ACREC is an international first of its kind, organized as a co-product center to specifically concentrate on the inedible tissues of food animal production and processing. Its focus will be to concentrate on 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 utilization of nearly 50 percent of all food animal liveweight production, which in the United States approximates 54 billion pounds annually.
A Historical Brief
Rendering, as an industry, contributes an essential component to the safe, efficient, and sustainable production of meat, milk, eggs, fiber, and now biofuels. The rendering process has existed for over 150 years and is very basically the application of heat to destroy microbial populations, remove moisture, and extract fat from the protein and mineral components. The rendering industry has traditionally relied on research as an integral scientific base for its progress. One of the first animal nutrition studies was conducted using rendered animal ingredients. Several industrial research studies were reported in the late 1880s using tallow as feedstocks. Many of these studies focused on the use of animal co-products as societal benefactors such as heat, light, and cleaning agents.
The value of rendered animal co-products as animal nutrition supplements was not highly considered until the turn of the century. In 1901, Professor C.S. Plumb of Purdue University conducted research and reported that “tankage,” when supplemented to exclusively ear corn diets, resulted in significant improvements in growth rates for growing swine. Based on those early studies conducted, one could credit co-products as the research innovator for the evolution of modern animal agriculture. Animal nutrition and feed ingredient research would compete very favorably to most other disciplines in filling scientific journals for over a century. The role that animal co-products as feed ingredients have contributed to the massive volumes of nutritional data is certainly significant.
FPRF and its predecessor, the National Renderers Association Research Committee, have been an integral force in promoting, funding, and directing co-product research. FPRF was formed in 1962 as a self-sustaining research foundation, completing over 570 projects and collaborating with hundreds more since then. A high percentage was with objectives to study nutritional parameters. The great success that animal-derived feed ingredients achieved, for the total co-product usage, tended to direct more research attention to its use as feed or food. This priority decreased the attention given to new alternative industrial uses and availability. The advent of plant protein sources required that animal nutrition studies remain a priority in order to retain market share for the animal-derived feed ingredients.
The rendering industry and its products have moved into another level of scrutiny. Though there are no scientific reasons to deter their continued use as animal nutrient supplementation, challenges become more frequent and with increased intensity. It is imperative that research directed at new non-feed/non-food use objectives receives 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 FPRF president first discussed this concept 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 reactions received during these initial presentations, reactions that were very typical of the perception of rendering and its products. The multimillion-dollar commitment required to partner with private institutions were alternatives not economically feasible. It is important to remind the industry and its allies that it is competing with numerous industries that have available research funding 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 concept was discussed. Immediately a colleague, 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 ultimate establishment of the ACREC.
A Research Center is Born
Clemson University is one of the land-grant institutions established to foster a symbiotic relationship between 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 notably the National Brick Research Center (NBRC) established in 1987 and a newly established International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville, SC. Virtually all research pertaining to the compounding, manufacture, and quality assurance for brick and ceramic is conducted at the NBRC. 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 to consider a center concept. A discussion forum was held in February 2003 at which a quorum of supporters representing expertise from numerous university departments and executive officers filled room F-145 at Poole Agricultural Center to standing room only capacity. The concept and a basic plan were then discussed at the 2003 FPRF spring meetings, where FPRF Chairman Don Davis established a Steering Committee to pursue the development of what was referenced as the Animal Co-Products Research Institute. The Steering Committee was comprised of 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; and myself, who served as committee chairman.
This committee met on the Clemson campus in August 2003 for in-depth discussions with university executive officers, deans, department heads, faculty, and researchers, and a tour of laboratories and the brick center. The committee’s 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. After considerable deliberation, the official name approved by the board of directors was the Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center. The majority expressed the need to include the education component as being very important to the ultimate objectives provided by ACREC, a component that continues to be a vital missing link in portraying the importance of 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. During this development phase the following nine inaugural projects were initiated and completed:
• Enumeration of Thermally Resistant Bacteria in Raw Rendering Materials – Dr. Annel Greene
• Determination of Z and F Values of Thermally Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Raw Rendered Materials – Dr. Paul Dawson
• Microbiological Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Rendered Animal Products – Dr. Xiuping Jiang
• Analyses of Separable Fractions of Proteins from Selected Raw Animal By-product Materials – Dr. Jim Acton and Dr. Ashby Bodine
• Determination of Protein Content and Potential Uses of Bovine and Swine Mammary Gland Tissue Homogenate Supernatants – Dr. Tom Scott
• Screening Bioactive Peptides from Animal By-product Proteins – Dr. Feng Chen
• Biodiesel Synthesis from Animal Derived Fats Using Heterogenous Catalysis – Dr. James Goodwin Jr.
• Extrusion and Molding of Proteins Fractions and Fats Derived from Animal By-products for Packaging and Structural Applications – Dr. Amod Ogale
• A Study of Economically Feasible Technologies to Remove Dioxin and Dioxin-like Toxicants from Animal Co-products – Dr. John Coates
Several of the FPRF members’ legal staff assisted in the agreement and by-law development process and the provost office at Clemson provided the assistance of Renee Roux, thus minimizing legal expenditures. 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 membership in FPRF and becoming a supporter of an animal agriculture research coalition, a coalition that supports the only animal co-products research center in the world. There is a demonstrated benefit and productivity provided by research coalitions comprised of university, industry research foundations, and representative industry members in acquiring and utilizing project funding. The agreement and by-laws are available for FPRF members and applicants at any time. Membership support from all allied industries is paramount in the future success of the ACREC.
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.
The mission of the center is compatible with the educational mission of Clemson 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: The center will:
• support the educational process by educating undergraduate and graduate students and industrial interns, where appropriate, in research and service activities;
• provide timely research services and research results that shall 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, South Carolina, and federal laws, rules, and regulations;
• establish global recognition as an institution of excellence;
• be an institution with a perspective of emerging and traditional issues within the rendering industry; and
• 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. The FPRF has invested heavily in resources in bringing the center to reality.
On March 27, 2006, the 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 solidified the opportunities that have been opened for co-product research. The conference presentations certainly brought forth the need to support rendering as the safest, most economical means to utilize animal co-products as “the gatekeeper for animal agriculture.”
Tech Topics - April 2006 Render