami, Mike Gilbert, and Greg Van Hoven. The
rendering industry cooperated fully in refraining from rendering carcasses that
exhibited neurological disease until which time a confirmed negative BSE diagnosis
had been established. This cooperative program again supplemented the strength of
the surveillance of BSE in the United States. The rendering industry was again
primary in the intensified testing program initiated following the first case of BSE
in the United States in 2003. A very high percentage of the 785,638 currently tested
animals have been sourced by renderers since the June 2004 enhanced testing was
initiated. The industrys infrastructure and support in animal disease surveillance is
just another important function it contributes to animal agriculture.
Regulatory action by FDA to prohibit certain ruminant derived protein
from feeds used for ruminant animals, numerous demands from countries of export,
the recent concerns regarding chronic wasting disease in cervids, and pending
regulations for specified risk material (SRM) have created a need for rapid
analytical procedures. Assays for detecting and identifying tissues derived from
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specific animal species are still needed. The SRM issues now also create the need
to identify specific tissues within the same species. These capabilities are not
available with the specificity and speciation accuracy required consistent with the
cost and timely results required. FPRF has been collaborating with Florida State
University and Neogen in sponsoring research to develop this technology. It is
hopeful that these ongoing research efforts will be fruitful in bringing forth
procedures to assist in these voids.
The Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center
The rendering industry has entered a new era of commitment in securing a
scientific basis for the utilization of animal co-product tissues. The FPRF and
Clemson University have consummated a collaborative agreement for the formation
of a research center directed at animal co-products.
ACREC was officially
approved in October 2005, and dedicated at a conference held on the campus of
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, on March 27, 2006. ACREC is an
international co-product research center to concentrating on the inedible tissues of
food animal production and processing. Its focus will be new or enhanced and safe
utilization of animal co-product resources. Its establishment will allow a network of
scientists, in concert with all segments of animal production, to concentrate on the
safe utilization of nearly 50 percent of all food animal live weight production. This
volume of raw animal material in the United States approaches 54 billion pounds
annually and in and of itself justifies the development of ACREC by the rendering
industry.
A Historical Brief of ACREC
The industry and its products have moved into another level of scrutiny.
Though there are no scientific reasons to deter the continued use of animal byproducts as sources of nutrients in feed, challenges to this notion have become more
frequent and have increased in intensity. It is imperative that research directed at
new non-feed/non-food use objectives receive greater priority. Additionally,
ensuring microbial safety of rendered products must become a higher research
priority. These realities and numerous strategic planning inputs led to the
conception of a center or institute that could focus on these objectives. The concept
was first discussed by the FPRF president with the executive committee in the
spring of 2002. The president was given the authority to pursue the interest and
mutual opportunities with several public and private research institutions. One
could have been discouraged by the numerous negative reactions received during
these initial presentations. Reactions were very typical of the perception of
rendering and its products. The multimillion dollar commitment required to partner
with private institutions meant that alternative was not economically feasible. The
industry and its allies compete with numerous industries that have research funding
available via commodity check-off programs and government subsidies.
However, during a project consulting review with Dr. Annel Greene,
Department of Animal and Veterinary Science at Clemson University, a center
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concept was discussed. Immediately, Dr. Paul Dawson of the Department of Food
Science was consulted, and this pair of researchers and professors at Clemson
University became champions in pursuing the establishment of ACREC.
Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina, is one of the
land-grant institutions established to foster a symbiotic relationship among research,
teaching, and extension. It has a student enrollment of 17,000 in five academic
colleges with over 70 fields of study. Of particular importance is its superb record
of establishing an intra-curriculum atmosphere. This interaction of interests and
expertise has lead to the development of research centers for specific industries.
Most notable are the National Brick Research Center established in 1987, and a
newly established International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville,
South Carolina. Virtually all research pertaining to the compounding, manufacture,
and quality assurance for brick and ceramic is conducted at the National Brick
Research Center and it has now grown into a multimillion dollar program and is
housed in a newly constructed facility. The interdisciplinary culture among
Clemson faculty has placed it among the top 25 universities nationally in income
earned from patents and intellectual properties.
Following the conceptual discussion of a center, Drs. Greene and Dawson
championed the integration of scientists and educators from diverse academic fields.
A discussion forum was held February 21, 2003, at which a quorum of supporters
representing expertise from numerous departments and executive officers filled
room F-145 Poole Agricultural Center to standing-room-only capacity. The concept
and a basic plan were discussed at the 2003 FPRF Spring meetings. Don Davis,
then chairman of FPRF Board of Directors, established a steering committee to
pursue the development of an Animal Co-Products Research Institute:
Don Davis, Central Bi-Products
John Dupps Jr., The Dupps Company
Barry Glotman, West Coast Reduction
Ross Hamilton, Darling International
Kevin Kuhni, John Kuhni Sons
Mark Myers, National By-Products
J.J. Smith, Valley Proteins
Dr. Gary Pearl, FPRF president (chairman)
This committee met on the Clemson campus August 17-19, 2003, for indepth discussions with university executive officers, deans, department heads,
faculty, and researchers, and visited laboratories and the brick center. The
committees report to the FPRF Board of Directors resulted in the approval for the
development of an agreement, by-laws, and the initiation of an inaugural group of
research projects to be approved at the April 2004 FPRF Research Committee
meeting. The official name approved by the board of directors was the Animal CoProducts Research and Education Center. The name was finalized only after
considerable deliberation. The majority expressed the need to include the education
component as being very important to the ultimate objectives provided by ACREC.
Education continues to be an important missing link in portraying the importance of
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rendering and its products to the food animal industries, regulators, and consumers.
The arduous task of articulating an agreement and operating by-laws was initiated
and the following nine inaugural projects were initiated and completed:
04C-1 Enumeration of Thermally Resistant Bacteria in Raw Rendering Materials
Dr. Annel Greene
04C-2 Determination of Z and F Values of Thermally Resistant Bacteria Isolated
from Raw Rendered Materials Dr. Paul Dawson
04C-3 Microbiological Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Rendered
Animal Products Dr. Xiuping Jiang
04C-4 Analyses of Separable Fractions of Proteins from Selected Raw Animal
By-Product Materials Dr. Jim Acton and Dr. Ashby Bodine
04C-5 Determination of Protein Content and Potential Uses of Bovine and Swine
Mammary Gland Tissue Homogenate Supernatants Dr. Tom Scott
04C-6 Screening Bioactive Peptides from Animal By-Product Proteins Dr. Feng
Chen
04C-7 Biodiesel Synthesis from Animal Derived Fats Using Heterogenous
Catalysis Dr. James Goodwin Jr.
04C-8 Extrusion and Molding of Proteins Fractions and Fats Derived from Animal
By-Products for Packaging and Structural Applications Dr. Amod Ogale
04C-9 A Study of Economically Feasible Technologies to Remove Dioxin and
Dioxin-Like Toxicants from Animal Co-Products Dr. John Coates
Several of FPRF members legal staff assisted in the agreement and by-law
development process. The Provost office at Clemson provided the assistance of
Renee Roux, thus, legal expenditures were minimized. The organizational structure
of ACREC is unique, functional, and provides for the integration of scientists and
educators from diverse fields in academic, industrial, and governmental institutions
to meet specific research and education priorities dealing with animal co-products.
FPRF is identified as the sole founding sponsor. However, participation is open to
both FPRF members and non-members. There are distinct benefits in acquiring
memberships in both FPRF and ACREC to maximize the benefits from animal coproducts research. There is a demonstrated benefit and productivity provided by
research coalitions comprised of universities, industry research foundations, and
representative industry members in acquiring and utilizing project funding. The
ACREC agreement and by-laws are available to FPRF members and applicants at
any time. Membership support from all allied industries is paramount in the future
success of the ACREC.
ACRECs Mission Statement
The center will advance the science and technology of animal co-products,
augment the education of university students and the public, and educate and serve
the rendering industry, the commercial users of animal co-products, and the center
members with priority research for improved and new uses for animal co-products
and rendering processes.
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The mission of the center is compatible with the educational mission of the
University and with the intent and purposes of its members to foster and support
research, education and public service in matters related to the rendering industry.
Guiding Principles for ACREC
Support the educational process by educating undergraduate and graduate
students and industrial interns in research and service activities.
Provide timely research services and research results that have a significant
impact on the operations of its members and allied animal industries.
Be managed by the governing board in compliance with university
regulations and defined within its by-laws.
Be proactive in providing timely information to members.
Aggressively seek external funding from federal, state and local sources.
Follow university, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations.
Establish global recognition as an institution of excellence.
Consider emerging and traditional issues within the rendering industry.
Serve as a technical resource and scientific advisor.
The FPRF Board of Directors and Clemson University Board of Trustees
approved the governing agreement documents that became effective October 1,
2005. These Governing Board and Officers were elected at the first meeting:
Dr. Calvin L. Schoulties (chair), Clemson University Dean College of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Life Sciences
Dr. Gary G. Pearl (vice chair), Past FPRF President
Gerald J.J. Smith Valley Proteins
Dr. Annel K. Greene (center director), Clemson University
Dr. Paul L. Dawson (associate center director ), Clemson University
Dr. Doris Helms (secretary/treasurer), Clemson University Provost and vice
president for Academic Affairs
Dr. Ross Hamilton Darling International, Inc.
Dr. John Kelly Clemson University vice president for Public Service and
Agriculture
Kevin Kuhni John Kuhni Sons Inc.
The ACREC Research Committee first met in December of 2005 at the
Valley Proteins, Ward, South Carolina rendering facility. The members of the first
committee were J.J. Smith; Fred Wellons, Baker Commodities; David Kirstein,
National By-Products; Dr. Gary Pearl; Dr. Annel Greene; and Dr. Paul Dawson.
FPRF has invested heavily to bring the center to reality. On March 27,
2006, ACREC was formally dedicated at a dedication conference at the Madren
Center on the Clemson University campus. The attendance and enthusiasm from an
international audience of media, government officials, political leaders, students,
researchers, scientists, industry, and academic executives underscored the
opportunities for co-product research. The conference presentations certainly
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brought forth the need to support rendering as the safest most economical means to
utilize animal co-products as the gatekeeper for animal agriculture.
The USDA/ARS
Another important research resource to our industry has been the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA Agriculture Research Service
(ARS) is a network of research facilities positioned specific ARS research locations
or in cooperation at university sites. Though the units are multi-disciplined, each
has a specialty. As an example, the Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in
Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania has been extremely beneficial and supportive to the
research efforts of FPRF and animal co-products. ERRC is directed by Dr. John P.
Cherry and the ERRC has served as the facility in which wool, hides, and leather
research has traditionally been conducted. The facility and its staff have conducted
routine training schools directed at these co-products for several years. Currently,
Dr. Bill Marmer is research unit leader of the newly named Fats, Oils, and Animal
Co-products Unit. The name change reflects the research concentration this facility
is directing to animal co-product resources. It is essentially the only group in ARS
devoting exploratory research directed at adding value to animal co-products, meat
and bone meal, tallow, fats, hides, and wool. The work collaborates with those
research priorities established for ACREC. Dr. Marmer has served on the FPRF
Research Committee since 1998 and has consulted with numerous FPRF grantees
on their individual research projects. Dr. Raphael Garcia, a member of the unit, is
currently conducting a project titled Non-Nutritional Engineering Properties of
Meat and Bone Meal. Also, Dr. Thomas Foglia and Dr. Michael Haas are involved
in numerous biodiesel and bioenergy projects that utilize both animal fats and
animal rendered protein products. These initiatives are complimentary to the
research agenda outlined in the FPRF strategic plans. The synergic research efforts
of FPRF, ACREC, USDA/ARS, and the allied industries is of major significance to
all meat producers and processors, oleochemical industries, and their consumers.
The United States continued dependence on foreign oil places an even higher
significance on exploratory research. Animal agriculture has numerous co-product
resources to contribute to this end. Cooperative research targeted to these priority
objectives provides the opportunity to bring them to reality.
Summary
FPRF has been synonymous with research for the rendering industry. The
importance of research to any industry cannot be overemphasized, but it is a
necessity to rendering and rendered animal products. FPRF has been an integral
research resource to all of animal industries and is now poised to be even more
important and more productive as it moves to the future. A new president, Dr.
Sergio Nates, is anxious and poised to keep rendering as the gatekeeper of animal
agriculture. Research by FPRF will continue to direct the rendering industry and
support the integrity of its processes and policies.
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References
Adams, T.T., j. Walsh, M. Brown, J. Goodrum, J. Sellers, and K. Das. 2002. A
Demonstration of Fat and Grease as an Industrial Broiler Fuel. Fats and Proteins Research
Foundation, Inc. Directors Digest No. 320.
American Society of Animal Science. 1969-1998. Techniques and Procedures in Animal
Science Research. Savoy, IL.
Fats and Proteins Research Foundation. 1965. Research summaries and patent files.
Franco, D.A., and W. Swanson. 1996. The Original Recyclers. Animal Protein Producers
Industry, Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, and National Renderers Association.
Greene, A.K., and P.L. Dawson. 2005. Biodiesel from Animal Fats: A Technical Review of
the Relevant Literature. Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. Prepared by the ATF TSE subgroup.
Morrison, F.B. 1957. Feeds and Feeding: A Handbook for the Student and Stockman. The
Morrison Publishing Company, Ithaca, New York.
National Research Council. 2006. Nurtition requirements series. National Academy Press.
Washington, D.C.
Pearl, G.G. 2004. Biodiesel and BSE. FPRF Directors Digest No. 329.
Sundlof, S.F. 1997. Director, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary
Medicine. Personal communication.
Troutt, H.F., D. Shaeffer, I. Kakoma, and G.G. Pearl. 2001. Prevalence of Foodborne
Pathogens in Final Rendered Products. FPRF Directors Digest No. 312.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 1997. Regulation 21CFR 589:2000.
Waterman, G.A. 1904. The Practical Stock Doctor. Agricultural College, Michigan June 1.

