Animal By-Products:: A Valuable 5th Quarter

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Animal by-products:
A valuable 5th Quarter
Animal By-Products:
A valuable 5th Quarter
Animal by-products (ABP) are an important
and potentially valuable aspect of the livestock
food production chain and are described in
many parts of the world as the Fifth Quarter.
This description relates to the fact that many
animals slaughtered for food (meat) are split
into four quarters as part of the butchery
process. The fifth quarter is an attempt to
describe those parts of the animal that are
not directly consumed by humans as food.
More accurately these materials are termed
animal by-products or ABP for short.
If and when ABP are acknowledged by society,
they are generally regarded as a problem. The
focal point, for our industry and for the wider
public, has for the last 25 years, been centered
around the issues relating to the BSE epidemic in
Europe. However, from the days at the height of
this issue for both animal and human health,
between 1992 and 1996, very significant progress
has been made to gain a heightened sense of
responsibility for our sector. Recognition that the
ABP industry is actually an integral link in the
food-chain, has made a major difference to

attitudes to our sector both from within and
outside of our industry.
The industry that processes ABPs are called

renderers although they use a variety of processing
techniques. Rendering is the main process used by
the industry of course, and this involves using heat
to stabilize, sterilize, and separate the de-hydrated
materials into derived products; namely animal
protein meals and rendered animal fats. Currently
there are two main two main applications for use
of both types of derived product: In the food-chain
or as a source of renewable energy.
In the food-chain, uses include as protein, energy
and/or mineral ingredients for compound feeds
for animals raised for human food production
or for companion animals. Renewable energy
applications include uses as bio-liquid for steam,
raising boilers or thermal oxidisers, or as an
ingredient in Biodiesel.
Another process becoming more commonly used

by the industry is anaerobic digestion or AD for
short. This process also produces two end products:
Biogas [Methane], which is used as a renewable
fuel to power engines and turbines, or is injected
into the national gas distribution network and the
digestate which is used as a liquid fertliser.
ABP Organisations
There are several tiers of organization for the rendering industry, each level built upon a level below.
Starting at the UK level, the individual rendering
companies are formed into the FABRA
In turn FABRA is a member of both the European

Fat Processors and renderers association (EFPRA),
and the World Renderers Organisation (WRO).
Their respective roles and foci are as follows:
EFPRA
The ABP sector in Europe is represented by
EFPRA and its members are responsible for the
collection, processing and use of ABP within Europe and further afield. Over 16 million tonnes of
ABP are processed every year, by rendering As a
result, EFPRA members produce nearly 4 million
tonnes of protein meals and 2.75 million tonnes
of rendered fats. Since 2002, all ABP in the EU is
segregated according to risk and essentially that
has dictated the actual and potential uses for
the derived products.
World Renderers Organisation (WRO)

WRO was founded in 1999 to represent the international rendering community.Rendering, known
to be the worlds original recycling business,
has been prominent in several civilisations for
centuries.Processors from the USA, Canada, UK,
Europe, Australia, and New Zealand established
the WRO that now represents more than 20

countries. New country members are always
welcome to join the organisation. Following the BSE
crisis in Europe in the1990s, it became essential
that renderers engage international regulators with
one voice.WRO has become that voice in dialogue
with OIE, WHO, FAO, and Codex Alimentarius.
WRO encourages a science-based regulatory
framework that will permit the maximum utilisation
of rendered animal products in a safe and
sustainable manner.Education, research, and
advocacy are important features of WRO.
Renderers will play a key role in the future in regard

to climate-related issues, international economics,
and closing the gap between food (human) and
feed (animals) that provide real challenges. WRO
members must be imaginative and innovative in
their processing methods, and minimise energy
use and waste in order to maximise opportunities.
Factoring into this is world population growth,

declining natural fish resources, and the global
energy situation with limited and costly resources.
There is no doubt that now is the time to promote
rendering as a responsible and prudent industry
that is extraordinarily capable of playing an
essential role in our planets future.
The WRO is the organization that represents the
rendering industry worldwide, serving as an
exchange platform for education and information
amongst its members and with like-minded
associations around the world. WRO represents
its members in international government and
world organization forums debating topics such
asfood production, animal and human health,
and the environment.
The vision of the WRO is to be the principal

organisation representing the interests of the
rendering industry on a global level, serving as a
vehicle for exchanging points of view on rendering
issues and, where appropriate, to express positions
to governments and worldorganisations.
The WRO attempts to enhance the contribution
of the global rendering industry in improving the
environment and in meeting the growing global

