A European group of companies - Saria Bio-Industries AG & Co. KG

NO.1 FEBRUARY 

news 

2008 

THE SARIA BIO-INDUSTRIES NEWSPAPER 

WWW.SARIA.COM 

SARIA Bio-Industries: 

A European group 

of companies 

Cuxhaven 

Sternberg 

> In this issue: 

A journey to 26 

of our 96 sites 

La Coruña 

Hude 

Kogel 

Malchin 

Herzberg 

Melle 

Münster Detmold 

Hohenhameln 

Genthin, Mützel 

Selm Dörnten 

Marl 

Wathlingen 

St. Hilaire du Harcoët 

Lünen 

Bresinchen 

Schwerz 

St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte St. Aubin-le-Cauf 

Linnich 

Morlaix 

Elxleben 

Crouay 

Beuvryla-Forêt 

Schwalmtal-Hopfgarten 

Plouvara 

Schwallungen 

Brest 

Lisieux 

Wünschendorf 

Trémorel, Uzel 

Guillerval Château- 

Eltmann-Limbach 

Concarneau 

St. Germain s. Ille 

Locminé 

Arzano 

Vitré Ecommoy Thierry 

Würzburg 

Guer 

Etampes 

Hüttenfeld 

Žichlinek 

Guérande Issé Bazouges St. Denis-le-Ponts 

Rezé Echemiré 

Medlov 

Brains 

Auverse 

Eckbolsheim 

Metzingen 

Les Essarts 

Appenweier 

Mulhouse Villingen 

Tulln 

St. Denis 

Oberding 

Benet 

Nérondes 

Dun-le-Palestel Curgy 

Hermannsdorf 

Bayet 

Krumbach 

Reignac 

Yzeure 

Odry 

Györ 

Długi l Borek 

Gołcza l 

Przewrotne 

Bereza 

Chalagnac 

Avanne 

Cros de Montvert 

St. Chély d´Apcher 

Muret 

Beaucaire 

Madrid 

Arganda del Rey 

Barcelona

CONTENTS 

EDITORIAL 

Editorial by Dr. Kurt Stoffel 3 

EUROPE 

96 sites in Europe – SARIA keeps growing 4 

From melting fat to upgrading it 6 

KFU special facility north of the Harz 7 

Boosting quality at our fishmeal works in Cuxhaven 8 

ecoMotion opts for rail 10 

New biogas plant at Malchin site 11 

10 years of the SARIA Group in Poland 12 

Ultrafiltration facility for wastewater treatment in Długi Borek 13 

SARIA active in Belarus 14 

Sludge drying in Przewrotne 15 

Treating food waste in Poland 16 

Overcoming bird flu in the Czech Republic 17 

Mankovice: Biofilter with dome 18 

New production lines in Medlov 18 

Full remodelling of the Illzach plant (Mulhouse) 19 

The Bayet production facility 20 

SARIA in Spain since 1989 21 

IMPRESSIONS 

DIMARGRASA takes part in training workshop 24 

New plans for DIMARGRASA 25 

ÁRTABRA – a diverse facility with a bright future 26 

A site of change: Benet 27 

Food fats from Alva and Célys in Rezé 28 

Expansion at Issé 29 

Kervalis working for the petfood industry 30 

Fishmeal and fish oil from Concarneau 31 

Plouvara – in the heart of Brittany 32 

Expanding the Lampertheim-Hüttenfeld site 33 

ReFood GmbH 35 

UNIMELT – fat melting in Würzburg 37 

ReFood now also active in Franconia 38 

The SecAnim site at Elxleben 39 

ReFood Marl – a new location 40 

Good for us, bad for pigs? 42 

NEWS AND VIEWS 

Séminaire français” on the Rhine 43 

It might take a while … New driving time regulations 43

EDITORIAL 

Dear customers, neighbours and 

friends of SARIA, dear employees 

This latest issue of the SARIA newspaper 

is entitled “SARIA in EUROPE” as 

we invite you to join us on a journey to 

26 of the 96 sites now operated by the 

SARIA Group in Europe. 

If you compare this imaginary trip with 

the journey we took two years ago in 

the “SARIA – a good neighbour in 

Europe” edition of SARIA News, you 

will notice some common ground of 

course, as well as a number of exciting 

new features. These new activities and 

new sites are described below by the 

people in charge on the ground and 

show how we are driving the Group forward. 

One good example of this is how wide 

an area we need to cover in order to 

take in all the locations from which 

SARIA performs its services, collects 

raw materials and manufactures products 

that meet our customers’ requirements. 

