The Raw Deal on Raw Manure: Manure Means Fresh Food — So Why Does the FDA Want to Shut It Down?

“We think of [animal manure] as the best thing in the world,” NPR quoted organic farmer Jim Crawford. “And [the FDA] think[s] of it as toxic and nasty and disgusting.” <http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/11/21/246386290/organic-farmers-ba…
And the FDA may be onto something: Millions of Americans get sick each year from food-borne illnesses, caused by pathogens like salmonella. https://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html Those bad bacteria, viruses and microbes can live in the soil, and can get there on the back of fresh, raw manure. In fact, some of those baddies can live in the soil for more than 300 days, according to some reports. <http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/11/21/246386290/organic-farmers-ba…
With so much on the line, the FDA says, “better safe than sorry.” The federal agency has taken on new food safety authority since 2011 with the Food Safety Modernization Act, and is considering the addition of more food safety rules for consumer protection, like banning harvest for nine months on any field that uses raw manure. <http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/11/21/246386290/organic-farmers-ba…
For organic farmers like Crawford, banning that “nice black manure that’s just rich and full of good microorganisms” would shut him down. “We wouldn’t even be able to function,” he told NPR.
So what’s a manure-lover to do?
Will Daniel of Earthbound Farm is opting for “a pelletized, processed chicken manure product” that’s been treated with heat and pressure to kill all microbes, according to NPR. “We’ve gone in that direction because we feel that it’s very important to assure that we are not spreading these pathogens in our fields, that could lead to contaminated product,” he says.
Using processed manure works in conjunction with FDA rules because the regulations cover raw manure only — not processed manure. A special manure-drying process, like one that uses rotary dryers designed by Uzelac Industries, can dry raw manure using high enough temperatures to reduce the bad pathogens found in natural manure. That process helps to address the FDA’s concerns: The result is a processed manure product that retains the best part of fresh manure, designed with pathogen-kill in mind. It’s a win-win for everybody.
We’d love to talk turkey (and more fowl subjects) at the International Poultry Expo Jan. 31 – Feb 2. Give Uzelac Industries a call — we’ll be there! http://ippexpo.com/
As Europe increases its use of wood pellets to supplement coal as an energy source, U.S. wood pellet producers are exporting more pellets across “the pond.” From 2012 to 2013, wood pellet exports from the U.S. nearly doubled, with more than 98% of all exports shipping to Europe, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
In 2013, the U.S. was the world’s top wood pellet-producing country (5.7 million metric tons), followed by Germany (2.2 million metric tons) and Canada (1.8 million metric tons), according to the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization. When it came to exporting wood pellets, the U.S. and Canada topped the list.
Europe’s increasing demand for wood pellets has been driven mainly by requirements of the European Union’s climate and energy use goals for 2020. In response, new pellet processing plants are appearing in the U.S., especially in southeast and mid-Atlantic states accessible to wood harvesting areas and shipping ports. Some of these new plants can produce 500,000 metric tons of wood pellets per year.
After trees are harvested and debarked, the wood must be dried to reduce moisture content from about 50% to approximately 10% to create condensed, high-efficiency-burning pellets. This has created an opportunity for equipment manufacturers in the U.S., specifically large rotary dryer manufacturers.
We are keeping a close eye on wood pellets as a growing biomass energy source and the role of rotary drying technology. Meanwhile, South Korea also has an emerging wood pellet market, which could mean more processing plants in the future of the northwestern U.S.
The International Biomass Conference & Expo (April 20-22 in Minneapolis, MN) will feature the latest on wood pellets and much more in the world of biomass. Visit Uzelac Industries at Booth 105 – see you there!
3D Modeling and Building a Better Product
The American manufacturing sector has been on the rebound in the past few years, but that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. A manufacturer who doesn’t take advantage of the most recent technological advancements risks falling behind the competition. Advancements like 3D modeling will have far-reaching effects on the entire manufacturing sector. We’ve recently begun using the 3D design software SolidWorks, and we would have to admit that, now that we’ve seen the program’s advantages, it would be extremely difficult to go back to our old way of doing things.
3D modeling offers a number of advantages to manufacturers. The most important one is that this technology can let us get a much better look at a component in the design phase. Compared to a 2D drawing, we may be able to better spot flaws or areas where the design can be improved when we take a look at the 3D model generated by SolidWorks. We can fix potentially expensive mistakes before the manufacturing stage starts. Actually, we now have clients asking us if we’re using SolidWorks because they know how it can speed up the manufacturing process and make it more efficient
We look forward to seeing the continued evolution of this technology and how it improves our manufacturing process. We will embrace anything that helps us manufacture a better product, and we get the impression that this is just the beginning for 3D modeling for Uzelac Industries.
Our Second Trip to the International Biomass Conference
We are extremely excited to attend this year’s International Biomass Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida. This conference attracts industry professionals from all over the world. People who work in bio-based power, thermal energy, and a number of other industries in the biomass sector will all be making their way to the Sunshine State for this landmark event. This is where equipment manufacturers, utility workers, tech providers, and even investors can get together and share ideas. The event’s organizers are expecting to see over 1,600 attendees this year and the show just keeps on growing in popularity. It is a great opportunity for us to keep up with the latest in new project development in large pellet operations and explore some other topics like pellet production emissions or big changes in plant design.
The expo will host a number of speakers and panels in four different “tracks.” There will be discussions about Biomass Power & Thermal, Biogas & Landfill Gas, Advanced Biofuels, and the topic that most closely applies to our company, Pellets & Densified Biomass. This track will shine a spotlight on this expanding market and give conference attendees the latest info about mill operation and management, pellet mill design, feedstock procurement strategies, and a number of other topics. As we work continuously to improve our operations, events like this are a great way to catch up on the newest ideas and advancements in our industry.
So if you’re attending the show on March 24th, make sure you stop by and say hi! We’ll be exhibiting our drying system tech at Booth 219.
Rendering Part 2: The Poultry Processing Industry
In our last blog we gave a brief overview of the broad reach of the rendering industry. Today, we’re taking a look at a particular piece: poultry.
Even within the poultry industry, there are multiple processes in which rendering steps in and puts to good use the things that are unused or overlooked. For instance, the parts of the birds that are not edible – mainly feathers and bones – are obviously not used for meat, but renderers can process and dry them, turning them into what’s called feather meal and bone meal respectively, which are used as organic feed supplements and fertilizers. Similarly, eggshells, which would otherwise be discarded by food manufacturers and processors, are often instead ground into a powder, and used as a calcium supplement in feed.
Another process waste stream that rendering takes advantage of comes from dissolved air flotation, or DAF, a technique to clarify and separate wastewater. DAF is often thought to be only related to chemical and petrochemical processes, but many food processing plants generate wastewater as well. For poultry and other meat processors, the wastewater can clarified by the DAF process, and the resulting fats, oils, and other DAF material can be skimmed off the top, processed and then dried.
The advantages of these “recycled” materials are many and great – the meal is organic, and so it complies with many standards for feed and fertilizer that specify the need for organically sourced ingredients. Additionally, the use of products that otherwise would be considered waste can create alternate sources of revenue for the processors, incentivizing their use, while at the same time being environmentally friendly by using byproducts that would otherwise end up in landfills. The benefits for and to the poultry industry make rendering a must for many – next time we’ll take a look at how the process affects our four-legged forms of meat – beef and pork.