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FUTURE RESEARCH FOR THE RENDERING INDUSTRY

Sergio F. Nates, Ph.D.
President
Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Inc.
Summary
For thousands of years, humans have been using animals for food, fiber,
and power, and rendering has been carried out for many centuries. However, over
the last two decades, the versatility of rendered by-products has led to their
increased use in many applications. Also, there have been numerous technological
advances and regulatory changes in the last few years that directly impact the
recycling of agricultural wastes into value added products. Many of these changes
have forced reevaluation of how to deal with the spent animal populations, and have
directed the approach and research goals among the rendering scientific community.
Research in the Rendering Industry
In the late 1950s, as part of an overall research program funded by the
National Renderers Association (NRA), a substantial number of projects were
routed towards the field of polymers and plastics from fats. Moreover, letters were
sent to over 100 laboratories requesting proposals on the use of tallow and protein
products. Tallow has always been considered a valued product of the rendering
industry, and with the drop in value after the bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) scare, it became a good candidate for conversion to fuel.
Nutrition
The earliest recommendation on the use of meat by-products in animal
feeds was made by Liebig in 1865. Working with Belgian engineer George Giebert,
Liebig devised an efficient method of producing beef extract from carcasses, and
the same year they founded the Liebig Extract of Meat Company (Lemco),
marketing the extract as a cheap, nutritious alternative to real meat. Today, Lemco
is part of the Unilever group, which owns many of the worlds consumer product
brands in foods including Slim-Fast and Ragu.
The results of studies examining the utilization and digestibility of a
relatively large variety of rendered animal protein ingredients have been
summarized in numerous studies since the early 1950s. During the 1960s and early
1970s, a variety of references were quoted in literature relating to the use of
rendered meat in dairy, calf, and beef feeds. In response to the emergence of BSE,
epidemiological studies were started in the late 1980s and the role of meat and bone
meal (MBM) as a feed ingredient has been amply studied. Likewise, a surplus of
MBM has encouraged research to find new applications for it. Many of these
applications include the use of MBM as fertilizer and as a plastic material base.
Similarly, studies have been conducted to evaluate the value of feather and meat

