Recovery of by-products in the manufacture of pet food

Challenges with wet by-products

Wet by-products have a high moisture content, making them difficult to handle due to their rapid decomposition and the generation of unwanted microorganisms that can put pet health at risk. Generally, these by-products are marketed at low value for feed farm animals or are discarded.

Problems with process fines

Fines are often reinserted inefficiently into the grinding or mixing process, leading to several problems:

• Grind a product that has already been ground
• Consume additional energy in grinding
• Wear on hammers and mill sieves
• Affect the capacity of the equipment that reprocesses these by-products

Sustainable solution: By-product Recovery System (SRS)

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The By-product Recovery System (SRS) is a proven solution to reduce, reuse and recycle both wet and dry by-products, regardless of size, temperature and moisture content.
 

SRS components

The SRS has two tanks:

1. Homogenization tank: receives the by-products to be recovered. It has a specially designed blade that rotates at high speed to achieve a homogeneous mixture (slurry) with an approximate concentration of 20% by-products and 80% water at a temperature between 40 and 50 °C.
2. Maintenance tank: once the homogeneous mixture is achieved, it is transferred to this tank through pipes. Here, a mixer keeps the slurry homogeneous and at the proper viscosity.

The SRS control system communicates with the preconditioner-extruder PLC to ensure the correct water content within the preconditioner and extruder, avoiding unwanted variations in moisture content and guaranteeing optimal quality and uniformity of the final product.
 

Advantages of SRS

• Recovery of investment in a short time
• Immediate use of all by-products, avoiding the generation of unwanted microorganisms
• Optimization of process times
• Decrease in labour requirements
• Improved traceability
• Achievement of automation
• Compliance with FDA and EHEDG certifications
• Made of stainless steel
• Adaptable to plant spaces through horizontal or vertical layout

SRS sizing

To size the appropriate SRS for your process, it is necessary to determine the number of by-products generated. With this information, the appropriate model can be selected. There are three standard models: SRS150, SRS300 and SRS600, which recover 150, 300 and 600 kg/h respectively. Special solutions can also be designed according to specific needs.

By: Clivio Solutions

Source: All Pet Food Magazine