In the west, our reach extends to 

La Coruña (Galicia/Spain) as a result of 

acquiring ARTABRA, a company that 

collects and processes animal by-products 

and fish waste. The Group is also 

active far to the east in the form of 

ongoing investment in a modern 

processing facility for animal by-products 

in Bereza (Belarus). As you will see, 

the SARIA Group is committed to build- 

ing its position as a key player in the 

treatment and application of animal byproducts 

in Europe. Over the past few 

years, SARIA has succeeded in positioning 

itself as a European group of companies 

with specialist business units 

that enable it to operate successfully as 

a service provider to the agricultural, 

meat and fish industries. We process 

raw materials from these areas into 

high-quality products for a wide variety 

of purposes. Here the applications range 

from biodiesel production to superior 

fat products for use in food production. 

This kind of success does not happen by 

itself. Changes in legislation and developments 

in the markets for raw materials 

and products constantly present us 

with challenges – in a positive way. Tailoring 

new products to our customers’ 

requirements, ensuring the highest 

standards of quality and hygiene and 

actively taking measures to protect the 

environment at our processing sites are 

some of the motivating forces behind 

investment and the changes we are 

making to production processes. We are 

also continuing to expand existing 

areas of the business and complementing 

them with new activities that add 

even more value. All this is only possible 

with a team that is committed to 

knowing, understanding and fulfilling 

the wishes and needs of our customers, 

business partners and the relevant 

Dr. Kurt Stoffel 

Spokesman for the 

Management Board 

“ These new activities and new sites are 

described below by the people in charge on 

the ground and show how we are driving the 

Group forward.” 

authorities. On behalf of the SARIA 

team, I can assure you that doing this to 

the best of our ability continues to be 

the focus of our efforts. It is now time 

to wish you “bon voyage”: Join us on a 

journey through the world of SARIA in 

Europe. 

Best wishes 

Dr. Kurt Stoffel 

3 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

96 sites in Europe – 

SARIA keeps growing 

Production at 56 locations 

Exactly two years ago, we invited our 

readers to join us in exploring numerous 

locations within the SARIA 

Group. A great deal has happened 

since then: Many sites have been expanded 

at great expense, others 

closed, while new ones were added. 

Most modifications are the result of 

ever-changing legislation and markets. 

For example, the EU ruling that food 

waste may no longer be fed to animals 

led directly to the expansion 

and construction of facilities for 

transferring and treating food waste, 

as well as biogas plants (including 

Hüttenfeld, Marl, Malchin, Genthin). 


Other factors prompted consolidation, 

such as the closure of the Lorient 

“fish” site in France and the conversion 

and expansion of the current 

facility for fish-related processes at 

Concarneau. Furthermore, we have 

acquired companies in virtually 

every country to extend SARIA’s 

reach. 

As you will see, SARIA responds to a 

constantly changing environment 

quickly and flexibly. 

Today, SARIA Bio-Industries is represented 

by over 3,500 employees and 

56 production facilities at 96 locations 

in 9 European countries. 

Join us as we travel east from Selm 

in Germany to Bereza in Belarus, 

west to La Coruña in Galicia, and 

then back through France to Selm. 


Mar 


L 

Morlaix 

Crouay 

Beuvryla-Forêt 

Schwalmtal 

Brest 

Plouvara 

Lisieux 


Guillerval Château 



Locminé 

Arzano 


Guer 

Etampes 


Brains 

Echemiré 

Rezé Auverse 

Eckbolsheim 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 

Mulhouse 

Benet 

Nérondes 


Bayet 

Reignac 

Yzeure 

Chalagnac 

Avanne 



Muret 

Beaucaire 

Madrid 

Barcelona 


4 

SARIAnews

Cuxhaven 

Hude 

Kogel 

Malchin 

Herzberg 

Melle Hohenhameln 



Selm Dörnten 

l 

Wathlingen 

Lünen 

Bresinchen 

Schwerz 

innich 

Elxleben 

-Hopfgarten Schwallungen 

Wünschendorf 

Hüttenfeld 


Würzburg 

Metzingen 

Appenweier 

Villingen 

Oberding 

Sternberg 

Žichlinek 

Medlov 

Tulln 

Hermannsdorf 

Krumbach 

Kaisiadorys 

Długi Borek 

Bereza 

Gołcza 

Przewrotne 

Odry 

Györ 

Minsk 

Travel route 

5 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Following comprehensive 

conversion work: 

The state-of-the-art fat 

processing plant in Melle 

Melle, 

Germany 

Cuxhaven Sternberg 

Hude 

Ma 

Kogel 

Herzb 



Dörnten Genthin 

Marl Selm 

Wathlingen 

Lünen 

B 

Schwerz 

Linnich 

Elxleben 

Schwalmtal-Hopfgarten Schwallungen 

Wünsche 

From melting fat 

to upgrading it 

Joachim Riechmann, 

Branch Manager Melle 

Turning purified frying fats into biodiesel 

At the new ReFood facility in Melle/ 

Riemsloh we purify waste grease and 

frying fats from the restaurant trade. 