Essential RenderingFuture Research OutlookNates

meals as a source of protein supplement for multiple species (swine, beef and dairy
cattle, poultry, cats, dogs, fish, and shrimp). As with most feed ingredients used by
the animal industry, nutrient levels and true metabolizable energy values have been
also calculated for both feather and meat meals. Palatability problems with meat
and feather meals have been also addressed, and more recent studies have focused
on the biochemical, physiological, and molecular characteristics of rendered byproducts. The effects of manipulation of pH, hydrolysis of poultry feathers by
enzymes, and bacteria species present in rendered by-products are also being
studied.
Among the most recent exploratory areas of research for the use of
rendered by-products is aquaculture. However, due to a number of constraints,
aquaculture research is frequently conducted at laboratory scale, and it is always
uncertain whether results from these studies are valid at a commercial scale. On the
other hand, with the growth that has taken place in aquaculture over the last decade
and given the dramatic increase in the proportion of fish meal and fish oil
consumption by the aquaculture feed sector, most research within the industry has
focused on the use of alternate protein sources. Among the alternatives, meat and
feather meal have been studied and the potential as a major component in
aquaculture diets for fish and shrimps to replace or partially replace fish meal has
been established (Smith et al., 2001; Kureshy et al., 2000; Abdel-Warith et al.,
2001). Though a significant concern remained due to the relatively low digestibility
of both meals and the effect this would have on increasing nitrogen and
phosphorous loads in ponds and discharge waters, the enhancements in the
nutritional quality of by-product meals achieved in recent years should allay those
fears. Improvements are probably attributable to better manufacturing practices,
better sorting of the raw material, and the optimization of the processing conditions.
In conclusion, the most marked response noted in experiments has been the
difference in digestibilities of nutrients among rendered by-products, suggesting that
digestibility is influenced by the components of the mix or by the rendering process.
Research at FPRF
The purpose of the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF) is to
direct and manage a research process that results in an enhanced current usage and
the development of new uses for rendered animal products. FPRF has carried out
extensive evaluation and assessment studies for the renderers and animal feed
industry since 1962.
The scientific process is fundamental to scientific investigation and to the
acquisition of new knowledge based upon physical evidence by the scientific
community. However, scientific research, like other cooperative endeavors,
requires trust to flourish. Cooperation and trust in the rendering industry are
reflected by the fact that since establishing the foundation, FPRF has completed
over 550 projects. One of the priority areas of FPRF has been to support research
on the utilization of animal by-products/co-products processed by the rendering
industry, such as blood meal, MBM, tallow, hydrolyzed hair, and feather meals.
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During the past 40 years, FPRF research has documented the continued
improvement in the rendering industry products as measured by bioavailability,
biosecurity, and consistency. Likewise, analytical technology has provided specific
nutrient data for formulation purposes. FPRF has also presented an extensive
literature base to contest issues such as the presence of biogenic amines in animal
proteins and polyethylene in animal fats as being nutritionally detrimental. Other
projects have been related to the ecological aspects of the rendering processes.
Many past projects were nutritional studies, with others directed at modifications to
increase their value and applications (Pearl, 1996).
Biodiesel research has been a part of FPRFs research goals since the early
1990s. The rendering industry has experienced significant success in using
rendered animal fats as burner fuel. An accumulation of burning characteristics and
emission testing by FPRF has allowed for the permitting of substituting animal fats
for No. 2 or No. 6 fuel oil or natural gas for the production of steam.
Almost certainly the most remarkable and recent of all the FPRF research
achievements have been the official opening of the Animal Co-Products Research
and Education Center (ACREC) at Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina.
As a result, an initial base of nine specific interdisciplinary alternative use and
biosecurity projects were initiated in April 2004. Current research projects at
ACREC include chemical analysis of tallow, investigation of growth factors,
peptides and pesticides residues in by-product meals, odor remediation, and
identification of bacteria isolated from rendering products.
The Future
A note from Dr. C. Wayne Smith, an associate professor of Anthropology
at Texas A&M, reads, Its a world of the paradoxical and, at times, macabre. A
leather shoe from the seventeenth century feels as soft and supple as ever despite
resting at the bottom of the ocean for hundreds of years. One of his major research
goals is to develop new processes that can be used to conserve relics, and currently
being employed in the preservation of organs for medical studies. A neat thing in
researchyou can do something that is beneficial within one discipline and then go
further to put it into other industries.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls rendering a process of heattreating fat, bone, offal, and related material derived from the carcasses of livestock,
poultry, and fish, and used cooking fats and oils. The processes and techniques
developed by the rendering industry were initially intended to convert dead animals
and animal by-products into ingredients for a wide range of industrial and consumer
goods. However, they have been so effective that theyre already playing
significant roles in other areas such as medicine and biotechnology.
The rendering industry continues to benefit from improvements in the
agro-food industry as its by-products are being engineered to meet a variety of
needs. Ironically, about half of every butchered cow and a third of every pig is not
consumed by humans, and by 2020 developing countries will consume 100 million
metric tons more meat than they did in 1993. Thus, many of the innovations in the
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industry will probably focus on the use of environmentally sound technologies; for
the most part, to provide the food processing industry with more efficient tools with
regards to resource usage and to diminish the volume of effluents. Likewise, further
innovative research will be needed in order to provide the rendering industry with
competitive tools that are compatible with environmental considerations. On the
other hand, the application of genetic engineering to agriculture, including a broad
variety of purposes to a host of animals traditionally used as food sources, including
cows, pigs, and fish, will trigger debates among scientists, public health officials,
business leaders, and regulators over a range of issuesincluding the safety of byproducts from the rendering industry.
Because the U.S. seafood and fisheries trade deficit is the largest of any
food and agriculture commodity, the United States has a major opportunity to
further develop a sustainable and profitable domestic aquaculture industry.
However, achieving this goal will not be easy and research will keep looking for
alternative sources of protein to feed farm-raised aquaculture species. It is a must
that the industry keeps demonstrating and discovering safe and more efficient ways
to convert by-products of the rendering industry into nutritious components of
aquaculture feed.
Without any doubt, through the use of modern technologies and quality
control methods and with the continued emphasis on biosecurity, one may look
back before too many years have passed and realize how much progress has been
made in expanding the quality, value, and safety of rendered by-products.
References
Abdel-Warith A.A., P.M. Russell, and S.J. Davies. 2001. Inclusion of a commercial poultry
by-product meal as a protein replacement of fish meal in practical diets for African catfish
Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822). Aquaculture Research. 32(1):296-305.
Goodrum, J.W. 2002. Volatility and boiling points of biodiesel from vegetable oils and
tallow. Biomass and Bioenergy. 22(3):205-211.
Kiepper, B.H. 1985. Characterization of poultry processing operations, wastewater
generation, and wastewater treatment using mail survey and nutrient discharge monitoring
methods. M.S. Thesis, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Kureshy, N., D.A. Allen, and C.R. Arnold. 2000. Partial replacement of fish meal with
meat-and-bone meal, flash-dried poultry by-product meal, and enzyme-digested poultry
by-product meal in practical diets for juvenile red drum. North American Journal of
Aquaculture. 62:266-272.
Mathews, D. 2001. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service BSE
Workshop Meeting. March 15. Rockville, MD.
Pearl, G.G. 1996. The Fats and Proteins Research Foundation. The Original Recyclers. Eds.
D.A. Franco and W. Swanson. pp. 225-238.
Smith, D.M., G.L. Allan, K.C. Williams, and C.G. Barlow. 2001. Fishmeal replacement
research for shrimp feed in Australia. World Aquaculture Society. Louisiana State
University. Baton Rouge, LA.

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WHAT WOULD A WORLD WITHOUT RENDERING LOOK LIKE?

Stephen L. Woodgate
Technical Director
European Fat Processors and Renderers Association
Summary
A world without rendering is envisaged, even though the industry has
existed globally for many years. In trying to consider what a world without
rendering would look like, the rendering industry has itself been defined and the
boundaries drawn for evaluating the scope of the chapter. A variety of scenarios
have been considered, including controlled alternatives to rendering and the
uncontrolled disposal of animal by-products as waste. Using information available
in the literature, a hierarchy of options other than rendering has been proposed. In
the light of current knowledge, using animal by-products as fuels to produce energy
appears to be the best of the non-rendering options. Research, and indeed full scale
application of these technologies appear to indicate their promise, particularly in a
world without rendering.
Other controlled options considered all have some merits in terms of
processing of animal by-products, but also have de-merit including lack of
manufactured products, lack of capacity, and negative environmental impacts.
Perhaps not surprisingly, indiscriminate tipping and controlled landfill would be the
worst options leading to very negative environmental impacts with potentially
severe implications for animal and human health. It is concluded that in the event
of rendering not being available as a process technology, then very significant
efforts to invent rendering would be underway.
Introduction: What is Rendering?
Rendering is one of the oldest activities practiced by human civilization
(Woodgate and Van der Veen, 2004) even if it was not developed into the industry
we are familiar with until relatively recently. Furthermore, Woodgate (2005)
concluded that rendering was the essential industry. Therefore, a world without
rendering is somewhat difficult to contemplate and describe. Nonetheless, that is
the challenge faced in this chapter.
In order to put the world without rendering into the proper context, it is
firstly necessary to define rendering as we know it and to set out the boundaries
beyond which this chapter will describe. Essentially the rendering process deals
with high moisture, highly microbiologically active animal materials to which it
applies heat to evaporate water, reduce microbiological loading, and separate
cellular fat (if present) from the other components. If high levels of fat are
present in the raw materials, the molten fat is removed from the mass by physical
means such as centrifugation or expeller pressing. The two possible products of
rendering are a high protein solid residue known as processed animal protein or

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

meat and bone meal (MBM), and a lipid material known as rendered fat (tallow). In
the classic sense of rendering, the protein rich products have been used in animal
feeds and the tallow has been used in animal feed, oleochemicals, and the soap
production industries.
Rendering is described in generic terms in Figure 1. This schematic
applies to the processing of animals and by-products which contain significant
levels of fat or fatty tissues. However, for the sake of completeness, the term
rendering will also include those processes that deal with low fat raw materials such
as blood and feathers. From this simplistic and general description of rendering and
uses of rendered products, it is now possible to consider other processes or
treatment methods or uses which may not be described as rendering.
Figure 1. Rendering Industry Flowchart in Context of the Livestock Industry.

Livestock Farming Industry

Slaughterhouses

Animal By-products

Raw Materials

Size Reduction
Process
Fat

Protein

Purification

Milling

Storage

Storage

Customers

Customers
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Rendering and Alternative Processes

There have always been many alternatives to rendering and some of these
approved methods available and used in the European Union (EU) are shown in
Table 1.
Table 1. Summary of Controlled Options for Processing Animal By-Products
in the EU.
Rendering
Raw materials preparation for pet food
Approved alternatives
Anaerobic digestion- biogas
Composting
Incineration
Co-incineration
Taking all animal by-products not intended for human consumption into
account, there are a range of processing opportunities which can be considered
according to the status of the raw material and demand for the products produced.
A range of uses for products produced by either conventional rendering or by
alternative processes following rendering, are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. What Can Be Done with Rendered Products?
Processed Animal Proteins
Conventional
Alternative
Animal feeds
Fuel

Rendered Fats
Conventional
Alternative
Animal feeds
Fuel

Pet Food

Aggregates

Soap

Biodiesel

Fertilizer

Apatite (calcium
hydroxyphosphate)

Oleochemical

Plastics

It therefore follows that if rendering had not been invented or was suddenly
not available anymore, then alternatives currently available to process some of the
arising raw materials would be required to process it all, or material would be
disposed of by illegal dumping.
Alternatives to Rendering
This section will consider only the standalone technical aspects of each
alternative. Other essential factors such as capacity, animal or human health
implications, and environmental impact will be considered in a later section. The
alternatives may be broadly split into four groups, of which three are processing
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technologies and one is a disposal option (Table 3). The three processing
technologies are described in terms of energy (in or out).
Low energy: Those methods which use only raw materials and do not
apply any external heating to the material.
Medium energy: Those methods that apply heat in some form or other but
not for the purpose of dehydration, microbiological stability, or splitting
into products.
High energy: Those methods that apply heat to generate energy from the
raw materials which may be subsequently captured and used as heat and/or
power.
Uncontrolled discarding/dumping/fly tipping.
Table 3. Alternative Controlled Processing Options.
Energy Group
Low

Medium

High

Brief description of option

Burial/Landfill
Composting
Anaerobic digestion
Liquefaction digestion ensiling
Pet food preparation (Chill/freeze)
EU alternative processes
Materials production, for example, feather fiber
Extraction of components such as amino acids
Incineration
Energy production by combustion

Low Energy
Burial: For most farmers whose animals die on the farm, this option is a
natural process which has been carried on for several hundred years. In the EU, the
practice of burial (and depositing in approved landfills) of dead animals and all raw
animal by-products has been prohibited by the advent of the Animal By-products
Regulations (ABPR) 1774.
The justification of the EU legislation has been based upon the high risk of
the spread of animal diseases resulting from burial, although no detailed studies
have been published which provide details of risk assessment. From a transmissible
spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) perspective, residual infectivity after burial of
infective carcases has been reported. However, in global terms burial is still used as
a means of safely dealing with dead animals either as individuals or when mass
disease outbreaks occur, such as avian influenza in Asia in 2004, although OIE
(Office of International Epizootics, now known as the World Organization for
Animal Health, 2002) indicated that rendering was the preferred bio-secure option.
Composting: This option has been refined in Europe to a point where
detailed conditions are laid down by ABPR 1774. These conditions include the
prohibition for composting Category 1 (Table 4) raw materials and requiring
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pressure processing of any Category 2 materials before composting. Category 3

raw materials may be composted without pre-treatment. The resulting compost
(organic soil improver) can in principle be returned to the soil, but the application of
these materials to certain types of agricultural land, such as pasture, have
restrictions such as withdrawal periods for grazing animals. Not withstanding
the fact that it is theoretically possible to compost certain animal by-products, it is
in practice impossible to compost purely animal by-product because of the adverse
chemical composition and physical nature. In practice, these problems of high
protein and fat levels limit the use of animal by-products to a composting mixture
that contains high levels of carbon rich components, such as cereal straws.
Table 4. Categories of Animal By-products in ABPR 1774.
Category
Category 1
Very high risk

Category 2
High risk

Category 3
Low risk

Brief Description
Bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE)
carcasses and suspects
Specified risk material
Catering waste from
international transport
Condemned meat
Manure and gut contents

Catering waste from

households, restaurants
Former foodstuffs
Much slaughter house waste
e.g., waste blood and
feathers

Requirements
Must be destroyed, not for use in
composting or biogas plants.

