Objective
To demonstrate (i) on a pig-production site how hazardous abattoir wastes can be turned into a safe, nutritious food; (ii) integrated on-site management of all wastes by coupling on anaerobic digester, (iii) an environmental management and auditing model for entire process; (iv) EU replicability. Reduction of pollution and of associated transport problems; waste management and animal feed savings; motivation to treat wastes on-site; work force trained in technology and EMS.
The 3-year project will be located on a representative single site in Co Cork. The project focuses on the pig meat industry but also demonstrates its applicability to wastes from the slaughtering of cattle and sheep and from fish processing. Its partner structure and full dissemination programme demonstrate its EU replicability.
Technology: A mixture of blood and soft inedible offal fresh from the slaughter hall will be blended together and cooked to 133 C for a min time of 20 mins, sufficient to meet current EU legislation on the disposal of offal. This cooked slurry will then be transferred to a 10000 litre fermenter, mixed with a carbohydrate substrate and lactic acid bacteria and allowed to ferment at 30 C for approx 2 days. The resultant fermented material will next be fed to pigs as part of normal diet.
During the final 12 months of the project an anaerobic digester will be linked with the fermenter to allow for digestion of the pig slurry, the solids from which can now be fermented. Also the production of methane from the digester will be integrated into the energy requirements for fermentation.
A model of an environmental management and auditing system (EMS) for all aspects (including energy use) of the total operation (from slaughter hall to feeding of final materials to pigs) will be developed, trialled and finalised).
Multi-media training programmes geared (a) to the site work force and (b) to the needs and local context of our German partners (Training-The-Trainers concept) will be developed for the operation of (i) the technology and (ii) the EMS.
Programme(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
Cork
Ireland