Info Bank

Animal by - product

Animal by - products are biodegradable remains of any part of an animal carcass that are not intended for human consumption along with any other matter that traces back to animal produced goods. Caterings wastes (waste foods created by restaurants, catering companies, large kitchens or household kitchens) are also considered animal by - products, slaughter houses remains, dairy produced products, meat market remains, fish market remains, all animal type of manures. Animal by products are either remains, simply gone bad, out of date, contaminated or diseased.

Categorisation of animal by - products

Category 3

Category 3 animal by - products is considered to be the lowest risk category of all three. This is the broadest category, as it includes all parts of an animal that are considered to be unfit for human consumption but are not afflicted by any form of disease. This category also includes dairy by - products and fish by - products as well as former food and catering waste that have any trace of animal produced products.

Meat and bone meal, derived from mammalian animals, is defined as processed category 3 animal by - products intended to be re - used for multiple purposes.

Category 2

Category 2 animal by - products are considered to be high risk waste products. This category comprises any meat that has been condemned for human consumption, manure and gut content of an animal, animal products imported from third Countries and do not comply with E.U. Regulations, animal parts and blood derived from slaughter houses that are unfit for human consumption.

Category 1

Category 1 animal by - products are classified as the most high - risk of all three categories. The majority of category 1 animal waste comprises any part of the carcass of an animal which was either diagnosed or suspected of being infected by a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (T.S.E.) or deceased from any other cause even if naturally or the whole animal itself as well as animal by - products (food waste) from international transport, dead animals that were used for experimental research and dead animals that come from a Circus and/or Zoo. This category must be carefully transferred, processed and incinerated in high temperatures with all appropriate environmental measures in place.

Supply chain channelling

This expression represents the chain of events that begins with the supply of specific animals (poultry or pigs) to a slaughterhouse. This is followed by the supply of those animals’ by - products to a by-products processing plant that processes that type of animal.

Bio-Security

Biosecurity is a strategic and integrated approach that encompasses the policy and regulatory frameworks (including instruments and activities) that analyse and manage risks in the sectors of food safety, animal life and health, plant life and health, including associated environmental risk. Biosecurity covers the introduction of plant pests, animal pests and diseases, and zoo noses, the introduction and release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products, and the introduction and management of invasive alien species and genotypes. Biosecurity is a holistic concept of direct relevance to the sustainability of agriculture, food safety, and the protection of the environment, including biodiversity.

Carbon footprint

A ‘carbon footprint’ measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product. Many treated products such as rendered animal fat are considered to be carbon neutral, meaning that they do not leave a carbon trace in the atmosphere, leading it to be a very viable source of green energy.

Carbon Credits

A carbon credit represents a unit of carbon emissions allowed by a country or political institution in order to restrict the amount of carbon dioxide released. Carbon credits may be purchased or sold between participating members - countries, companies, or others - in order to meet individual compliance with carbon emission allowance.

Plant By - Products

Plant by - products represent what remains after the transformation of a plant product into another product. The by - products created by these transformative procedures are often highly chemical and even toxic, threatening to human health, live stock as well as our environment creating the need for specific management solutions.

Medical waste

Medical waste refers to any discarded biomedical product, such as blood or tissue that is discarded after use. The waste may be removed from operating rooms, morgues, laboratories, or other medical facilities. The term may also be applied to disposable items such as bedding, bandages, syringes, etc., that have been used in treating patients and to animal carcasses or body parts used in research. Medical waste is often regulated both on the local and national level.

Wastewater/Sludge

Wastewater is a category of waste that comprises liquid and/or non - liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industries, and/or agriculture. Wastewater is known to encompass a wide range of potential contaminants in various concentrations. Municipalities are the most common producers of wastewater, with the most common instance of this type of waste being sewage.

Sludge, on the other hand, refers to the semi-solid remainder left from industrial wastewater or sewage treatment processes.

Municipal Solid Waste

Municipal solid waste, commonly referred to as urban solid waste, is a category of waste that is mostly composed of household waste, with the occasional addition of commercial wastes collected by a municipality within a given area. It regroups nearly exclusively non - hazardous waste, with a few exceptions such as batteries and other toxic household containers such as paints and varnishes.

Raw Material

Raw material consists of the basic material from which a product is manufactured or made, or an unprocessed material. Once submitted to the appropriate recycling process, it is possible to transform most waste into a variety of raw materials that can be reused instead of the limited amount of raw materials available through nature.

Compost

Compost consists of decayed, non-toxic organic material that is decomposed and recycled into plant fertilizer. Compost can consist of both plant and animal processed by - products, and, alongside biogas, is the most effective transformation of organic waste into a reusable resource. Rich in nutrients essential to a healthy soil, compost is used in nearly every form of agriculture.

Rendering

This is the term for the process where animal by - products are transformed into derived products by the application of heat to dehydrate, sterilize and separate the components of the animal by - products into rendered animal fat and processed proteins, PAP or meat and bone meal (according to category of animal by - products). 

Biogas

Biogas is the result of the biological degradation of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. A form of natural gas commonly used as a source of energy and is usually created from biomass, fecal matter, dead plants, sewage and non - toxic municipal waste. Biogas fuels help reduce environmental impact and are an infinitely renewable resource.

Incineration

Incineration is a method of waste treatment that consists of burning organic materials contained in waste, often used in order to catalyse the release of biogas into our atmosphere and instead generate Green Energy. Incineration is also used to reduce non - recyclable organic material into ash in order to dispose of it in a cleaner, healthy, much more beneficial and less voluminous way.