Can be used in composting and

biogas plants after rendering
(133C, three bar pressure).
Manure and gut contents only
can be used without
pretreatment.
Can be used in composting and
biogas plants without
pretreatment.

Anaerobic Digestion-Biogas: The chemical composition concerns

regarding animal by-products alluded to in relation to composting also apply to
anaerobic digestion. Here the carbon/nitrogen ratio is vitally important to provide
the optimum anaerobic digestion conditions to give the maximum output of
methane (biogas). Again, this leads to the practical situation whereby animal byproducts cannot be processed on their own but rather in mixtures of other high
carbon materials. In the EU, anaerobic digestion of different categories of raw
material is restricted in a similar way to the composting controls, and specific
process conditions are laid down. The methane biogas produced is required to be
cleaned of acid gases (for engine reasons) before combustion in a gas engine which
in turn produces electricity. The sludge residue is applied to land with similar
restrictions as apply to compost.
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Liquefaction Digestion: This method of processing animal by-products

has been used for many years to make liquid or digest products from specific raw
materials. In principle, this method uses hydrolytic bacterial action to autolyze the
protein into a liquid form. Once in this state, the digested liquor can be stabilized
indefinitely by adjusting the pH to less than 3.0. Traditionally this method has been
used to prepare liquid digests as palatability attractants for use in pet foods. This
manufacturing process requires that the starting raw materials are of a very high
quality standard, although in principle the method can be applied to any raw
materials that can be hydrolyzed by endogenous or exogenous enzymes.
Medium Energy
Production of fresh, chilled, frozen animal by-products for pet food: In
principle, the pet food industry can utilize a considerable quantity of raw materials,
but there is a very heavy emphasis on quality, which severely restricts certain
materials from being used in practice. Nevertheless, this route is a viable alternative
method to utilize raw materials although the amount of moist/canned pet food that
can use raw material is reducing globally. Interestingly, sales of dried pet food
product, which uses rendered materials as ingredients are increasing.
Alternative Processes in the EU: European Commission regulation 92/2005
sets out approval conditions for four methods of processing raw materials. A short
summary of all four processes is given below. It is assumed the majority of these
technologies are designed to inactivate TSE agents in the EU ABPR Category 1 raw
materials, although in principle they could be used for any category of material
worldwide. Many of these technologies have been based upon the review of
methods able to inactivate prions (Taylor and Woodgate, 2003)
Alkaline Hydrolysis
This method of processing raw materials employs a combination of physics
and chemistry to reduce whole carcases (if required) to a soup-like consistency.
The hydrolysis units are engineered to facilitate very alkaline conditions (pH above
12), high pressures (higher than three atmospheres), and mixing by a pumping
circulation system. In principle, the concept includes the ability to inactivate animal
tissues that may contain infective agents such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE). However, the capital cost per ton processed is very high (partly due to
low/batch throughputs) and any subsequent disposal cost of the liquid soup would
also be considerable due to the polluting load.
High Pressure Biogas
This process is essentially one of a pre-treatment procedure that is a
prelude to anaerobic digestion. The focus, as in alkaline hydrolysis, is to be able to
process raw material that may contain an infective agent, but here the concept is to
convert the nutrients present into methane biogas using methanogenic bacteria in an
anaerobic digestion system. This system is approved in the European Union in
regulation 92/2005, but as in alkaline hydrolysis, suffers from practical
disadvantages of high engineering specification, high cost, and low throughput.
Although there is a theoretical yield of product (methane) which can be converted
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into energy or electricity, it is not expected to be a viable process in terms of

replacing rendering.
High Pressure and Temperature Hydrolysis
This method is approved to operate at a temperature of at least 80oC (at the
center of any raw material) with an absolute pressure of 12 atmospheres, for at least
40 minutes. The process is effectively a batch system and the resulting hydrolysate
may or may not be dehydrated. It is not clear what the intended use of the materials
produced might be.
Brooks Gasification
This is a batch process that effectively volatilizes the chemical constituents
of animal by-products into complex hydrocarbons and gases over a period of 24
hours. The products of the process described are secondary gases, which are
subsequently combusted in a secondary chamber to produce heat and an inorganic
ash which is disposed of.
Materials (Feather Fiber): Globally, poultry feathers are used in two
different ways. A small amount is used for producing high quality feather down for
pillows, duvets, and furnishings. The processing requirements are rigorous and the
essential criteria include cleanliness and odor. The market for these products is
rather limited and therefore the vast majority of feathers are converted into an
animal feed grade hydrolyzed protein. As mentioned in the introduction, and
although this method is not strictly rendering, it would not be considered as an
alternative to rendering. A possible viable solution which is an alternative to
rendering may not be too far away.
An EU project, high performance industrial protein matrices through
bioprocessing (HIPERMAX), is researching a range of technologies that might be
viable methods of converting animal proteins such as wool, silk, feather, or leather
(hides/skins) into nano-matrices. These materials may be used in a wide variety of
applications once the biotechnology aspects of each process have been optimized.
Considering only the feathers segment of the project, significant advances have
been made in the last 18 months. Developing an effective but environmentally
acceptable method of cleaning feathers from the slaughter industry has been a vital
preliminary step. This has now been achieved, ensuring that clean feather is able
to enter the second phase of the process. Here, entire feathers are converted into
fiber which is usable in a wide variety of applications. The research program will
be completed in 2007 and more details of the possibilities will be publicly available
thereafter.
Extraction and Purification of Components: Animal by-products are made
up of essential chemical components the same as any life form. The major
constituents, apart from water, are proteins, lipids, and minerals. Proteins are of
course mainly constituted from amino acids, while the lipid content is made up of
mainly triglyceride fatty acids. The mineral constituents comprise the two major
constituents of bone, i.e., calcium and phosphorus. From time to time proposals
have been made to extract interesting or potentially valuable components from raw
materials.
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Most commonly, amino acids have been proposed for extraction from
materials such as bone or feathers. Although these ideas may have been based upon
sound biochemistry and chemical engineering principles, no such methods have
reached successful launch. Many of the commercial problems have centered upon
high costs for engineering and labor, with subsequent high production costs. The
uncertain or low value of the products has led to many processes failing to fulfill
their potential.
High Energy
Incineration: The term incineration, as applied by the EU ABPR 1774, is
limited to the disposal of materials without any recovery of heat or other residues
such as ash. Most designs of incinerator result in a high temperature aerobic
combustion for sufficient time to achieve the conversion of all organic materials
back to constituent molecules such as CO, C02, and H20. This option is the one that
probably provides maximum security in terms of organic matter disposal, but with
the major disadvantage that no products result.
Co-incineration: Co-incineration means to combust or incinerate, with the
recovery of energy either in the form of heat, electricity, or both. This technology
may also include the process of cement manufacture, whereby cement is also a
product, along with recovered heat. Several systems have been developed in the
EU, following the BSE crisis in 1996, where the majority of processed animal
protein (PAP) and rendered fats have been required to be disposed of as part of the
BSE precautionary policies. These systems, such as combustion of rendered fat in
steam raising boilers and PAP in bubbling fluid bed reactors, have achieved
excellent reduction of organic matter, alongside the production of combined heat
and power, which has in many cases been used to power the rendering process
itself. However, if PAP and tallow do not exist because rendering is not available,
then the direct use of raw materials has to be considered. Here there have been
some significant advances over the last three years.
The Biomal concept in Sweden may be the best example to illustrate the
opportunities for this approach. The Biomal process is less complicated while the
energy demanding processing of the raw material into fat and MBM is removed.
The comparison of a conventional rendering system commonly seen in Europe
(Figure 2) and the Biomal system (Figure 3) shows a clear difference in approach.
In the Biomal system, the raw material is crushed and ground and then pumped to a
fluidized bed boiler where it is co-combusted together with a base fuel such as wood
chips, peat, or municipal waste.

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Figure 2. Process Outline for Animal By-products Showing Energy Inputs and
Outputs.

Figure 3. Process Outline for Biomal Process Showing Energy Inputs and
Outputs.

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Energy is recovered from the animal by-products by producing renewable

heat and electricity, and the net outcome of energy is considerably increased. Since
animal by-products contain fat, this offsets the high content of ash and moisture
(which contains no energy); the net heating value is very acceptable at
approximately eight megajoules per kg fuel (Figure 4). This corresponds to the net
heating value of other biofuels containing moisture content of 50 percent.
Figure 4. Comparison of Energy Contents in Biomal and Other Types of
Biomass Fuels.

