A group of Chinese animal feed industry nutritionists and buyers were invited by the National Renderers Association (NRA) to visit the United States in late March to learn firsthand about the production, quality control, and bio-safety of U.S. rendered products and their application in livestock production. The visitors represented three large livestock, poultry, and feed enterprises: Wan’s Food Inc., Guangdong Animal Husbandry Development Corporation, and the Dabeinong Feed Group. Wan’s Food is currently the largest producer of yellow feather broilers in China and is also the largest user of U.S. yellow grease, about 3,000 metric tons per month. The company is also heavily involved in hog production (20,000 head/month) and dairy with roughly 500 cows. The other two companies are leading hog and feed producers in China.
While the main objective of the visit was to familiarize the group with rendered products, the program was also designed to demonstrate that the U.S. cattle industry is free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and that the United States is working hard to keep it that way. Another goal was to show them firsthand that the U.S. rendering industry follows practices that will keep yellow grease free of toxins such as dioxins. The group toured meat and bone meal, poultry by-product, yellow grease, and tallow production facilities operated by Baker Commodities, Darling International, Excel, American Proteins, Inc., and Valley/CBP Proteins, Inc. All in the group expressed extreme satisfaction with the quality control and safety of U.S. rendered products.
To gain an appreciation of the latest in applied research, the group also visited the University of Arkansas (fat use in broiler diets), the University of Idaho (protein meals for aqua-feed production), North Carolina State University (high nutrient density diets for hog and poultry production), and the Oceanic Institute (aquaculture).
A survey about the understanding of rendered products was conducted with the group prior to and also upon completion of the trip. In all categories, the participants felt the visit greatly enhanced their understanding of the value and the safety of U.S. rendered products. They also felt strongly about the value of the services provided by the NRA and its members. The trip also provided an opportunity for the Chinese visitors to be exposed to American culture and business practices, which could enhance the trade between the two nations.
International Report - June 2001 Render