The 7th Australian Renderers Association (ARA) Symposium held in Queensland, Australia, in mid-July attracted over 200 delegates, including 59 delegates from overseas.
The success of the symposium is credited to the hard work of the Symposium Committee, led by Committee Chairman Andy Bennett, and ARA Executive Officer Graeme Banks. As in the past, the symposium was strongly supported by generous sponsorship, particularly from Keith Engineering and Abattoir Engineering. Toby Escott and Paul Stenzel, both of Gardner Smith, also put in an extra effort beyond normal sponsorship commitments by organizing the golf tournament.
Niels Nielson, Daka, Denmark, was the symposium’s keynote speaker. As vice president of the European Fat Processors and Renderers Association, Nielson was in a good position to give an update on how the new European Union by-products regulation has affected rendering in Europe. The only animal-derived products currently permitted in animal feeds in Europe are tricalcium phosphate, hydrolysed protein, and blood from non-ruminants. In addition, there is a ban on the export of all ruminant protein from Europe. On the positive side, Nielson expected there would be discussions about lifting bans on the use of porcine and avian processed proteins in non-ruminant feeds in the second half of this year. There is no expectation that ruminant material would return to any animal feed in Europe before 2006-2007.
Klemens Rethmann, SARIA Bio-Industries, also commented on the feed bans in Europe. Although the new animal by-products regulation makes allowances for Category 3 material (i.e., material suitable for human consumption) to be used in feeds, Rethmann stated the feed bans would be in place at the European and national levels until at least 2005.
With no access to traditional markets for protein meals and fats, Rethmann explained how SARIA has turned its attention to energy. With the oleochemical industry in Europe looking to use only animal fats from Category 3 material, burning animal fats in boilers could become the major outlet for tallow. Although new uses have to be found for animal by-products, he said that rendering would remain an important part of the pro-cess because the raw materials will have to be stabilized in the form of tallow and dry meat meal. An alterna-tive to rendering could be to ferment raw material to produce biogas. This approach can only compete with rendering if the dried residue of bio-gas production can be used as ferti-lizer and if subsidies are available.
SARIA is well down the track of producing energy from by-products, investing about $10 million in biodiesel production. The company produces 13,000 metric tons (MT) per year to fuel 1,000 trucks. SARIA also produces a sterilized slurry from 80,000 MT of raw material per year and incinerates it to produce electricity in a fluidized bed power plant. This investment cost about $20 million. Another major investment is in biogas production. For a $4 million investment, SARIA produces biogas from 40,000 MT of food waste.
Rethmann provided some illuminating examples of decision-making based on political science rather than sound science. Political science, which has dominated decision-making related to rendering issues in Europe, has been described as “the study of who gets what, when, and how.” Rethmann’s definition was much less complimentary.
Gary Pearl, Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, and Davis Clements, Renewable Products Development Laboratories, Inc., also discussed alternative uses of rendered product. Pearl continued the theme of the energy value of meat meal and tallow with examples such as adding tallow to wood burned in fluidized bed boilers to keep dust down and to contribute energy.
Clements explored other options for using rendered by-products, including production of plastics, adhesives, polymers, and the catalyst hydroxyapatite derived from bone. His message was that while it is technically possible to produce a wide range of products from rendered materials, the new products must compete with existing products on price, performance, and perception.
Although research on feed uses of rendered product is losing attraction in favor of a rush to find non-feed uses, Ken Bruerton, one of Australia’s most respected nutrition-ists, pointed out some potential benefits of ruminant protein meals that have not been fully explored. Carnitine and creatine both could be deficient in young pigs. These nutrients are available from meat meal and supplementation of the diets of weaned pigs is not necessary if the feed includes meat meal. Another potential advantage of meat meal is the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content. The type of CLA produced by rumen fermentation and present in rumen fat can reduce body fat and if present in feed in sufficient quantity could help produce leaner pigs.
Jeffery Glanz, Unilever, led the discussion on tallow markets. Glanz traveled from Zug, Switzerland, to tell Australian renderers that the golden age for tallow was in the 16th century when all shops in London were required to keep a candle burning in the window. He continued to speak with good humor and delivered vital messages about international tallow markets, including Unilever’s use of 250,000 MT of tallow in their personal care products and the push to replace animal fats with vegetable fats in these products. With Asian tallow markets under pressure from palm stearine and the prospect of more restrictive legislation in Europe, the outlook for tallow in traditional uses is not good. The marketing opportunities are in promotion of the quality of tallow compared with palm stearine and to make sure that animal fats can be used in biodiesel on the same basis as vegetable oil.
In addition to the high quality speakers from overseas, local talent also made a leading contribution to the symposium. ARA members David Kassulke, A.J. Bush and Sons, Beaudesert, and Joe Rossingnuolo, Peerless Holdings, gave talks about their experiences of running render-ing plants. Both gentlemen manage the two largest rendering plants in Australia and have to deal with the largest problems. Kassulke’s chal-lenge was to rebuild the rendering plant after a fire destroyed most of the buildings and equipment. Kassulke and his team rebuilt the plant in seven months while dealing with politicians and maintaining a service for their raw material suppliers.
Rossingnuolo’s sleepless nights have been caused by environmental issues resulting in conflict with Australia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and irate neighbors. But by working with the EPA and the public to develop and implement an environmental improvement plan, complaints about environmental issues were reduced from hundreds to less than a handful and prosecutions and fines were avoided.
Tom Cook, National Renderers Association (NRA), gave ARA members a briefing about the NRA approach to representing the rendering industry. ARA members were interested to hear about the U.S. association’s annual fly-in to Washington to lobby legislators. The ARA will be taking up Cook’s suggestions for communicating with legislators and has scheduled the next general meeting in Canberra to create an opportunity for members to meet with government people.
International Report - October 2003 Render