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Rendering closer links with the foodchain

Fabra, the organisation representing the lion’s share of UK animal by-product processing, held its AGM in Manchester, emphasising the changing demands faced by meat and by-product processors and the increasing emphasis on its environmental remit.

“At a time when there is a 70% protein deficit in Europe and Government is seeking to lower the country’s carbon footprint through the use of renewables, our industry is playing a vital role,” explains Fabra chief executive Stephen Woodgate.

“We’re working closely with the European Union, the UK government and our food chain partners on issues such as the recovery of energy from food residues, use of tallow as a fuel, and the potential use of processed animal protein in selected rations for food producing animals.  We’re also actively engaged in research to establish the impact of rendering on the carbon cost of food production under the Paul Foxcroft Scholarship Scheme at Harper Adams University.

“Taking the impact of rendering into account has the potential to significantly lower the carbon footprint of meat production,” according to Mr Woodgate.   “But that’s not the only way in which we can benefit our food chain partners.  We’ve invested heavily in an education programme to be launched in 2012 designed to help the meat industry maximises the economic, nutritional and environmental value of its by-products.”

The organisation also revealed that it has been working closely with Government on the latest control measures for notifiable diseases, confirming that the industry remains at the heart of plans to handle, for example, any future outbreak of foot and mouth disease.