What is Rendering?

Question

What is rendering and what are the resulting products? Why is rendering essential to our health and environment?

Answer

Rendering is defined as “to reduce or melt down fat by heating”. Rendering converts waste animal tissue into stable, value added materials. Meat is separated into a protein meal and liquid fat by specialized processes. By-products of beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish processing as well as restaurant grease are the feed stock for the rendering process. Meal products are called meat meal, poultry meal, chicken meal, fish meal or bone meal. Fats are called lard or tallow and can be broken down farther into yellow grease, white grease, blended fancy tallow or pork lard.

Rendering is essential to our health and environment. If we did not render waste animal products, every available landfill in the US would be full within four years. Also, the rotting animal tissue would cause a severe public health problem and increase our carbon footprint.

KWS regularly supplies screw conveyors, bucket elevators and drag conveyors throughout the entire rendering process. From raw material bins at the beginning of the process to final product and truck / rail car loadout, KWS meets the needs of the rendering industry.

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