The processed fats are then made 

into biodiesel at ecoMotion GmbH 

plants (a SARIA subsidiary). 

For a long time, our site in Melle/ 

Riemsloh was a UNIMELT fat melting 

plant, similar to the operation in 

Würzburg. Both facilities were 

acquired from the GELITA Group in 

1998. 

A sharp fall in the raw materials 

processed at these plants (fatty parts 

from animals fit for human consumption) 

made it necessary to close 

the Melle site. After a short period of 

stoppage, a decision was made to use 

the site again after all, whereby it 

was fully converted into a fat 

processing and purification facility 

and incorporated into SARIA subsidiary 

ReFood. 

All the existing equipment was 

removed and replaced with new 

plant engineering. Parts of the building 

were gutted and new parts were 

added. The entire piping system from 

the fat separator to the purification 

unit was refurbished. In addition, a 

flotation separator was installed 

ahead of the fat separator to improve 

the management of effluents. 

Today, Melle is home to a state-ofthe-art 

processing plant with the 

capacity to purify 30,000 tonnes of 

waste grease and frying fats every 

year for supplying to ecoMotion’s 

biodiesel plants. 

Fats are delivered to the plant from 

Estonia, France, the UK and other 

countries, not just Germany. Melle is 

well on the way to becoming a location 

of major importance in the field 

of waste fat processing in Europe. 

This all helps to complete a positive 

cycle whereby used fats become fuel. 

Today, we employ 20 people in 

Melle. 

● Joachim Riechmann 

6 

SARIAnews 

Melle – Dörtnen – Cuxhaven – Sternberg – Malchin – Dlugi Borek – Bereza – Przewrotne – Zichlinek – Mankowice – Medlov – Ilzach – Bayet – Dimargrasa

The KFU special facility in Dörnten: 

Modern production in listed buildings 


Hude 

Malchin 

Kogel 

Herzberg 



Genthin, Mütz 

Selm Dörnten 

Marl 

Wathlingen 

Lünen 

Bresinch 

Schwerz 

Linnich 

Elxleben 

almtal-Hopfgarten Schwallungen 

Dörnten, 

Germany 

KFU special facility 

north of the Harz 

Processing pig slaughter by-products 

A KFU facility for specialist products 

based on by-products from pig 

slaughter is located in Dörnten, a 

small community of 1,500 inhabitants 

situated between Goslar and 

Salzgitter in Lower Saxony, on the 

edge of the North Harz region. 

Because the various production facilities 

within the KFU Group have specialised 

functions, the Dörnten site is 

able to focus on producing pure 

high-protein meal exclusively from 

porcine by-products. 

The natural proteins we produce are 

used in the petfood industry, with 

the technical fats that also accumulate 

then utilised as a raw material in 

making biodiesel. 

The team at the KFU site in Dörnten 

Because the buyers of our end products 

have demanding requirements, 

it is essential that raw materials are 

processed promptly within just a few 

hours of becoming available at the 

slaughterhouse or meat processing 

company. 

KFU Dörnten has an integrated 

approach to environmental protection, 

participating in the ÖKO Profit 

project which the KFU branch at 

Marl has already been successfully 

involved in. The team of 30 employees 

at Dörnten received this accolade 

in early 2008. 

Thanks to investment in recent 

months, the site is in a position to 

meet growing market requirements 

into the future. With an annual 

capacity of some 50,000 tonnes, the 

Dörnten site is ideally placed to 

respond to the specific interests of 

suppliers and buyers alike. 

