Meat + Poultry - April 2009 - 45

First in
Sanitary
Design,
Reliability
and Value

RENDERING

customers or will begin doing so lat- can only be monitored through written
er this month.
documentation or direct observation.
Over the past 15 years, small slaugh"We know well that there are no
ter plants have seen service for rendering laboratory tests that can prove the
go from being an income producer, presence or absence of Cattle Materials
particularly for fats, bones and hides that Prohibited in Animal Feed [CMPAF] in
were picked up, to one of a pay-for-ser- our ﬁnished protein products," he exvice expense. Most independent render- plained. "It is for this reason that we
ers now charge signiﬁcant amounts to believe a recall will only occur if FDA
pick up the materials and have drastically has substantiated visual conﬁrmation
reduced the prices they pay for hides, cit- that CMPAF has been transferred to us
ing declining markets for bone meal, fats for rendering by a speciﬁc supplier.
and hides. In recent years, they imposed
"Therefore, we think it unlikely that
fuel surcharges on their suppliers.
we will need to track back to determine
Disposal costs for now-worthless the supplier which has transferred CMdowner cattle have compounded the PAF to us since FDA's direct observasituation and often
tion will be its basis
put custom-plant
for forcing a recall.
"Smaller kill plants are
operators in a situestimated cost
in a ﬁnancial quagmire Our
ation where they
of any recall is in
have to face off with
excess of $1 million
that may force them
their customers over
due not only to our
to
surcharge
their
direct cost of retrievwho is responsible
for disposing of a
customers or absorb ing and disposing of
the protein, but also
downer animal, let
signiﬁ
cant
new
due to our expected
alone who is liable
loss of future sales,"
for the loss of value
overhead charges."
Smith stated.
of that animal.
The
coming
regulation
could have
Smaller livestock producers may
extreme
consequences
for
the
dairy inpay $100 or more for disposal of dead
dustry,
which
is
facing
sharp
declines
animals, depending on their distance
from an independent renderer, or turn in milk prices, a factor that could reto burying the carcasses in ﬁelds.
sult in liquidation of money-losing
AAMP and other associations re- dairy herds.And, ironically, China,
quested and received a 60-day ex- which has been sharply criticized for
tension of the April 27 effective date. the lack of safety in its foods and conHowever, Wenther says even the ex- sumer goods shipped to the U.S., has
tension won't address the needed time added fuel to the ﬁre by attacking the
to educate landﬁ ll operators that the American rendering industry.
SRMs are not "hazardous materials" as
The Chinese say U.S. renderers exsome believe.
port billions of pounds of animal feed
Wenther wrote to FDA's compliance that is unﬁt for animal consumption to
division explaining although FDA does Asia and Latin America because it can't
not regulate the meat industry, rami- be sold in this country.
ﬁcations of the new regulation could
Thus, efforts to override the April
have devastating results for small meat 27 effective date for the FDA regulation
plants, perhaps forcing many to close are likely to take a smaller role on the
or give up custom slaughter of animals world economic stage.
over 30 months of age or older. He told
Krut, an industry veteran, is a contributing editor
the agency it could not avoid the issue Steve
writing exclusively for MEAT&POULTRY, specializing in
by claiming it only regulates the ren- small business issues. He resides in Marietta, Pa.
dering industry in such matters.
would like to hear from you - to comment on
Valley Proteins President Gerald We
this story or to request reprints, contact us by
Smith indicated that the new regulation e-mail at: meatpoultry@sosland.com.

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April 2009

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Meat + Poultry - April 2009

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