Extracting proteins from waste flows meat and fish industry

MEATCO BV’s mission is to use and re-use all natural resources as efficiently as possible, striving for a zero waste policy. This company in the region of Overijssel is specialised in enhancing waste flows from meat and fish processing plants and investigates how clients all over the world can make better use of their current by-products. MEATCO has a lot of know-how regarding enzymatic processes and extraction. Add Bodec’s expertise and facilities and you have a winning combination.

The challenge

MEATCO was looking for an effective way to transform waste from the meat and seafood industry into high-value proteins for products like sports drinks. Bodec’s extensive testing facilities were used to find out if the process they came up with was realistic and economically viable.

The approach

Part of the development process was done by MEATCO itself, another part by Bodec. The process optimisation concept was fully simulated in Bodec’s pilot plant. The evaporation and spray drying process was extensively tested and it became clear which characteristics MEATCO had to take into consideration, like viscosity. With this new knowledge, Bodec carried out various test runs in its pilot plant for the actual production of the high-quality protein.

The results

MEATCO and Bodec were able to extract several useful proteins from the meat and seafood waste. The results were proudly presented and enthusiastically received during the Food Ingredients Show 2018. Bodec hopes to continue this exciting partnership with MEATCO in the near future.