Fat Processing, Membrane Operations of

Fat processing is an active business, designed to create added value from slaughter by-products downstream the animal chain. It encompasses activities dealing with production of animal fats (and proteins) suitable for human consumption in agreement with directive 77/99/EEC (EU 1997), as well as processing of category 3 (formerly labeled low risk) materials from animals approved for human consumption in agreement with regulation ABPR 1774/2002/EC (EU 2002). Fat processing has historically been associated with manufacture of high-grade animal fats for specific markets, e.g., bakery industry, calf milk replacers, and pet food – as well as commodities for formulation in the oleo-chemical industry (e.g., manufacture of soaps) and cosmetics; it uses bovine tallow, porcine lard, and poultry fat as major feedstocks.

The basic operations in fat processing are wet melting and dry rendering – or hybrid systems thereof. Fat tissues are subjected to relatively mild processing conditions to minimize...