Denaturing Abattoir Waste Tissue - What is it and how can it be accomplished.Denaturing Abattoir Waste Tissue The South African Meat Safety Act of 2000 outlines very specific methods that are to be used when disposing of condemned abattoir waste. The four methods are:
In this series of articles we will be taking a closer look at each of the disposal methods individually. This article investigates denaturing and the practical implications of this method. Denaturing is defined as the act of unfolding the tertiary structure of a protein by means of heat, acid or alkali in order to diminish or destroy certain of its biological properties. HeatIn the simples terms, subjecting biological matter to heat will initiate the denaturing process of protein present in such matter, and depending on time and temperature parameters, will either partially or totally destroy vegetative growth of microbial entities present in such biological. Microbes, by their very design have a clever and very effective way of preventing total annihilation. They ensure survival by producing endospores which can be extremely resistant to heat and other harsh environmental factors. Endospores can survive extended periods in conditions that will certainly be lethal to most living organisms, yet these endospores manage to retain their biological viability and will germinate as soon as conditions have returned to a level that can once again support vegetative growth. Endospores can endure temperatures well above what can be accomplished by simply boiling or roasting the biological matter under atmospheric pressure. This explains why sterilization usually involves hyperbaric vessels where temperatures in excess of 100 degrees Celsius can be maintained for an extended period of time. (More about sterilizing in the next article in the series) Hydrolysis – Water and AlcoholsIf water is added to the equation, a hydrolysis process will be initiated that will gradually assist in breaking down, or dissolve, the protein present in biological material. Hydrolysis simply means that a water molecule is inserted between the bonds that hold the protein strand together. By inserting a water molecule, the long protein strands are sliced into shorter fragments, thus dissolving the protein back into its original building blocks – amino acids, peptides etc. Fat is not affected by this type of basic hydrolysis, and neither are some other common constituents of biological material such as cellulose and lignin. These constituents are either partially or completely resistant to hydrolysis unless subjected to extreme conditions for very long periods of time. It is clear that simple hydrolysis without the aid of a catalyst is too slow and limited to be effective as a principle denaturing method. Catalysts - Acids and AlkalisTo increase the tempo and range of the hydrolysis process, a catalyst must be added. The catalyst will dramatically speed up the hydrolysis process. This is where acids and alkalis come into play. Both the acids and alkalis change the pH (potential for Hydrogen) of the solution dramatically. In terms of denaturing, this is great because not only will the protein start unfolding, but some of the other constituents like cellulose, carbohydrates and fats will also become affected by the catalyzed process. Simple fats usually consist of a few esters attached to a Glycerol molecule and are normally only soluble in an alcohol – the basic principle behind manufacturing products like bio-diesel etc. The catalyst will enable water molecules to be inserted between the esters and the glycerol molecule and dissolve it in that manner. Still, just adding the catalyst will often not be enough to get the job done as far as denaturing abattoir waste tissue is concerned. The catalyst by itself will certainly speed things up a little compared to an uncatalyzed process, but heat must be applied in order to speed up the process dramatically. Commercially available Tissue Denaturing Processes
The main purpose of the specific disposal methods mentioned in the South African Meat Safety Act is to prevent condemned material from entering the human food chain. Condemned material is by default not fit for human consumption because of its hazardous potential to human health. Tissue digestors and rendering plants are the only two options that ensure pathogen destruction and result in a denatured product that can safely be recycled or disposed of. All the remaining commercially available options as outlined earlier fail to achieve any acceptable measure of bio-security, and as such should not be considered a viable option for the denaturing of condemned abattoir waste material.
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Tuesday March 09, 2010
Mad Cow DiseaseBovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad-cow disease is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes degeneration in the brain and spinal cord of infected animals. This disease may be transmitted to human beings who eat the brain or spinal cord of infected carcasses Related Articles
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A very interesting article that sheds light on some of the most difficult areas of owning an abattoir. As an abattoir owner myself, I frequently have to wonder where the next batch of condemned material is going to go once the current burial trench is full...