Serving

Industrial Generators I
T
HE MEAT processing industry is
finding it increasingly difficult and
expensive to manage by-products,
Y3146
as Part I of this series (January,
2001, p. 62) explained. While meat
by-products still are rendered into ALTERNATIVES TO RENDERING
raw materials for manufactured
products like soaps, fertilizers and animal

MEAT BYmPRODUCTS
feed, trends in the rendering industry have
changed the situation and the economics.
Concerns about diseases like BSE ("Mad
Cow disease") have restricted feeding of an-
imal proteins to livestock. Thus, for many
meat processors, rendering is now an ex-
pense rather than an income source.
With this increasing expense, composting
has become a viable option for recycling
AS COMPOSTING
FEEDSTOCKS
meat by-products. Well-established proce-
dures for composting animal mortalities on
farms provide both precedent and guide-
lines for composting raw meat by-products.
~everthelessymeatby-products present cer-
tain management chdlenges due to their
highly degradable nature and attraction to
pests. The purpose of this article is to profile
the various types of meat by-products, their
characteristics and potential uses.
BY-PRODUCT TYPES AND TYPICAL USES
In the U.S., slaughterhouses, packing
plants, supermarkets, butcher shops and
restaurants collectively generate over
40,000 tons of animal by-products each
week, on average. Much of this total has
been recovered by rendering. The larger
meat processing plants, including most
poultry processing facilities, typically have
their own rendering operations. Therefore,
the meat by-products available for compost-
ing are more-likely to be generated by com-
paratively small processing facilities that
slaughter or process beef, pork, deer and
other species. Like the large processors,
some of the smaller facilities slaughter or
process one species only, but many process
several (hogs, calves, etc.). Thus small I I manufactured products. For example,
plants often have to address by-products of glands are a source for a variety of pharma-
different species i n varying amounts
throughout the year.
Characteristics of ceutical chemicals, including estrogens, in-
sulin, hormones, vitamins, nutrient supple-
The relationships between the weight of
meat processed (i.e. live weight) and the
meat processing ments and numerous medicines. In addition
to these industrial uses, several by-products
meat products recovered and by-products
generated for three species are as follows:
residuals indicate are land applied directly or processed into
fertilizers via drying, composting or other
Steer by-products represent 44 percent of
the initial weight of the animal, with edible
a strong potential processes. Examples include paunch ma-
nure, blood, meat and bone meal, and offal.
by-products comprising 27 percent and ined-
ible by-products accounting for 17 percent.
for composting FEEDSTOCKS FOR COMPOSTING
Lamb by-products represent 54 percent of
the initial weight, 32 percent as edible by-
w i t h other Generally, meat by-products are consid-
ered for composting where rendering is un-
products and 22 percent as inedible by-prod-
ucts. By-products generated from pigs are
feedstocks. available or impractical. This might apply to
specific by-products that renderers will not
32 percent of the initial weight, with edible accept, such as paunch manure or offal. Or it
and inedible by-products making up 24 per- Part I1 can apply to all by-products generated be-
cent and eight percent, respectively. cause of a lack of local rendering facilities. In
Edible by-products are typically recovered either case, successful composting of animal
for human food uses, including variety Fedevica Vidussi mortalities has demonstrated that nearly all
meats, sausages and sausage casing, soups and Robevt Rynk meat processing by-products can be com-
and bouillon, gelatin and fats used in chew- posted. Although some components such as
ing gum and candies. Inedible by-products bones, feathers and wool are slower to de-
are normally processed into intermediate compose (especially bones), animal tissue
products that become ingredients for other generally disappears within six months to a
year - a normal time frame for composting. meat is trimmed, the meat and bone scraps
Meat and bone scraps, offal, blood, and that remain can be composted. The charac-
paunch manure and other stomach contents teristics depend on the proportion of meat re-
are among the more probable candidates for maining with the bone. The meat itself has a
composting. At larger facilities, solids gen- moderate moisture content (50 to 70 percent)
erated from wastewater treatment are also and is a rich source of nitrogen (two to five
good feedstocks. While these materials are percent). The bones provide minerals, par-
discussed individually below, composters ticularly calcium and phosphorus, but only if
would likely handle a mixture of several they become incorporated in the compost. In
meat processing by-products. a typical composting time frame, the meat
Meat and bone scraps: After the usable decomposes and disappears during the com-
posting process. The bones remain intact, al-
though they become more brittle and break
apart relatively easily. The bones are com-
3!7ff
A PRIMER ON BSE monly screened out before the compost is
used. Unless i t is a n aesthetic problem,
bones can be spread on land with the com-
came effective on August 4, 1997

B
OVINE Spongiform Enceph- post. Small bones disappear relatively quick-
alopathy (BSE), also known as and applies only to mammalian pro- ly. However, large bones may persist for a
"Mad Cow Disease," belongs teins because studies have not de- long time and may puncture tractor tires.