needs for feed, food, biofuel, and industrial
raw materials in a sustainable manner, without
adversely affecting the production of food for
human consumption.
Key Areas for Animal by-product processors
Biosecurity
Rendering is a process that ensures a high standard
of biosecurity for the livestock industry by the
efficient stabilisation and sterilisation of biodegradable and microbiologically containing animal
by-products. Renderers are able to achieve high
standards of biosecurity by operating their processes
to internationally agreed sanitary standards.
Sustainability
Renderers can be considered sustainable in
three areas: economic, social, and environmental.
Environmental sustainability is especially clear as
rendering requires a high level of energy input
to operate, and renewable fuels used for both
heat and electricity can supplement fossil fuels.
Rendering may be described as a truly sustainable
industry because many renderers are able to
supply renewable biofuels from other processes
such as the rendering of non-feed use animal
by-products.
Nutrition
Rendered products have supplied the nutritional
needs of farmed livestock and domestic (pet)
animals for over 100 years. The nutritional
characteristics of animal protein meals and fats
make them highly sought-after sources of amino
acids, energy, and fatty acids. Modern process
techniques and formulation programmes ensure
that animal proteins and fats can be used to meet
the complex demands for specific nutrients that
may be needed by specific species of livestock,
such as pigs, poultry, and aquatic animals, or by
type, breed, or age of domestic animals.
Biofuels
Rendered fats and oils, including Used Cooking
Oils (UCO) may be used in two primary ways as
sources of biofuel. First as a direct substitute for
fossil fuel sources such as oil and gas used in
steam raising boilers or oxidisers. Second as the

main ingredient in fatty acid methyl ester (FAME)
types of biodiesel that may be used in road and
marine vehicles. In both situations, rendered fats
and oils can play an important role in achieving
significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
and a reliance on fossil fuels. An even more
welcome benefit is that the use of such materials
does not influence food policy as these materials
are never intended for human consumption.
Industry
The many uses of rendered products mainly
rendered fats in industrial applications are well
known, starting with tallow candles, hard soaps,
and as components in lubricants, plastics, and
rubber-based products such as tyres. Not so well
known are the uses of rendered fat derivatives in
consumer products such as cosmetics, paints,
polishes, and cleaning products.
Environment
Renderers protect the environment in several ways.
First, biological or environmental hazardsare
prevented by the prompt processing of animal
by-products. Second, by processing the raw
materials in specialised rendering plants, potentially
polluting materials can be captured and treated so
as to prevent contamination of air, water, and soil.
Research
This activity has played an important role in taking
the industry from the very difficult period of the
1980s and 1990s to where we are today. However
the focus on research is now altering, and the
potential areas of growth for our sector must be
underpinned by further research efforts. Major
efforts must be applied according to the utmost
need to add value to the livestock sector via

maximizing the value of the ABP within the constraints of all the relevant EU regulations. Risk
analysis, in terms of evaluating effects on humans,
animals and the environment is fundamental. In
particular, risk associated with raw materials, the
process envisaged and the use of the products
must form the foundations of any research proposal.
In addition, the economic viability of the proposed
research outcome must be considered before
any project is approved. The scope for research is
wide and in practice, can cut across many scientific
disciplines. This fact alone may make funding
somewhat difficult as not one size fits all when it
comes to researching ABP!
Nonetheless, some of the most promising areas
for research are shown below:
Maximizing the amounts of edible products
harvested from food producing animals, rather
than let them become ABP at the point of
production in slaughterhouses.
Consider alternative processing technologies,

other than rendering, for the processing of ABP,
including the use of anaerobic digestion and
use of ABP in organic fertilisers.
Determine the effect cooling technologies have

on ABP, in terms of potential to increase product
yields, reduce environmental pollution and
produce high quality renewable energy
products.
Develop methods to utilise the low ABP carbon

footprint from our industry to assist the mitigation
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food
producing animals.
Animal nutrition research on optimizing nutritional

qualities of products for targeted food producing
animals (including aquatic species), and therefore
allowing substitution for less sustainable feed
ingredients such as soya-meal or fishmeal.
In Conclusion
The efficient, sustainable and safe collection
processing and use of animal by-products is an
essential element of modern livestock agriculture.
Animal by-products can make a positive contribution
to the meat industry and the fifth quarter
description often used, is an appropriate one.
The current range of possible processes and
uses for the products has given a firm foundation
for future research to add even more value to
the Fifth Quarter.
Stephen Woodgate
Managing Director of Beacon Research Ltd

www.beaconresearch.co.uk
Chief Executive of FABRA
www.fabra.co.uk
A member of the executive board of EFPRA

www.efpra.eu
President of WRO
www.worldrenderers.org
www.beaconresearch.co.uk

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www.beaconresearch.co.

food-chain, has made a major difference to

The industry that processes ABPs are called

Another process becoming more commonly used

In turn FABRA is a member of both the European

World Renderers Organisation (WRO)

the WRO that now represents more than 20

Renderers will play a key role in the future in regard

Factoring into this is world population growth,

The vision of the WRO is to be the principal

environment and in meeting the growing global

Key Areas for Animal by-product processors

steam raising boilers or oxidisers. Second as the

need to add value to the livestock sector via

Consider alternative processing technologies,

Determine the effect cooling technologies have

Develop methods to utilise the low ABP carbon

Animal nutrition research on optimizing nutritional

Managing Director of Beacon Research Ltd

A member of the executive board of EFPRA

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