● Axel Munderloh 

Axel Munderloh, 

Branch Manager Dörnten 

La Coruna – Benet – Rezé – Issé – Vitré – Concarneau – Plouvara – Hüttenfeld – Würzburg – Eltmann Limbach – Elxleben – Marl 

7 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

VFC only processes fish 

waste from the fish 

processing industry 

Cuxhaven, 

Germany 

Cuxhaven 

Sternberg 

Hude 

Malchin 

Kogel 

Herzberg 



Genthin, Mütz 

Selm 

Dörnten 

Marl 

Wathlingen 

Lünen 

Bresinch 

Schwerz 

Linnich 

Elxleben 

l l H f 

Boosting quality at our fishmeal 

works in Cuxhaven 

Aquacultures gaining in importance 

Mathias Brand-Schönau, 

Commercial Manager VFC 

As a partner to the fish processing 

industry in Germany and neighbouring 

European states, Vereinigte Fischmehlwerke 

Cuxhaven GmbH & Co. 

KG (VFC) handles the disposal of fish 

cuts and fish waste. The fresh leftovers 

are used in an ecologically sustainable 

way to produce high-quality 

animal feed suitable for pig fattening, 

fish farms, and as food for dogs, 

cats and ornamental fish. Fishmeal 

competes with conventional feeds 

which are generally made from plants 

such as cereals. 

Within the European Union, fishing 

and aquaculture are important 

industries. With fish stocks dwindling 

all the time and in the face of 

challenges presented by the global 

economy, the fisheries sector – and 

fish processing in particular – has 

been subject to a process of continual 

change for several years. Here 

aquaculture is becoming increasingly 

important in the production of fish 

commodities. Processors of fish parts 

and waste also need to meet these 

challenges by diversifying, finding 

new niche products and improving 

the quality of their products. Modern 

technology can be deployed to boost 

added value while at the same 

improving hygiene conditions and 

reducing pollution. 

With sea fishing nearing its limits 

but overall consumption of fish and 

seafood rising, controlled fish breeding 

provides a way of satisfying this 

demand. Fish production within 

aquacultures is now the fastest growing 

area of the fish processing industry 

and requires a constant supply of 

farm feed such as fishmeal. 

Alongside aquaculture and the mixed 

feed industry, for which fishmeal is 

an interesting and key product, VFC 

has succeeded in generating niche 

opportunities in the petfood market, 

for example. This industry understands 

how to use various fishmeal 

specialities in its recipes. Today, VFC 

supplies proprietary salmon or 

shrimp meal to a number of facilities 

for a leading petfood manufacturer. 

VFC has now been named an “A” 

supplier for this customer. We 

achieved this standard of quality 

partly by investing in our own laboratory. 

The results of analysis could 

therefore be monitored as part of an 

ongoing improvement process and 

provided to the customer. Naturally 

production facilities are also subject 

to a continuous process of improvement 

and renewal. 

8 

SARIAnews 


As well as generally improving 

processing and product quality 

together with the conditions for marketing 

its products, the competitiveness 

of Vereinigte Fischmehlwerke 

Cuxhaven GmbH & Co. KG as a 

whole has been enhanced. We have 

also helped secure existing jobs and 

create new positions. 

● Mathias Brand-Schönau 

Aquaculture is becoming 

increasingly important 

in the production of fish 

commodities 

To meet the requirements of EU Regulation 

1774/2002, we invested in a 

number of areas to improve the 

quality and hygiene of the raw fish 

materials for processing and the end 

products (fishmeal/oil). These 

included: 

Improving the receipt and temporary 

storage of raw materials 

Improving and monitoring product 

quality and hygiene conditions 

Improving health and safety at 

work 

Improving odour emissions in the 

ambient air 


9 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

100,000-tonne biodiesel 

facility, Sternberg 

ecoMotion opts for rail 

15,000 tonnes of biodiesel to date dispatched from Sternberg by rail 

Jens Quandt, 

Commercial Manager 

Sternberg 

Sternberg, 

Germany 

Cuxhaven 

Melle 


Selm 

Lünen 

nich 

Hopfgarten 

On 19 May 2006, ecoMotion GmbH – a rapeseed processing company in Sternberg, 

Mecklenburg – opened a 100,000-tonne biodiesel production facility 

based on rapeseed. Because the site is situated close to the rail station, a decision 

was made to transport the eco-friendly biofuel by rail, with the aim of reducing 

HGV traffic through the well-known spa town of Sternberg in northern 

Germany. 

We teamed up with Prignitzer Eisenbahn 

GmbH (PEG), the first private 

railway in the neighbouring state of 

Brandenburg and a rail infrastructure 

company with the experience needed 

to operate a track. Based on these 

favourable conditions, ecoMotion 

once again decided to invest in the 

region and for the region. The track 

from Blankenberg to Dabel was 

Sternberg 

Hude 

Malchin 

Kogel 

Herzberg 

Hohenhameln 


Dörnten 

Wathlingen 

Bresinchen 

Schwerz 

Elxleben 

S h ll g 

acquired from Deutsche Bahn, the 

national operator, and a biodieselloading 

terminal was built at Sternberg 

station conforming to the latest 

standards. 