The Biomal concept has some advantages as a complete system, including

the ability to reduce or eliminate the risk for BSE-infection or other diseases. It is
also an energy effective method compared with the more complicated conventional
method. The water usage and the discharge of biological oxygen demanding
substances are reduced. In the EU, Biomal is a renewable biofuel, which does not
contribute to the global warming and can replace fossil fuels for production of heat
and power.
Figure 5 indicates the effect of Biomal on nitrogen oxides (NOx) where the
nitrogen compounds in Biomal appear to reduce NOx emissions in the same manner
as ammonia or urea. In separate emission studies, no elevated levels of dioxin
emissions due to co-firing with Biomal have been measured.

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Figure 5.
NOx.

Comparison of Biomal and Wood-Peat as Fuels on Emissions of

Uncontrolled Disposal
Using landfill to dispose of animal by-products would introduce a
significant risk to biosecurity, and pose a serious potential hazard to animal and
human health. The less controlled the disposal the greater the risk, the highest risk
being the uncontrolled dumping of the by-products.
Biosecurity will be diminished in a number of different ways. The risk of
transmission of pathogens to both humans and animals will be increased, either
directly or indirectly. In addition, the lack of traceability implicit in landfill and/or
dumping will hinder the prevention, control, and eradication of disease once
identified. These issues may become insurmountable during widespread emergency
situations, such as the outbreak of new animal diseases, or environmental crises
such as floods.
In addition to a reduction in biosecurity, if animal by-products were
disposed of by landfill the pressure on space and disposal facilities would increase,
at a time when the legislative drive is to reduce the amount of general waste from
human activities that are disposed of in this way. Environmental concerns about the
transport of waste, and operation of landfill sites, are already forcing society to reexamine the way in which even non-hazardous waste is disposed.
Thus, even without any increased threat to biosecurity, the disposal of
animal by-products by landfill and/or dumping would be seen as environmentally
undesirable. The volumes involved are significant. Gerba (2002) estimates that the
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quantity of livestock, poultry, and wastes from food processing in the United States
is equivalent to 21 percent of the waste going to landfills. Steps to reduce and
eliminate landfill or dumping would be a high priority even if the additional
implications of risk to health were not present.
Traceability
The need for traceability to prevent, control, and eradicate disease in
animals has been dramatically demonstrated in recent years with the global impact
of diseases such as BSE, foot and mouth, and avian influenza. One of the main
weapons used by the authorities in addressing these diseases has been the stringent
control of not only the infected animals, but also in the control of the disposal of the
by-products from slaughtered animals.
The introduction of unprecedented levels of traceability of animals and
birds has led the attack on these diseases, through the whole animal chain from
origin to disposal. Traceability has become one of the key components in the global
fight to ensure biosecurity. Disposal involving landfill and/or dumping makes this
method of protecting society impossible, and unacceptable.
Control of Pathogens
Unprocessed animal by-products and mortalities contain large numbers of
microorganisms, including pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Unless properly
processed in a timely manner, these materials provide an excellent environment for
disease-causing organisms to grow and potentially threaten animal health, human
health, and the environment.
If allowed to accumulate and decompose without restraint, these tissues
would become a substantial biohazard, promoting disease, attracting and harbouring
rodents, insects, scavengers, and other recognized disease vectors, and attracting
predatory animals into densely populated areas. Livestock and poultry are
commonly infected with pathogens, even though they may be causing no apparent
illness in the animals. Many pathogens of large animals can be transmitted to
humans (Enriquez et al., 2001). These include Escherichia coli 0157:H7,
Salmonella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Yersina enterocolitica, Clostridium
perfringens, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Giardia.
There is much evidence that pathogens are present in animals. For
example, recent studies in the United States have shown that 23 percent of cattle
were shedding E. coli 0157:H7 (Smith et al., 2001); 55 percent of the dairy cattle
were excreting Salmonella species. (Troutt et al., 2001); the incidence of Salmonella
in chickens can be as great as 100 percent in some flocks (Council of Agricultural
Science and Technology, 1994); Salmonella has been found in 46 percent of the
pigs going to slaughterhouses (Swanenburg et al., 2001); Yersina enterocolitica has
been reported in 2.5 percent to 49 percent of the pork (Council of Agricultural
Science and Technology, 1994); and 39 percent of calves and 22 percent of adult
animals on dairy farms shed Cryptosporidium parvum (Huetink, 2001). Hepatitis E
virus, which causes a serious life threatening liver disease (as many as 30 percent of
the infected pregnant women die) is endemic in swine (Yoo et al., 2001; Meng et
288

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

al., 2002; Haas et al., 1996). Evidence also suggests that people who work with
swine, and veterinarians, are at risk of infection in the United States (Meng et al.,
2002).
It is clear that a significant number of animal materials after slaughter will
contain pathogens that can be transmitted to humans. It is estimated that more than
half of the animals would contain one or more human pathogens making rendering
of offals and by-products essential.
Risks from Pathogens
Gerba (2002) stated that a conservative estimate of only 10 percent of
animals being infected with a human pathogen would represent over 99 percent of
all infectious waste received by landfills. Any increase in animals being disposed in
landfills would dramatically increase the quantity of human pathogens which they
receive.
Workers involved in the transportation to, and operation of, landfill sites,
and the environment of landfills, will be exposed to a large increase in the
concentration of microorganisms. New microbial agents will also be present, e.g.,
the hepatitis E virus (Enriquez et al., 2001).
These agents will be more likely transmitted by the aerosol route and to
animals that frequent landfills. Currently, human and animal pathogens in fecal
material are the largest source of infectious agents in solid waste received by
landfills (Haas et al., 1996). Most of these microorganisms are transmitted by direct
contact and not by aerosols. In contrast, aerosols transmit many of the animal
pathogens, both by inhalation and dermal contact with the aerosols (Hirsh and Zee,
1999).
The exposure risk to animals such as birds, insects, and rodents would also
be expected to increase. This increases the risk of exposure to pathogens and
microbial toxins being transmitted off-site. Many insects are attracted to feces, but
birds and rodents would be more likely attracted to the dead animals. Depending
upon the time of year, birds are abundant at landfills (Belant et al., 1995) and they
may act as vectors in transmission of pathogenic microorganisms and/or their toxins
(Galey, 2001).
The considerable mortality of seagulls in the United Kingdom has been
linked to landfill sites, which the birds visit (Ortiz and Smith, 1994). The organism,
Clostridium botulinum, was found in 63 percent of the landfills examined. Rotting
animal carcasses will serve to further attract birds to landfills, increasing their
exposure and risk of disease.
Hamilton and Kirstein (2002) also show the value of the rendering process
as a mechanism to control risks from microbial pathogens, as well as other hazards,
by quoting data given in a U.K. Department of Health study (U.K. Department of
Health, 2001; Table 5). Risks of human exposure to biological hazards were found
to be negligible when animal mortalities and by-products were processed by
rendering, incineration, or funeral pyre. However, incineration and pyres were
reported to cause moderate to high exposure to chemical hazards associated with
burning. Only materials that had been rendered had negligible exposure to both
289

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

biological and chemical hazards. The agent causing BSE was the only exception
and it was found to pose a negligible risk to humans when the solid products from
rendering were subsequently incinerated.
Table 5. Summary of Potential Health Risks for Various Methods of Handling
Animal By-products.
Disease/Hazardous Agent

Rendering

Campylobacter, E. Coli,
Listeria, Salmonella,
Bacillus anthracis,
C. botulinum, Leptospira,
Mycobacterium
tuberculosis var bovis,
Yersinia
Cryptosporidium, Giardia

Very
small

Clostridium tetani
Prions for BSE, scrapie
Methane, CO2

Very
small
Very
small
Moderate

Incineration
Very
small

Landfill

Pyre

Burial

Moderate

Very
small

High

Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Very
small
Moderate

Moderate
Moderate
Moderate

Very
small
Very
small
Moderate

High
High
High

Very
Moderate
Very
High
small
small
Fuel-specific chemicals,
Very
Very
High
Very
Metal salts
small
small
small
Particulates, SO2, NO2,
Very
Very
High
Very
small
small
small
PAHs, dioxins
Very
Moderate
Very
High
Very
small
small
small
Disinfectants, detergents
Very
Very
Moderate Moderate
High
small
small
Hydrogen sulfide
Very
Very
Very
High
small
small
small
Radiation
Very
Moderate
Very
Moderate Moderate
small
small
Adapted from the U.K. Department of Health, 2001.
Legend: Very small - least exposure of humans to hazards
Moderate - intermediate exposure of humans to hazards
High - greatest exposure of humans to hazards
Risk of human exposure to TSEs was rated as very small when solid products of rendering
were incinerated.

290

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

Impact of No Rendering Industry

This is a particularly difficult area to quantify as most of the alternatives
have not been quantified in the same way as rendering. However, a report
commissioned by the U.K. Renderers Association (conducted by Det Norske
Vertitas in 2001) is able to give an indication of some of the effects of operating a
range of different options (Table 6).
Table 6. Summary of Options for Utilization or Disposal.
Rendering Plus
A
B
C
D
E
F

Fat - Animal feed

MBM - Animal feed
Fat - Animal feed
MBM - Fertilizer
Fat Animal feed
MBM - Landfill
Fat - Fuel
MBM - Landfill
Fat - Fuel
MBM - Fuel on-site
Fat - Fuel
MBM - Fuel off-site

G
H
I
J
K
L

Landfill

Incineration / CoIncineration
No energy recovery Large
No energy recovery Medium
No energy recovery Small
Energy recovery Large
Energy recovery Medium
Energy recovery Small

M
N

Anaerobic digestion
& energy recovery
Landfill
No energy recovery

Each of the options was ranked according the criteria shown in Table 7.
Some of the determinations were made on the basis of quantified data, where
available, according to the individual process option, and other information was
taken from the literature.
Table 7. Criteria for Evaluating Disposal Hierarchy.
Environment
Emissions - Air
Emissions - Water
Emissions - Land
Energy Resources
Carbon balance

Sustainability
Waste hierarchy
Legislation
Capacity
Nuisance
Societal

As a result of the data compilation, the report indicated a hierarchy of

options based upon environmental and sustainability criteria. In summary, the top
four options include three of the rendering options, and large scale co-incineration
(Figure 6).
The fact that rendering with products used as feeds, and rendering with
products used as energy resources are at the top of the hierarchy is very reassuring.
291

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

Figure 6. Results of Overall Environmental Impact Assessment.

