International Report By Stephen Woodgate Around the World President, World Renderers Organization Editor’s note – The author gives acknowledgement and thanks to Alan von Tunzelman, New Zealand Renderers Group, and Dr. Claudio Bellavar, SINCOBESP, for their input on this column from their respective corners of the world. This issue’s international overview covers three continents, starting in Queenstown, New Zealand, followed by Campinas, Brazil, and ending in Stockholm, Sweden. First to New Zealand and the resort venue of Queenstown on the country’s South Island. Every two years, the Australian Renderers Association (ARA) holds a symposium at an Australian location. Recently, the New Zealand Renderers Group (NZRG) began hosting a joint meeting of the executives from the two bodies in alternate years. This year, the New Zealand event held in March was a mini-conference that was open to all members of both organizations. Almost 100 individuals attended. The Queenstown location was spectacular as evident by newcomers’ wow expressions on their faces. Organized events included an evening trip across Lake Wakatipu in the vintage steamer Earnslaw to visit Walter Peak, a high country sheep and cattle station. A magnificent dinner, accompanied by a selection of local wines, set the tenor for what was to follow. The program for the meeting covered regulatory aspects along with innovation, research, training and education, and a good deal of discussion about the future. Credit for creating the program goes to Kevin Cresswell of NZRG, NZRG Chairman Bruce Rountree, and the NZRG Organizing Committee, as well as Dennis King from ARA and ARA Chairman Andy Bennett. After independent NZRG and ARA meetings early one morning, both groups joined together to hear a World Renderers Organization (WRO) update delivered by WRO First Vice President Tim Juzefowicz, followed by an update on Fats and Proteins Research Foundation activities given by director Graham Shortland. Next, Frank Dupps Jr., The Dupps Company in the United States (US), delivered his keynote speech, “Trends and challenges in US rendering.” There are many similarities to the issues faced in the lands down under, although, inevitably, there are also significant differences. This was an extremely valuable presentation in offering Australian and New Zealand renderers the opportunity to both appreciate the common experiences and contemplate the contrasts between these parts of the world. The next two speakers represented regulators and spoke about very recent topical issues. Matthew Stone, New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries, discussed lessons learned from recent food safety incidents. No particular incidents involved rendered products, but it was encouraging to see how regulators have responded to recent issues in China, allocating resources both to minimize the likelihood of such events being repeated and also to assist exporters in this difficult market. Lynda Hayden, Australia Department of Agriculture, addressed the trials and tribulations of restoring market access. Hayden and the teams she has worked with in recent years have established protocols that enable a rapid return to markets following a variety of problems. The key is to have appropriately skilled personnel available around the clock who are prepared to travel immediately to international hot spots. Darren Harpur, Aduro BioPolymers, spoke on the develop-ments of a “plastics from meals” project that is progressing. There are promising opportunities, but commercial application is still some time ahead. Dr. Mark Booth, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, gave an update on aquaculture, where there appears to be opportunity in the near future for renderers to supplant some fish meal with meat and bone meal in the diets of a few aquaculture species. Being near Asia will do Australian and New Zealand renderers no harm, but they must learn to produce consistent meals with a low ash content. Tissa Fernando, who recently retired from Haarslev after the company bought Flo Dry Engineering from him two years ago, regaled the crowd with some early memories from his time developing the low temperature rendering system while at the New Zealand Meat Research Institute about 35 years ago. Energy efficiency and quality of end products from mixed raw materials were the drivers of the MIRINZ low temperature rendering system that has become the standard in this part of the world. These same concerns – energy efficiency and product quality – remain key process drivers today. The respective chairs for the two groups then gave an update on recent activities within each country before discussing joint initiatives for the future. In closing the conference, there was unanimous resolve to repeat the event in two years at the same location. At the final dinner, a presentation was made to Fernando for his contribution to the rendering industry over many years (see Newsline on page 8). The organizers also thanked the sponsors whose generous contributions made the mini-conference such a success and singled out Dupps for traveling so far and giving of his time so generously. Next, off to Brazil and the XIII Rendering Congress, with a focus on quality and innovation. SINCOBESP, Brazil’s rendering organization, held the meeting in Campinas in conjunction with FENAGRA, the International Fair of Renderers. SINCOBESP President Dr. Gustavo Razzo opened the event by stressing the opportunity for participants to share knowledge, technology, and innovation at a single event. Dr. Rui Machado, representing the president of EMBRAPA, a Brazilian government research agency, said that the work of SINCOBESP members is of high interest to the agency since the raw material they process is a residue that becomes an input for further animal husbandry. Interest is also high due to the process chain being highly sustainable. 20 June 2014 Render www.rendermagazine.com
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