Passenger train services from Sternberg 

were phased out in May 1998 

and last year the occasional military 

transports to Dabel were also discontinued. 

The remaining part of the 

former Wismar-Karower railway – 

the Blankenberg-Sternberg-Dabel 

line – was like many branch lines 

elsewhere in the state of Mecklenburg-Western 

Pomerania threatened 

with closure. It seemed that the 120th 

anniversary on 14 November 2007 

would not be reached. Eisenbahngesellschaft 

Potsdam mbH (EGP), a midsized 

rail transportation company, is 

committed to promoting regional rail 

freight services and has already 

achieved considerable success in the 

district of Prignitz. They helped facilitate 

the transportation of biodiesel by 

rail. On 20 August 2007, a test train 

departed from Sternberg and on 15 

September a celebration was held for 

the citizens of Sternberg, including a 

tour and shuttle trips. 

The first 15,000 tonnes of biodiesel 

were loaded onto freight trains and 

shipped to their destinations between 

August and December 2007. This 

clearly has a substantial impact on 

reducing road traffic. 

● Jens Quandt 

10 

SARIAnews 


New biogas plant 

at Malchin site 

2-megawatt facility operational from February 2008 


Hude Malchin 

Kogel 

Herzberg 


r Detmold 


elm 

Dörnten 

Wathlingen 

n 

Bresinchen 

Schwerz 

Elxleben 

Malchin, 

Germany 

Following the ban on using processed 

food and kitchen waste as high-quality 

pig fattening feed from 1 November 

2006, a new use needed to be 

found: Fermentation to produce biogas 

and thereby generate electrical 

and thermal energy (see also SARI- 

Anews No. 1/2007). 

Supplying food waste processed in 

Malchin to an external biogas facility 

was only intended to be a temporary 

solution. In late 2006, management 

therefore decided to build the 

company’s own biogas plant at the 

Malchin site. Here we were able to 

draw on experience gained at the 

existing biogas facilities in Genthin, 

Kogel and Schwallungen. 

The new biogas plant is set to offer 

a processing capacity of approx. 

76,000 tonnes of food waste and 

co-substrates per year. Like the 

facility in Schwallungen (Thuringia), 

which was commissioned in 

2006, the plant will generate an 

output of 2 MW. The biogas will be 

converted into electrical and thermal 

energy via gas engines in two 

combined heat and power units. In 

line with Germany’s renewable 

energy legislation (EEG), the electricity 

will be fed into the national 

power grid, while the thermal energy 

will be used on-site at the processing 

facility for animal by-products 

(SecAnim) and the biodiesel plant 

(ecoMotion). Completion is scheduled 

for February 2008. 

By setting up this biogas plant with 

combined heat and power units, 

ReFood is enhancing the Malchin 

location by applying future-oriented 

technology to the processing of biological 

waste. At the same time, 

ReFood is supporting the general 

shift towards using renewable energy 

and creating more jobs. 

● Siegfried Kochanek 

Siegfried Kochanek, 

Area Manager Brandenburg/ 

Berlin, Managing Director 

of ReFood 

The fermenter at the new biogas plant in Malchin. From February 2008, 76,000 tonnes of food 

waste and co-substrate will be processed here every year 

Setting the standard: The biogas facility in 

Schwallungen 


11 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

10 years of the 

SARIA Group in Poland 

Folk celebrations in September 2007 

Robert Woś, 

Commercial Manager 

SARIA Poland 

It is easy to imagine the health risks that would arise if slaughter waste and 

carcasses were not collected and disposed of. One of the key objectives of the 

SARIA Group in Poland is to eliminate this risk to humans – something it has 

now been doing for 10 years. 

The SARIA Group has three production 

facilities in Poland: Wielkanoc 

(Gołca), Przewrotne and Długi Borek. 

Following extensive modernisation 

and expansion during the past few 

years they now comply with both 

Polish and EU statutory veterinary 

service requirements and standards. 

As specialised facilities for processing 

animal by-products, they handle 

the disposal and utilisation of category 

1, 2 and 3 slaughter by-products 

and food waste, as well as manufacturing 

meat/bonemeal and animal 

fats. 