to a group of poorly understood tected a TSE of plants or nonmam- Offal: Offal is a general term for the col-
emerging diseases known as Trans- malian animals (poultry and fish). lection of organs, soft tissue and other com-
missible Spongiform Enceph- The exemptions for pure swine or ponents not used for meat products or re-
alopathies (TSEs). TSEs are pro- pure equine proteins are allowed covered as specific usable by-products (e.g.
gressively degenerative (and fatal) because these species never have intestines for sausage casing). Generally, of-
diseases of the central nervous sys- been found to have a naturally oc- fal has a high moisture and nitrogen con-
tem of humans and a number of an- curring TSE. Blood and blood prod- tent. It is also highly decomposable.
imal species, primarily ruminants. ucts, milk and milk products, and Blood: Blood is a concentrated source of
TSE in humans is called Sporadic gelatin are exempt because none of nitrogen (ten to 15 percent). It can be dried
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), these tissues have been shown sci- and manufactured into a fertilizer or pro-
and exists throughout the world with entifically to play a role in transmit- cessed for pharmaceutical products. Howev-
an annual incidence of approximate- ting BSE. The following products er, these uses may be impractical where only
ly one case per million population. also are exempt because they are a small volume of blood is generated. Be-
Although the cause of TSEs is un- not protein or tissue: grease, fat, tal- cause i t is a liquid, landfills may not accept
known, one theory proposes that an low, oil, amino acids and dicalcium it unless it is solidified first. Consequently,
infectious protein, or "prion," causes phosphate. Pet foods are exempted i t also has been composted. Blood decom-
the disease. The mode of transmis- from the regulation because once poses very quickly. Soon after being exposed
sion is also not understood. The only manufactured and packaged for to air, it takes on a gel-like consistency, al-
common factor in the cattle with sale as pet foods, they are unlikely though with a moisture content of approxi-
BSE is that feed containing meat to be fed to ruminants. mately 80 percent, it essentially remains a
and bone meal was fed to the af- Renderers, protein blenders, feed liquid unless it is deliberately dried. Com-
fected animals. Further epidemio- manufacturers, distributors includ- p o s t i n g blood r e q u i r e s d r y a b s o r b e n t
logical studies suggest that feed ing haulers, and individuals respon- amendments like sawdust, finished compost
contaminated by a TSE agent was sible for feeding ruminants are di- or chopped straw.
the cause of the disease. As a mat- rectly affected in this regulation. Paunch manure and stomach contents:
ter of fact, the spread of BSE in the They have to label all products that Paunch manure is the partially digested
United Kingdom appeared to be fa- contain or may contain prohibited feed present in t h e cattle's stomach (i.e.
cilitated by feeding calves rendered material with the following caution- paunch) a t the time of slaughter. Stomach
by-products from BSE-infectedcat- ary statement: "Do not feed to cat- contents of pigs and other animal species
tle. Moreover, processing cannot tle or other ruminants." are similar in nature. The characteristics of
assure a complete removal of the Although the risk of BSE in the paunch and stomach contents reflect the
BSE agent from feed materials since U.S. is small, the consequences feed material consumed by the animal, ex-
it can survive several physical pro- and cost would be very high, should cept that i t is partially digested and wet (70
cesses, including heat and pressure. it be detected. U.S. cattle would be to 90 percent moisture). Generally, paunch
Even though BSE has not been at risk for disease, and the human manure has a well-balanced C:N ratio. I t
diagnosed in cattle in the United population could be at risk for CJD. tends to decompose well, having gotten a
States, information and theories on The provisions and requirements of good start in the animal's digestive system.
