Tech Talk – Food Industry Rendering Process Emissions

Food industry rendering operations create a myriad of emissions targeted for abatement. Per the US EPA, “Meat rendering plants process animal by-product materials for the production of tallow, grease, and high-protein meat and bone meal. Plants that operate in conjunction with animal slaughterhouses or poultry processing plants are called integrated rendering plants. Plants that collect their raw materials from a variety of offsite sources are called independent rendering plants. Independent plants obtain animal by-product materials, including grease, blood, feathers, offal, and entire animal carcasses, from the following sources: butcher shops, supermarkets, restaurants, fast-food chains, poultry processors, slaughterhouses, farms, ranches, feedlots, and animal shelters.”

The two types of animal rendering processes are edible and inedible rendering.

Edible rendering plants process fatty animal tissue into edible fats and proteins. The plants are normally operated in conjunction with meat packing plants under U. S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Services (USDA/FSIS) inspection and processing standards.

Inedible rendering plants are operated by independent renderers or are part of integrated rendering operations. These plants produce inedible tallow and grease, which are used in livestock and poultry feed, soap, and production of fatty-acids.”

Potential emissions generated can include the following (primarily from inedible rendering):

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odor are the primary air pollutants, organic sulfides, disulfides, C-4 to C-7 aldehydes, trimethylamine, C-4 amines, quinoline, dimethyl pyrazine, other pyrazines, and C-3 to C-6 organic acids.”

Pre and post wet scrubbing / dry scrubbing, particulate filtration, and thermal oxidation are routinely used for these operations. Depending on specific application, Ship & Shore can custom design a control system to meet the complicated rendering process to meet regulatory requirements.

Reach out to us at sales@shipandshore.com or call our office in Signal Hill, CA at +1(562) 997-0233 to learn more.