Between 1997 and 2006, over 120 

million Polish zlotys (approx. 33 million 

euros) were invested here. 

The SARIA Group in Poland has been 

awarded prestigious Polish prizes 

relating to corporate fair play and 

environmentally friendly business on 

several occasions, which attests to its 

integrity and credibility with trade 

partners, administrative bodies, 

employees and the local area. 

The SARIA facilities are service providers 

for over 1,000 meat plants 

and slaughterhouses in southern, 

northern and eastern Poland. 

Together, the plants process in excess 

of 200,000 tonnes of slaughter byproducts 

per year and produce 

approx. 70,000 tonnes of meal and 

fats. 

10th anniversary of the 

SARIA Group in Poland 

On 28 September 2007, the 

SARIA Group celebrated 10 years 

in Poland, taking the opportunity 

to invite many guests to join 

them, including owners and coowners 

of SARIA companies in 

Poland and Europe, customers, 

local and district authorities, vets 

and company employees. The 

gathering also gave us the 

chance to review the Group’s 

activities in Poland over the decade, 

to share information about 

new trends in the European markets 

and to present other Group 

objectives and strategies. Member 

of the SARIA management board 

Manfred Gellner and joint partner 

Jurek Byczyński gave short 

speeches to mark the occasion. 

● Robert Woś 

Plenty of local colour: 

Celebrating 10 years 

of SARIA Polska 

12 

SARIAnews 


(From left: Franziscek 

Pątko, Zbigniew Lis, 

Manfred Gellner, 

Jurek Byczyński, 

Maria Byczyńska) 

Dorota Lenkiewicz 

Leiterin der Kläranlage 

Długi Borek 

Ultrafiltration facility for wastewater 

treatment in Długi Borek 

Container ultrafiltration facility 

The Długi Borek plant east of Szczytno 

started extending and modernising its 

treatment facility in 2006. 

The existing treatment plant did not 

have enough throughput to treat all 

the wastewater necessary. The new 

technology deployed is based on conventional 

biological methods of 

wastewater treatment using “activated 

sludge”. What is new, however, 

is that the post-treatment clarifier has 

been replaced by an ultrafiltration 

facility. The ultrafiltration process 

involves separating activated sludge 

particles from treated wastewater 

with the help of membranes. Following 

biological cleaning, the activated 

sludge is channelled into the container 

ultrafiltration facility where 

the final stage of purification is performed. 

All processes are automated 

and computer-controlled. We also 

have the option of managing ultrafiltration 

via the Internet. 

The ultrafiltration facility has a maximum 

hourly output of 22.5 m3/hr 

based on a membrane area of 819 sq 

m. The membrane pores are 0.04 μm 

in size. Shortly after completion in 

summer 2007 we were already 

achieving 99% efficiency in treating 

wastewater. 

● Dorota Lenkiewicz 

Długi Borek 

Kaisiadorys 

Bereza 

Dorota Lenkiewicz, 

Head of the Treatment 

Facility Długi Borek 

Długi Borek, 

Poland 


13 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

The new slaughterhouse 

waste processing plant in 

Bereza will come on-stream 

in autumn 2008 

SARIA active in Belarus 

New production facility under construction on a greenfield site 

Liudvikas Morkunas, 

Sales Eastern Europe 

Bereza, 

Belarus 

In the town of Bereza (over 30,000 inhabitants), SARIA will be disposing of 

slaughterhouse waste from all over southwest Belarus from summer 2008. 

The latest SARIA building site can be 

found in Belarus, 250 km southwest 

of Minsk on the Moscow-Brest-Berlin 

motorway. A new plant is being constructed 

here on a 6.5-hectare greenfield 

site to process animal by-products. 

New gas, electricity and telephone 

lines covering many kilome- 

Długi Borek 

Kaisiadorys 

Bereza 

tres have now been laid because previously 

there was no infrastructure 

in place. 

Soon 70 people will be employed at 

the Bereza site to handle the modern, 

timely collection and processing of 

slaughter by-products in Belarus. 

As at all other plants, the by-products 

of the slaughter process will be 

broken down, sterilised, degreased 

and dried. The necessary heat will be 

generated in a separate boiler house, 

with gas used as fuel. A modern 

treatment facility is being built to 

process effluent. 

With a processing capacity of 45,000 

tonnes per year, the plant will handle 

slaughter by-products from throughout 

the southwestern part of Belarus. 

Approx. 12,000 tonnes of meal 

and 4,500 tonnes of fat are set to 

be produced. 