A B E

BEST

N Uncontrolled Disposal
WORST

However, the presence of (controlled) biogas and landfill at the bottom of

the hierarchy is an equally powerful indication that these two options, if used to
dispose of significant amounts of animal by-products, would lead to major adverse
environmental impacts. Although not specifically included in the Det Norske
Vertitas study, the uncontrolled dumping of animal by-products has also been
included in the summary in Figure 6 to illustrate the expected position in any such
study.
In addition to the environmental impact criteria illustrated there would of
course be no products of rendering to use. In other words, the uses for rendered
products described in Table 2 would not exist. From the 66 million metric tons of
animal by-products each year, about 12.5 million metric tons of processed animal
protein and six million metric tons of rendered animal fat are produced. To put this
into a global perspective, this equates to approximately eight percent of the world
supply of proteins (as protein) used in animal feed and six percent of the world
supply of oils and fats.
If these materials were not available for their traditional uses, then
substitution with alternative sources would need to be made. If these alternatives
were indeed vegetable proteins and oilseeds, the growing of these crops could lead
to negative environmental consequences. These may include deforestation,
excessive use of fertilizers, pollution of water courses, and even an increase in the
amount of genetically modified material in the environment. Although these
impacts might appear to be impossible to quantify and be somewhat speculative,
some or all of these may be severe enough to disrupt the environmental balance
seen under the current rendering regime.
Animal and or human health impacts, particularly zoonotic diseases, are
dealt with professionally by the rendering industry from time to time. Without this
processing option, the risk of further spread of such diseases would probably
increase.

292

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

Conclusion
The challenge faced in this chapter is to envisage a world without
rendering. Within this challenge, several assumptions are made which may or may
not be true in the event of no rendering industry being present. Firstly, it is assumed
that livestock are still bred, produced, and slaughtered to produce food for human
consumption in approximately the same level as currently. This level of animal
production would in all probability grow in accordance with expectations of greater
demand for meat, milk, and eggs by an ever increasing world population.
If rendering did not exist, the approximately 66 million metric tons (145.2
billion pounds) of animal by-products, high in water content and susceptible to
rapid degradation, would still be produced globally every year. If not stabilized
quickly, the material would degrade and pollute rapidly by releasing a wide variety
compounds, elements, or energy into the environment in a totally uncontrolled way.
Without rendering and use of rendered products, there would be no real capture or
sequestration of elements as seen with rendering operating as it does currently.
From the review of options made, it appears that the majority of nonrendering processing options are niche concepts when considering the annual
amounts of materials produced around the world. Uncontrolled dumping, tipping,
or disposal might result, but assuming that some legislative framework was in place,
one cannot imagine this happening across the wide spectrum for any length of time.
Of those controlled options discussed, only three are currently available that might
be able to deal with the amounts of animal by-products produced. In practical
terms, these three options are landfill, incineration, and co-incineration.
It is clear from the DNV study that use of the former at significant levels
may lead to the possibility of environmental and human health impacts.
Incineration could alleviate direct human health concerns, but energy present in the
materials would be lost forever and therefore could not be considered a sustainable
option. The highest ranking environmental and human health option apart from
rendering appears to be co-incineration. The Biomal project in Sweden has helped
to place this technology at the top of non-rendering options.
However, as is clear from the process described earlier, there is no
recovery of protein for potential use as an animal feed ingredient, or as a supplier of
energy or minerals in other applications. In addition, there is no recovery of
rendered fat which might be used in feed, soap, oleochemicals, or biofuels. Without
these products, it is unclear what the economic return to the animal livestock
industry would be. Energy values may be relatively high, but would they be high
enough to ensure a sustainable industry?
Therefore, if a world without rendering did exist, it would be almost
certain that someone, someday, would be calling out for a new technology to be
invented that would be environmentally neutral, sustainable, and economical for the
total animal livestock industry. Perhaps the new technology would be called
rendering.

293

Essential RenderingA World Without RenderingWoodgate

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294

INDEX

A
adhesives, 229, 230, 241, 242
albumin, 241
algae, 248, 252
American Meat Institute, 26, 93, 245
ammonia, 112, 234, 245-253, 255, 286
ammonium, 247, 250
anaerobic, 229, 235, 236, 239, 252, 253, 281, 282
Animal By-product Processing and Utilization, 101, 108, 120
Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center (ACREC), 82, 265-271, 275
Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI), 4, 28, 42, 45, 53, 57, 58, 60, 62-69, 79, 81, 83,
176, 272
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), 62, 66, 71, 76, 79, 80, 83, 93, 266
antioxidants, 6, 7, 8, 31, 100, 130, 169, 171, 172, 174
aquafeeds, 190, 194, 196, 210
aquaculture, 9-12, 31, 53, 54, 68, 71, 74, 171, 179-211, 222-227, 263-265, 274, 276
arginine (arg), 12, 159, 162, 181, 210, 211
ash, 45, 90, 114, 131, 133, 134, 137, 138, 153, 157, 159, 163, 167-171, 176, 177, 184, 185,
188, 195, 199, 203, 237, 283, 284, 286
aspartic acid (asp), 175
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), 6, 9-11, 112, 148, 153, 156, 163,
167-169, 175

B
-carotene, 162
bacteria, 3, 4, 59, 75, 82, 89, 99, 112, 156, 166, 236, 246, 252-254, 256, 274, 275, 282, 288
batch cooker, 22, 32, 33, 44, 97
biodiesel, 224-234, 242, 243, 264, 269, 271, 272, 275, 276, 279
biofilter, 49, 256
biofuel, 230, 264, 286
biogas, 37, 252, 279, 281, 282, 292
biohazard, 75, 288
biohydrogenation, 116-118, 124
Biomal, 284-287, 293, 294
biotin, 145, 162
blood cells, 141, 154
blood meal (BM), 1, 9, 11, 13, 74, 111, 112, 141, 149, 154, 156, 157, 174, 179, 182, 183,
185, 188, 189, 192, 193, 202, 274
boiler, 33, 37, 230, 252, 255, 256, 284
bovine, 2
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), 1, 28, 32, 36, 39, 42, 46, 57, 61-63, 66, 67, 71, 73,
76, 77, 79, 80- 89, 93, 103, 111, 123, 132, 167, 168, 182, 213, 219, 220, 224, 227, 228,
236, 237, 263, 264, 265, 266, 272, 273, 276, 281, 282, 284, 286, 288, 290
British thermal unit (BTU), 36, 43, 252
burial, 3, 82, 87, 90, 159, 160, 280

Essential RenderingIndex

C
calcium, 10, 108, 109, 121, 122, 131, 132, 138, 141, 145, 146, 148, 151, 152, 153, 155, 167,
174, 185, 222, 260, 279, 283
Campylobacter, 4, 60, 76, 77, 288, 290
Canada (volume of raw material and number of plants), 2, 25
candle, 18, 214
capacity, 13, 35-37, 40, 42-45, 48, 83, 90, 97, 109, 124, 163, 177, 235, 248, 249, 268, 277,
279
carotenoids, 159, 162, 173
cats, 159-173, 176, 177, 274
cattle, 2, 10, 11, 14, 15, 20, 24, 25, 28, 57, 59, 61, 62, 66, 69, 73, 74, 80, 82-85, 87, 89, 96,
99, 111-123, 137, 154, 220, 224, 228, 229, 240, 263, 266, 274, 288, 294
centrifuge, 34, 97
Chemical Market Reporter, 234
Clostridium, 4, 60, 75, 76, 77, 89, 288, 289, 290
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 67, 69, 70, 83, 248, 272
code of practice, 4, 53, 63, 68, 79, 82, 83
collagen, 101, 105, 107, 108, 149, 168, 240, 241
compost, 3, 50, 82, 87, 89, 90, 236, 279, 280, 281, 282
continous processing systems, 22, 23, 32-35, 79, 95-97, 114
cookers, 22, 33, 44, 98
cooking, 2-6, 9, 11, 17, 22, 24, 25, 33, 41, 43, 73, 97, 98, 101, 106, 107, 110, 165, 166, 231,
250, 256, 259, 264, 275
co-product, 1, 229, 230, 241, 242, 263, 264, 267, 269, 270, 271, 274
cracklings, 3, 21, 97
crax, 3
cystine (cys), 10, 12, 13, 15, 74, 114, 115, 131, 133, 134, 146, 147, 153, 167, 168, 174, 195,
197-201, 209

D
dairy cattle, 11, 14, 116, 117, 119, 121, 122, 123, 124, 263, 273, 288, 294
dead stock, 15, 224, 245, 249
denitrification, 253, 254
detergent, 18, 77, 114, 121, 215-217, 230, 290
digestibility, 4, 10, 13, 14, 16, 32, 35, 41, 42, 74, 93, 111, 115, 116, 119, 120-124, 127, 129,
131, 134-139, 145, 146, 149, 153, 157, 166, 168-201, 203, 206, 210, 222, 262, 273, 274
digestible energy (DE), 9, 118, 119, 121, 142, 143, 179, 191
diseases, 2, 9, 17, 24, 28, 40, 41, 55, 56, 57, 60, 61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 71, 75, 79-83, 86, 89, 90,
93, 97, 111, 117, 157, 159, 161, 163, 167, 172, 201, 213, 261, 265, 266, 280, 286-289,
292, 294
disposal, 3, 19, 50, 65, 71, 74, 79, 80- 93, 126, 230, 237, 242, 245, 252, 255, 257, 266, 277,
280, 282, 284, 287, 288, 293, 294
dissolved air flotation, 251
dogs, 21, 137, 159, 160-177, 274
dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), 13, 14, 15
drum, 185, 193, 194, 210, 276
dry rendering, 21, 22, 32, 97
dust, 9, 127, 130, 155, 156, 255
296

