Animal By-Products Regulations

The European Union's Animal By-Products Regulations (Regulation No 1069/2009) allows for the treatment of some animal by-products in composting and biogas plants (anaerobic digesters). The following article describes procedures required to allow solid outputs (compost, digestate) from composting plants and anaerobic digesters onto land in the United Kingdom.

A chicken carcass

Categories of Animal By-Products

• Category 1: Very high risk
• Category 2: High risk
• Category 3: Low risk

Category 1

• BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) carcasses and suspects
• Specified Risk Material
• Catering waste from international transport

Must all be destroyed, not for use in composting or biogas plants

Category 2

• Condemned meat
• Manure and gut contents

Can be used in composting and biogas plants after rendering (133C, 3 bar pressure) Manure and gut contents only can be used after pretreatment

Category 3

• Catering waste from households, restaurants
• Former food
• Much slaughter house waste e.g. waste blood & feathers

Can be used in composting and biogas plants without pretreatment

Treatment Standards

Composting

Closed reactor

• Maximum particle size 40cm, minimum temperature 60C, minimum time at that temperature 2 days
• Maximum Particle size 6cm, minimum temperature 70C, minimum time at that temperature 1 hour

Housed windrow

• Particle size 40cm, minimum temperature 60C, minimum time at that temperature 8 days

Biogas plants

• Maximum particle size 5cm, minimum temperature 57C, minimum time at that temperature 5 hours
• Maximum particle size 6cm, minimum temperature 70C, minimum time at that temperature 1 hour

References

• Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal by-products Regulation)

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 749/2011 of 29 July 2011 amending Regulation (EU) No 142/2011 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption and implementing Council Directive 97/78/EC as regards certain samples and items exempt from veterinary checks at the border under that Directive Text with EEA relevance

Further reading

• Leoci, R., Animal by-products (ABPs): origins, uses, and European regulations, Mantova: Universitas Studiorum, 2014. ISBN 978-88-97683-47-6

See also

• Anaerobic digestion
• Biodegradable waste
• Composting
• Pasteurization