There are currently more than ten 

SARIA employees in Belarus working 

primarily on construction 

management and machine assembly, 

as well as already being 

involved in preparing for sales. We 

have seen that meat-processing 

plants are extremely interested in 

this new opportunity to send their 

by-products for processing at a 

high-tech facility managed according 

to EU standards. 

The facility is scheduled to come 

on-stream in autumn 2008. 

● Liudvikas Morkunas 

14 

SARIAnews 


Entrance to the Przewrotne 

site, Poland’s most advanced 

facility for processing 

animal by-products 

Sludge drying in Przewrotne 

Environmentally friendly utilisation of heat 

In the process of treating sewage both at municipal and industrial treatment 

plants, a large amount of surplus activated sludge is generated. Processing this 

sludge can significantly affect the functioning and performance of sewage 

plants and this was also the situation in Poland until now. 

well as making it possible to obtain 

fuel from the dried sludge mass. 

Compared to the previous cost of 

disposing of sludge outside the plant, 

Czesław Malita, 

Plant Manager 

Przewrotne branch 

When modernising the facility as a 

whole and increasing production 

capacity, the excessive condensate 

temperature became a problem. In 

terms of thermal balance, this does 

not seem to be a major issue, because 

the water is redeployed in operations. 

However, at temperatures above 

100°C damage occurs to the pump 

walls. Not only does this increase 

wear and tear to pumps – worse still, 

it completely stops the production of 

steam. 

Given these two problems, managing 

director Franciszek Pątko came up 

with the idea to build a drying facility 

that would use the heat from the condensates 

returning from the production 

plants as a source of energy. 

The drying facility covers an area of 

180 sq m, with the flooring in the 

heated section made of concrete into 

which heating tubes are integrated. 

In order to accelerate the drying 

process, five mechanical heaters were 

also incorporated, whose outlets are 

directed at the drying layer. 

The heat source for both the floor 

heating and the heaters is the energy 

contained in the returning condensate. 

Drying the layer takes a good 

48 hours. The dried sludge can then 

be incinerated with small coal, with 

the dried mass generating 17,000 

kcal/kg. Applying this method lowers 

the temperature of the condensate 

and reduces the pumps’ vulnerability 

to breakdown in the boiler plant, as 

Gołcza 

Przewrotne 

Bereza 

which cost up to 200 euros per 

tonne, this measure has reduced production 

costs by a significant 

amount. 

● Czesław Malita 

Przewrotne, 

Poland 


15 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Treating kitchen and food waste 

and foodstuffs past their sell-by date in Poland 

Greater demand for ReFood services 

Jan Zera, 

head of raw materials 

procurement 

for SARIA in Poland 

Before Poland joined the EU, kitchen 

waste was either used to feed pigs, 

passed into the sewer system after 

being broken down in colloid mills or 

sent to landfill sites with municipal 

waste. Following succession, a systematic 

program to improve the situation 

was launched to target the way 

this waste is utilised. 

The association of the waste management 

industry in particular 

brought this issue into the public 

domain, for example by holding a 

two-day seminar on the subject in 

June. The media also helped by disseminating 

information about the 

hazards associated with incorrect 

processing of this waste. In turn, the 

sanitation and environmental services 

authorities responsible for monitoring 

the handling and correct 

processing of this waste became 

more active. Increased activity in this 

area is generating more interest from 

retail and restaurant chains with 

regard to participating in systematic 

collection and processing models for 

these types of waste. 

In the last two years in particular, 

SARIA has noticed an increase in the 

amount of kitchen and food waste 

being collected. Over the next 

months there will be growing pressure 

on food manufacturers, retailers 

and restaurant chains from the 

authorities to join a waste management 

system such as that offered by 

SARIA Poland. 

In 2008, a further boost is expected 

when even small shops or bars may 

become interested in this service. 

There is therefore significant scope 

for further development in the near 

future, because potential customers 

will primarily be looking for a partner 

who can offer blanket coverage 

for this form of waste management. 

● Jan Zera 

ReFood collection vehicles 

coming soon to Poland? 

16 

SARIAnews 


Overcoming bird flu in 

the Czech Republic 

SARIA plants help successfully contain the virus 

straw bedding and washing down all 

parts of the affected ˇ farm. In the first 

two cases, CO2 was used for culling 

in special containers, while in other 

cases the poultry sheds themselves 

were treated with gas. In the months 

of June and July, a total of 173,000 

birds from breeding stock weighing 

623 tonnes and 582,000 hatching 

eggs weighing 34 tonnes were disposed 

of at Žichlínek, including 

18,000 turkey hens, 82,000 birds for 

fattening, 71,000 laying hens and 

2,000 domestic poultry. 