Essential RenderingIndex

E
Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC), 271
edible fats, 31, 99
edible rendering, 31, 32, 96, 97
effluent limitation guidelines, 248
emission, 245, 255, 256, 257, 275, 286
energy, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 25, 26, 32-37, 42, 44, 45, 54, 64, 75, 97, 111, 116-119, 122-143,
155, 159, 171-179, 189-200, 206, 208, 210, 218, 222-239, 263, 264, 274, 277, 280-293
environment, 24, 39, 40, 48, 54, 58, 66, 67, 75, 80-82, 90, 91, 109, 180, 214, 251, 288-293
environmental management system (EMS), 245, 257, 258
enzymes, 10, 7, 99, 143, 145, 162, 195, 207, 213, 274, 276, 282
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 37, 50, 171, 172, 173, 245, 246, 248, 249, 255, 258
essential amino acids, 11, 12, 13, 26, 74, 112, 114, 115, 123, 143, 159, 168, 174, 179, 195
ethanol, 13, 15, 16, 231, 240
ethoxyquin, 174
evaporator, 22, 35, 41, 43
extrusion, 26, 65, 105, 165, 166, 173, 180, 210, 211, 240

F
fallen animals (4-D), 20, 21, 24
Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), 6, 16, 26, 28, 61, 62, 67, 69, 82, 93, 122,
157, 176, 193, 259-275
fatty acid, 5-12, 21, 22, 25, 27, 31, 96-100, 111, 115-124, 127, 130, 137, 139, 154, 159, 162,
163, 167, 170-179, 181, 190-192, 195, 199, 208, 213, 215, 229, 232, 250, 262, 283
Facilities Certification Institute (FCI), 63
feather meal (FeM), 1, 9, 10, 13, 32, 111, 112, 114, 124, 125, 126, 134-139, 141, 153, 181,
182, 184, 188, 189, 192-197, 199, 200, 207, 209, 210, 220, 274
feathers, 2, 4, 10, 26, 32, 40, 41, 42, 72, 134, 139, 153, 274, 278, 281, 283, 284
Federal Register 15, 16, 67, 79, 80, 83, 85, 223, 228 (see also Code of Federal Regulations)
feed rule, 63, 66, 67, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 263, 265
fertilizer, 19, 86, 180, 230, 236, 273
film, 35, 240, 243
fish meal (FM), 1, 9, 16, 33, 35, 56, 111, 112, 113, 133, 139, 141, 153, 157, 159, 171, 179,
180, 181, 185, 188-211, 220, 222, 225, 227, 228, 274, 276
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 1, 2, 4, 10, 15, 16, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 63, 67, 71, 76,
79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 111, 112, 114, 220, 223, 263, 265, 266
formaldehyde, 62, 241
free fatty acids (FFA), 7, 99, 232
fuel, 13, 15, 37, 86, 90, 217, 224-226, 229, 230-240, 252, 263, 264, 272-277, 284-287, 291
fuel cell, 234, 237-240

G
gases, 35, 40, 234, 235, 245, 255, 281, 283
glue, 35, 97, 107, 165, 214
gluten, 165, 181, 182, 189, 191, 194
glycerin, 166, 229, 232
glycerol, 5, 7, 96, 99, 234, 240
297

Essential RenderingIndex

H
hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP), 1, 4, 31, 41, 44, 54-58, 63, 65, 68, 76, 97
hair, 2, 7, 9, 10, 18, 32, 40, 42, 100, 110, 139, 143, 148, 274
health, 1, 2, 4, 16, 24, 27, 38, 40, 53-93, 111, 159-164, 172, 175, 213, 215, 241, 245, 246,
266, 276-280, 287-294
heat increment, 127, 129
heat sink, 37
heat stress, 117, 127, 129, 136
hide, 7, 10, 20, 148, 247, 250
histidine (his), 19, 20, 32, 84, 99, 131, 132, 143, 153, 155, 181, 195, 211, 231, 258, 265, 275
horse, 160, 181, 294
hydrolysis, 7, 42, 50, 101, 107, 108, 184, 274, 282
hydrolyzed, 1, 8, 32, 134, 138, 139, 141, 144, 146-148, 153, 195, 207, 208, 274, 282, 283
hydroxyapatite, 229

I
ileal digestibility, 145, 146, 149, 153, 157, 168
immune response, 11, 175, 195, 202, 211
impurities, 7, 35, 46, 85, 99, 173
incineration, 76, 80, 90, 229, 237, 279, 284, 289, 291, 293
independent, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 51, 61, 63, 71, 122, 169, 248, 256
industrial uses, 5, 31, 217, 229, 230
inedible, 2, 5, 17, 27, 72, 97, 100, 133, 155, 190, 213, 214, 232, 233, 243, 267
insoluble, 7, 9, 38, 46, 85, 99, 100, 107, 114, 130, 213, 219
International Energy Agency (IEA), 226-228
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 31, 257, 258
iron, 154, 155, 254
isoleucine (ile), 11, 15, 114, 115, 131, 133, 134, 146, 147, 154, 155

K
keratin, 4, 10, 32, 42, 137
kettle, 21, 31, 97
kibble, 161, 162, 173

L
L. vannamei, 195, 198, 199, 202, 203, 207, 208, 209, 211
lamb meal, 168, 169
landfill, 3, 37, 89, 237, 277, 287, 288, 289, 292, 293
lard, 95, 96, 97, 98, 103, 127, 138, 159, 172, 173, 179, 190, 191, 192, 194, 213, 214, 261
leucine (leu), 12, 114, 133, 134, 197, 198, 199, 201, 209, 210, 211
linoleic acid, 118, 127, 129, 130, 162, 170, 172, 173
lipid, 5, 100, 111, 118, 124, 176, 177, 179, 181, 190-192, 264, 278, 283
Listeria, 4, 60, 75, 76, 77, 290
lubricant, 27
lysine (lys), 11-15, 74, 107, 114, 115, 131, 133, 134, 137, 139, 143-156, 168, 175, 179, 181183, 190, 193, 195, 197-199, 201, 207, 209, 211
298

Essential RenderingIndex

M
Macrobrachiun nipponense, 203, 211
meat and bone meal (MBM), 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 26, 28, 32, 57, 59, 61, 62, 66, 73, 74, 75,
82, 83, 84, 93, 111, 112, 114, 125, 127, 131, 132, 135-141, 148, 149, 151, 152, 153, 156,
157, 159, 167, 168, 170, 175, 176, 177, 181, 185, 186, 188-203, 207-211, 213, 229, 235,
236, 237, 241, 265, 271, 273, 274, 278, 284, 291
meat meal, 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 93, 112, 126, 131, 137, 141, 148-156, 167, 168, 169, 181, 185,
188, 194, 210, 211, 220-224, 227, 274
meat packing, 20, 73, 142, 257
melting point, 6, 95, 98, 172, 190, 232
menhaden, 11, 113, 144, 146-148, 153, 171, 173
met, 45, 46, 48, 122, 151, 162, 268, 270
metabolizable energy (ME), 9, 12, 75, 127, 130, 132, 136-138, 142, 171, 173, 194, 222, 274
methionine (met), 12, 13, 15, 74, 107, 114, 115, 131, 133, 134, 145-147, 162, 167, 174, 182,
190, 195-211
microbes, 17, 65, 143
minerals, 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 100, 126, 131, 141, 142, 145, 146, 155, 159, 163, 164, 167, 174,
179, 181, 182, 194, 262, 283, 293
moisture, 2, 3, 7, 11, 17, 21, 22, 31, 33, 35, 38, 59, 82, 89, 96, 97, 99, 100, 111, 113, 130,
166, 173, 235, 236, 240, 277, 286
moisture, impurities, and unsaponifiables (MIU), 7, 38, 46, 99, 130
mortalities, 65, 71-73, 75-81, 84-91, 245, 288, 289
most probable number, 60, 69, 247

N
National Renderers Association (NRA), 1, 6, 16, 28, 51, 62, 66, 67, 69, 71, 93, 112, 140, 157,
158, 176, 178, 195, 196, 211, 213, 214, 215, 216, 219, 220, 224, 225,228, 245, 257, 261,
261, 272, 273, 294
National Research Council (NRC), 12, 14, 15, 16, 55, 113, 114, 118, 119, 121, 122, 124, 129,
132, 138, 142, 146-149, 154, 155, 162, 163, 176, 181, 194, 196, 211, 261, 272
net energy (NE), 128, 142
nitrogen, 12, 16, 89, 93, 143, 245-255, 274, 281, 286
nitrogen oxides (NOx), 286, 287
Nutrient Requirements of(NRC), 16, 124, 138, 142, 146, 157, 163, 176, 194, 196, 211
nutrients, 9, 37, 71, 73, 74, 109, 115, 116, 124-126, 132, 135, 141, 142, 146, 159, 166, 173,
174, 181, 192, 196, 198, 201, 203, 204, 208, 209, 222, 229, 231, 247, 248, 267, 274, 282

O
odor, 35, 37, 40, 48, 81, 98, 255, 256, 262, 275, 283
Office of International Epizootics (OIE), 38, 46, 66, 213, 280, 294
oleic acid, 99, 120, 173
oleochemicals, 5, 73, 271, 278, 279, 293
omega-3, 159, 162, 167, 171-177
operations, 2, 14, 18, 20, 22, 31, 33, 38, 43, 51, 58, 117, 141, 142, 179, 181, 232, 235, 236,
247, 249-251, 254, 255, 257, 270, 276
oxidation, 7, 8, 38, 100, 109, 119, 159, 167, 169, 173, 256
oxygen demand, 246, 286
299

