Macerating and Drying Meat Waste for Beneficial Reuse

Abstract

To increase sustainability and mitigate waste, the meat industry requires new innovative methods of managing offal and meat waste produced at processing facilities. Current methods of meat waste management include rendering, anaerobic digestion, composting, incineration, and landfilling. Rendering, composting, and incineration provide a treatment method and the potential of waste product reuse through by-product formation. Yet, landfilling of waste may provide a more convenient offsite method of disposal for small and very small meat processing facilities. Processing facilities have economic, available footprint, location, and environmental and regulatory limitations when considering offal waste management. To investigate alternatives to common management methods, a proof-of-concept approach of macerating and drying meat waste was tested. Through a series of trial-and-error tests, offal waste was mechanically macerated, diluted, dewatered, and then dried using a low-temperature, belt-type, dehumidification system. Processed material was tested for microbial and nutrient characteristics to identify beneficial reuse potential. Compared with the initial macerated material, dried material had a reduction in total bacteria (73%), E. coli (95%), and moisture content (82%). Additionally, dried material contained a higher concentration of protein (118%), lipid (40%), and ash (430%) due to removal of moisture. With the reduction of microbes and increase in nutrient concentrations, future beneficial reuse applications as a feed or fertilizer can be examined. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed process as an alternative on-site management method of offal waste with the goal of beneficial reuse.