A pile of dead
animals covers the floor of the rendering plant, covered with maggots. The humming of the flies swarming around the bodies is mere background noise as mini-bulldozers gather the carcasses for processing. As the bodies are dropped into a large pot for grinding, their bones, viscera, eyes, brains, and fur or feathers become a giant mixture of "meat product". After the raw
product is cut and shredded, it is loaded into a large
cooking pot and cooked for anywhere between twenty to ninety minutes. The grease, often called yellow
fat or tallow, is skimmed from the top of the cooked mixture, and the cooked meat and
bones are processed further, dehydrated, and made into meat meal or bone meal. Farmers rely on this industry to dispose of their livestock waste (down or dead cows, sheep, etc), and slaughterhouses rid themselves of parts considered inedible for humans (feathers, cow heads, hoofs, viscera, etc), diseased meat, scraps, and contaminated products. Dead zoo
animals and roadkill can also be found in the mixture, as well as euthanized cats and
dogs from vet
clinics and animal shelters. It is the rendering business, and it is one of the most behind-the-scenes businesses in the
food industry. It has progressed almost silently for many years, and many people have been unaware of its existence or influence - until recently. News about Mad Cow Disease and other
health problems has hit the streets, and eyes are beginning to turn to the rendering business and the uses of its products.