TSE diseases raise concern that the regulation are based on current Paunch manure is a good candidate for com-
BSE could occur. TSEs have been science. Because BSE is an emerg- posting because it is not a product for ren-
diagnosed in several other animal ing disease, the scientific base is dering. Frequently, i t is directly land ap-
species, and sheep scrapie (an limited, and should be expanded plied to crop land.
animal TSE) does exist in the Unit- through research. Wastewater treatment residuals: Many
ed States. The fate of the BSE agent during meat processing facilities, especially larger
To prevent the establishment and composting is not known, nor is it ones, employ wastewater treatment opera-
amplification of BSE through feed in certain that research trials have ever tions that generate sludge, screenings and
the United States, the FDA imple- been conducted. With composting other solids. Such treatment operations in-
mented a final rule that prohibits the increasingly becoming an option for clude lagoons, waste activated sludge, dis-
feeding of mammalian protein to ru- meat processing by-products, initi- solved air flotation, screening and settling.
minant animals, with some exemp- ating research on the fate of the Like municipal biosolids, solid residuals
tions. The FDA BSE regulation be- BSE agent would be timely. from these operations are suitable for com-
posting. The defining characteristic of most
-
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CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGES

~ V ~ T M CCOMMERCIAL COMPOSTING
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Principles Of Composting
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treatment residuals is high moisture con- moisture, attract pests and generate odors,
tent. Unless they are dewatered, moisture and also because these materials can be un-
Meat by-products contents over 95 percent are typical.
Other by-products: Several other materi-
sightly. In addition to odor management,
these by-products must be isolated within
cannot constitute a als generated by meat processing facilities the interior of windrows or piles, or inside
also can be composted. Examples include: composting vessels, at least until they de-
large portion of a discarded cardboard and paper that cannot compose beyond recognition.
be recycled; manure collected from corrals Given their character, meat by-products
feedstock mixture, and pens; and sawdust used for cleaning cannot constitute a large portion of a feed-
and bedding. stock mixture. Generally, abundant dry and
the volume of other nitrogen-poor amendments are necessary
COMPOSTING PRACTICES
feedstocks must be Meat by-products are challenging feed-
just to balance moisture and C:N ratio. In
addition, the volume of other feedstocks
sufficient to cover stocks for composting. As a group, they are must be sufficient to cover the meat by-prod-
too wet and have an excess of nitrogen. All ucts in open windrows and piles. In most
the meat by- of the by-products, including paunch ma- cases, meat by-products are included as a
nure and wastewater treatment residuals, minor ingredient in composting systems
products in open are easily odorous. Materials like offal and that handle other feedstocks like manure,
meat and bone scraps are very attractive to yard trimmings or MSW. As such, the meat
windrows and piles. pests, including flies, birds, rodents and by-products can supply needed moisture or
dogs. Therefore, composting these materials nitrogen to the existing system.
in open windrows and piles requires specif- Experience with composting animal mor-
ic management practices. Contained or in- talities provides some guidance for handling
vessel techniques provide more certain con- meat by-products in windrow and open pile
trol and containment. composting systems. When building piles
In regard to handling and compostingpro- (or windrows), the meat by-products should
cedures, paunch manure and most wastew- be incorporated with amendments as best as
ater treatment residuals are comparable to possible, although layering is often recom-
manure and municipal biosolids. They de- mended for simplicity. The primary require-
mand a sensitivity to odors and sufficient ment is that the meat by-products are con-
and appropriate dry amendment. Offal, tained well below the surface and edges of
blood, meat and bone scraps and other "raw" the pile (preferably greater than 12 inches
meat by-products require even more atten- below).To accomplish this, the pile is capped
tion because of their tendency to release with a layer of compost, amendment, dry
manure or other innocuous feedstock. It
may be necessary to start piles with a base
layer of amendment to absorb water re-
leased during decomposition of by-products
like offal or whole carcasses. The layer
should be 12 to 24 inches thick, depending
on how much offal is included. After piles or
windrows are established, they should re-
main static for a period. Turning should be
delayed until the meat by-product is sub-
stantially decomposed - enough that it no
longer attracts flies and other pests. This
can be as short as one week or as long as sev-
eral months, depending on the by-product
and its particle size. Alternatively, turning
can be accomplished before the meat by-
product is sufficiently decomposed, but the
pile or windrow must be capped again to
cover the exposed meat.
Another key requirement is reaching
pathogen-killing temperatures - 131°F ac-
cording to the U.S. EPA's PFRP standards.
The combination of feedstocks should have
the appropriate volume, moisture content,
nitrogen content and degradability to reach
131°F and maintain it for three consecutive
days in a static pile. Even if PFRP conditions
l t o ~ n dWoofll Peat Milch are achieved, the precautions regarding
pathogens should extend to the use of the
compost. For example, it may be prudent to
avoid using compost made from meat and
mortalities as topdressing on pastures
FAGlUffF: X R E E W U - S A , ING..
I 1;8 Corn Road = Smyma, GA 30080 wm.xr-~urianet
where animals graze.
Federica Vidussi is with the American Associ-
I 770/433-2440 ation of Meat Processors based in Elizabeth-
town, Pennsylvania.