Essential RenderingIndex

P-Q
P. monodon, 195, 198, 199, 202-211
packaging, 161, 173, 242, 269
palm oil, 9, 18, 127, 128, 214, 217, 228
parasites, 3, 89
pathogens, 4, 40, 45, 59, 60, 61, 68, 75, 76, 78, 79, 82, 89, 90, 236, 265, 287-289, 294
peanut, 99, 200, 206, 231
pellet, 9, 65, 127, 130, 155, 165, 180, 222
perch, 185, 192, 194, 210
peroxide value, 8, 100, 173
pesticide, 6, 78, 262, 275
pet food, 5, 8, 10, 25, 26, 32, 38, 45, 58, 73, 105, 133, 136, 159-177, 203, 227, 279, 282
pet food companies, 159, 160, 162, 164, 165, 167, 170, 172
petroleum, 230, 231, 265
phenylalanine, 131, 211
phosphorus, 10, 12, 74, 125, 126, 131, 132, 135, 138, 139, 141, 145, 146, 148, 151-157, 167,
174, 181, 185, 194, 200, 206, 245, 248, 250, 253, 254, 283
pigs, 2, 11, 14-16, 19, 21, 24, 61, 69, 73, 74, 79, 87, 93, 95-97, 99, 101, 103, 104, 105, 107,
108, 110, 137, 142-157, 162, 164, 173, 175, 219, 220, 260, 275, 276, 288, 294
plasma, 9, 11, 74, 102, 120, 124, 141, 154, 156, 157, 184
plastic, 161, 239, 252, 273
Plumb, 19, 219, 260
pocket pets, 159, 164
polyethylene, 100, 239, 240, 275
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 6
polyunsaturated, 5, 14, 117, 120, 123, 175, 177, 179, 191, 192
pork, 5, 6, 8, 32, 58, 89, 98, 99, 102-107, 112, 132, 141, 154, 157, 167, 172, 173, 181, 288
potassium, 8, 166, 231
poultry, 1-14, 21, 24-33, 38, 45, 53-61, 65, 68, 71, 73, 74, 84, 87, 95, 96, 104, 109-115, 120129, 132-141, 153, 155, 159, 168-173, 176, 177, 179, 180, 182, 183, 185, 191-194, 197,
210-213, 220-229, 261, 274-276, 283, 288
poultry by-product meal, 9, 10, 12, 26, 112, 125, 133, 135, 136, 138, 141, 153, 159, 168, 169,
182-189, 193-211, 220, 276
poultry fat, 6, 8, 26, 116, 120, 121, 127, 136, 137, 138, 155, 159, 173, 179, 182, 192, 213
poultry meal, 1, 9, 12, 13, 45, 84, 111, 133, 169, 177, 213, 220, 229
precautionary principle, 39
press, 3, 21, 22, 34, 95, 97, 103, 175, 194
pressure, 4, 10, 21, 22, 32, 33, 41, 42, 44, 45, 65, 97, 99, 108, 109, 114, 132, 135, 138, 155,
157, 167, 175, 195, 207, 217, 234, 237, 240, 251, 281, 283, 287
prion, 4, 36, 61, 62, 69, 112, 236, 237, 294
proline (pro), 28, 108, 129, 135, 153, 168, 172, 179, 185, 233, 274
process control, 31, 63, 71, 76, 79
processor, 32, 38, 44
protein efficiency ratio (PER), 109, 176, 202
protein quality, 22, 131, 132, 136, 138, 139, 144, 168, 169, 174-177, 196, 203
protozoa, 3
pyrolysis, 229, 235, 236
quality control, 31, 41, 51, 131, 276
300

Essential RenderingIndex

R
raw material, 1, 2, 3, 4, 15, 21, 22-26, 31, 32, 33, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 50, 60, 68,
76, 77, 82, 83, 87, 97, 99, 100, 107, 108, 137, 161, 170, 176, 177, 213, 224, 226, 229, 231,
233, 241, 245, 247, 249-251, 274, 277-284
re-contamination, 4
records retention rule, 81
refined, 8, 45, 166, 173, 280
regulations, 4, 15, 31, 37, 71, 75, 76, 82, 85, 87, 90, 91, 93, 109, 112, 224, 236, 245, 246,
255-258, 266, 270
Render, 222, 228, 243
replacement of commercial fertilizer, 254
replacement of fish meal, 133, 190, 192, 195, 196, 201-211, 225, 276
replacement of soybean meal, 126, 133
reproduction, 124, 142
restaurant grease, 5, 6, 9, 40, 144, 155, 149, 250, 264
research, 4, 11, 16, 18, 50, 54, 55, 58- 62, 82, 110, 131, 149, 153, 156, 159, 163, 164, 172175, 179, 195, 209, 211, 222, 238-246, 258-276, 283
rumen, 10, 11, 81, 100-113, 117, 120, 121, 124, 143
rumen degradable protein (RUP), 112, 113, 116, 123
rumen undegradable protein, 112
ruminant, 1, 2, 4, 10, 28, 57, 66, 73, 74, 80-84, 87, 96, 99, 103, 111-126, 132, 135, 167, 182,
213, 220, 221, 227, 263, 266

S
salmon, 179, 180, 181, 182, 188, 193
salt, 11, 103, 106, 107, 145, 181, 247, 250, 255
saponification, 8, 100
saturated fat, 5, 8, 120, 121, 122, 127, 129, 172, 179, 191, 195, 199, 232, 262
science, 1, 20, 53, 68, 71, 81, 83, 260, 261, 263, 269
scrapie, 28, 61, 66, 69, 77, 82, 168, 290
scrubber, 81, 250, 256
seabream, 183, 188, 194
sheep, 28, 61, 66, 69, 82, 83, 96, 99, 103, 104, 107, 111, 112, 114, 116, 123, 220, 229, 240
shrimp, 179, 180, 182, 195-211, 274, 276
slaughter, 19, 20, 21, 40, 58, 72, 83, 85, 125, 153, 154, 173, 181, 224, 281, 283, 289, 294
sludge, 7, 50, 252, 253, 254, 282
slurry, 33, 35, 44
soap, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 20, 25, 51, 213, 214, 230, 234, 278, 293
soybean meal, 12, 14, 16, 74, 93, 114, 126, 130-137, 142, 145, 146, 149, 151, 181, 188, 193,
194, 220, 222, 262
soybean oil, 116, 125, 127, 128, 194, 217, 227
specialty pets, 159, 164
specified risk material (SRM), 85, 86, 91, 224, 266
sunflower oil, 127, 217
swine, 9, 14, 16, 19, 25, 26, 28, 31, 59, 60, 61, 65, 69, 72, 73, 74, 92, 93, 126, 132, 137, 141148, 151-157, 171, 176, 227, 262, 269, 274, 288, 294
systems, 3, 13, 21, 22, 31, 33-37, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 48, 50, 60, 79, 97, 110, 127, 139, 162,
168, 169, 174, 177, 180, 200, 206, 209, 230, 234, 245, 255, 256, 257, 259, 261, 263, 284
301

Essential RenderingIndex

T
tallow, 5, 6, 8, 17, 18, 20, 25-28, 38, 61, 62, 85, 96, 97, 100, 103, 111, 119-123, 127, 129,
138, 141, 144, 155, 159, 172, 173, 179, 190-194, 213- 219, 224, 229-234, 262, 271, 273278, 284
taurine, 159, 162, 168
Techniques and Procedures in Animal Science Research, 260, 272
temperatures, 3, 22, 35, 78, 79, 80, 85, 89, 100, 107, 109, 129, 136, 146, 168, 172, 177, 190,
232, 237, 239, 247, 256
The Cattle on a Thousand Hills, 214, 228
The Invisible Industry, 17, 20, 28
The National Provisioner, 19, 24, 28
The Original Recyclers, 17, 28, 110, 157, 176, 259, 272, 276
The Practical Stock Doctor, 261, 272
threonine (thr), 12, 13, 15, 31, 74, 114, 115, 131, 133, 134, 145-147, 168, 197-201, 209, 210
tilapia, 179, 180, 188, 193
titer, 6, 8, 95, 99, 172
traceability, 71, 75, 79, 80, 81, 91, 287, 288
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), 4, 62, 265, 266, 272, 280, 282
triglyceride, 6, 96, 99, 283
trout, 179-194
tryptophan (trp), 13, 15, 74, 107, 131, 133, 134, 145, 146, 147, 149, 151, 162, 170, 211
turkey, 129, 130, 132, 134, 135, 137, 164, 169, 170
tyrosine (tyr), 12, 131, 133, 134, 197, 198, 199, 201, 209

U
unsaponifiable, 7, 100
unsaturated fat, 6, 7, 14, 98, 99, 109, 116, 117, 120
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16, 27, 55, 61, 65, 80, 96, 97, 173, 177,
217, 220, 237, 243, 271

V
valine (val), 12, 15, 114, 115, 131, 133, 134, 146, 147, 197, 198, 199, 201, 209, 211
vegetable oil, 5, 97, 98, 119, 121, 122, 125, 127, 155, 217, 224, 225, 231, 276
venturi, 256
viruses, 3, 59, 61, 65, 75, 79, 82, 93, 112, 288, 289, 294
vitamin, 145, 159, 162, 164, 166, 171, 181

W
waste disposal, 257
wastewater, 37, 49, 50, 81, 97, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 253, 254, 256, 257, 276
wet rendering, 21, 31

Y
yellow grease, 122, 127, 138, 213
302

A reproduction of Rendering in the 18th Century originally hand colored by the

artist. The print of the engraving shows the rendering operation of a French
chandler in the late 1700s. Workmen are shown chopping fat, smelting, and
extracting it in a press.

Published by:
The National Renderers Association
The Fats and Proteins Research Foundation
The Animal Protein Producers Industry
ISBN: 0-9654660-3-5