FAQs

For questions about Processed Animal Proteins (PAPs), go to the dedicated PAPs - Questions and Answers section.

It is a factory that processes unwanted animal by-products into a range of materials that can be reused or disposed of safely. The two main products of the plant are fat, known as tallow, and meat and bone meal.

The majority of the material entering a rendering plant originates from slaughterhouses or farms but butcher shops, supermarkets, restaurants, animal shelters and vets also contribute.

At a European meat rendering plant, all waste will be categorised into one of three categories, depending on the level of risk and is processed and reused in different ways.

There are two types of meat rendering plants, the first is an integrated rendering plant, and operates alongside a slaughterhouses or poultry processing plant. The second is an independent rendering plant which receives its waste from a variety of sources and usually have several separate streams to process different types of waste.

Fat rendering can be a process that is undertaken personally in cooking or industrially, and is simply the separation of fats, proteins and water through heat and pressure. Industrially this is a process that is used in the meat rendering industry to sterilise and stabilise animal by-products allowing them to be reused.

Animal by-products need to be disposed of in a safe way; across the world huge numbers of animals are slaughtered for meat consumption which produces a significant quantity of inedible surplus material.

The fat rendering process is different depending on the source material, if it is edible or inedible, and the desired end product.

Edible rendering heats the materials in a melt tank and separates the protein solids from the fat and water. The fat and water is then heated with steam and edible fat is separated. Throughout this process heat contact is minimal and no cooking vapours are emitted.

Inedible rendering can be both dry and wet. Wet can be high cost and requires energy and water to boil the material. Dry rendering is when the animal by-product is dehydrated continuously till the fat is released. following this the protein and fat are separated

If livestock dies on a farm – usually called fallen stock – it must be disposed of safely to minimise diseases risk.

It is collected and sent to one of the following as soon as possible: hunt kennel, incinerator, renderer or maggot farm. Before this is done access to the fallen stock must be restricted and if it died of a notifiable disease steps must be taken to limit any further spread.

If it is sent to a meat rendering plant, it will be categorised as category two waste - not fit for human consumption. The material is sterilised and stabilised and reused in a variety of ways but it is not allowed to re-enter the food chain.

It is important for fallen stock to be treated in this way for the safety of people, livestock and the environment.

Any parts of animals which aren't eaten are disposed of by rendering and converting them into useful products for reuse.

Animal by-products that are fit for human consumption at the point of slaughter are used in a variety of a applications including edible fats, pet food, oleochemicals and fertiliser. Any animal parts that are inedible or are considered to have a disease risk are processed separately and usually end up as solid or liquid fuel.

The process of rendering creates two main products; tallow and protein. How this is used is dependent on the risk category of the animal by-product before it is rendered.

When an animal dies or is slaughtered there are strict laws both from the UK government, and the European parliament and council that dictate how the animal is to be treated, disposed of and reused.

Category one (highest risk material) can be used for fuel and biodiesel; Category two has the additional usages of fertilizer biogas and fur feed.

Category three material is considered the lowest risk and is fit for human consumption at the point of slaughter. This can be used for a variety of products such as fish feed, pet food, animal feed, fur feed, bio gas, fertilizer, biodiesel, chemical, industry and edible fats.

PAP and MBM are produced from different categories of animal by-product and as a result have very different uses.  PAP is a biosecure feed ingredient with a high protein value and low carbon footprint.  MBM cannot be used as a feed ingredient but is valued as a source of green energy and a raw material in a variety of industrial applications.

While PAP and MBM are both derived from the rendering process, the regulations governing the production of PAP ensures it is never produced in the same processing line as meat and bone meal.

Meat rendering plants process millions of tonnes of food waste each year in the EU. It is essential that the waste from the meat and dairy sector be processed in this way to minimise the risk to people and the environment.

The process of meat rendering is very energy efficient as many of the production sites use carbon neutral resources. The materials that are being processed also provide the fuel for the meat rendering plants. The products that are then produced from the waste of the meat and dairy industry can be used in place of fuels, fertilisers and feeds that would be produced from other sources.

Using life-cycle analysis, rendered materials frequently have smaller carbon and water footprints than conventional comparator products.