Antonin Richter, 

Branch Manager 

Žichlínek 

On 21 June 2007 the first case of 

the H5N1 bird flu virus was confirmed 

at a Czech poultry farm. During 

June and July the infection progressively 

destroyed four large sets of 

breeding stock at Tisová, Nořín, 

Choceň and Netřeby. This made the 

Czech ˇ Republic ˇ one of the ˇ European 

countries worst affected by the virus 

during the year. 

All three Czech SARIA facilities 

played a part in successfully overcoming 

the virus, with AGRIS GmbH 

in Medlov and REC GmbH in Mankovice 

processing material from 

ASANACE GmbH in Žichlínek, which 

also handled the culling of the 

affected poultry on-site. Žichlínek is 

some 50 km from where the outbreak 

occurred. 

As soon as the bird flu virus was 

first suspected (20 June 2007), our 

people in Žichlínek immediately 

started following a preprepared 

action plan. 

All employees were informed of the 

situation and familiarised with the 

necessary measures. They were 

issued with the prescribed protective 

equipment (single-use protective suit, 

mask, safety goggles, gloves, rubber 

boots). The entrance was secured and 

disinfectant mats for vehicles were 

put in place, with the so-called 

“unclean” part of the facility effectively 

isolated (restricted access for 

persons and cars). A private disinfection 

company was instructed to carry 

out complete disinfection. Vehicle 

drivers were chosen and special containers 

provided. Every employee 

involved in the process was given 

the Tamiflu antiviral compound. 

The local veterinary service and IZS 

ČR (Integrated Emergency System of 

the Czech Republic) set up the exclusion 

zone around the outbreak and 

determined the methods for fighting 

the virus: culling birds, disinfecting 

the area and 24-hour clearance of 

lxleben 

allungen 

Wünschendorf 

nn-Limbach 

g 

ding 

Zichlinek 

Medlov 

Tulln 

Hermannsdorf 

Krumbach 

Odry 

Györ 

Although measures came at massive 

financial cost to the poultry farms, 

the spread of infection was successfully 

halted. On 14 August 2007, the 

SVS ČR was able to lift the special 

measures imposed on the designated 

areas. 

● Antonin Richter 

ˇ 

Gol 

Žichlínek, 

Czech Republic 


17 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Mankovice, 


Schwerz 

eben 

ngen 

Wünschendorf 

Limbach 

Žichlinek 

Medlov 

Odry 

Gołcza 

Przew 

g 

Tulln 

Hermannsdorf 

Krumbach 

Györ 

Biofilter with dome 

Purification of contaminated air captured in biofilter outlet 

Sabina Jordanová, 

Managing Director 

Mankovice 

Problems with odour emissions are a 

rare occurrence at SARIA plants due 

to the installation of biofilters or exhaust 

air scrubbers. In Mankovice 

(R.E.C.), these problems were solved 

in a new way. 

Because unpleasant smells still sometimes 

emerge from the biofilter outlet, 

for the REC branch in Mankovice 

equipment was designed to eliminate 

malodorous compounds. This equipment 

comprises a pressure chamber 

and an air atomisation facility. The 

covering is designed in such a way 

that it is easy to access the biofilter 

to monitor pH and manage moisture. 

It is also easy to remove in order to 

aerate or change the substrate. 

Odours in the exhaust air are 

reduced using a very fine mist 

enriched with a concentrate and produced 

by special jets. This waterconcentrate 

mixture can break down 

strongly malodorous compounds in 

the air into salts and water. Thus the 

process does not involved perfuming 

or masking the odour – it is about 

breaking down the odour molecules. 

The almost constant temperature in 

the biofilter core (important to keep 

the micro-organisms alive!) proves 

exceptionally beneficial when it 

comes to biodegrading the odours. 

Installing the pressure chamber 

allows all relevant environmental 

indicators to be monitored and documented. 

The same system was also 

installed at the wastewater treatment 

facility. 

● Sabina Jordanová 

Medlov, 


Schwerz 

leben 

ungen 

Wünschendorf 

-Limbach 

Žichlinek 

Medlov 

Odry 

Gołcza 

Przew 

New production lines 

in Medlov 

Jeanette Slezingrová, 

Managing Director Medlov 

ng 

Tulln 

Hermannsdorf 

Krumbach 

Györ 

New clarification facility planned 

The new blood processing and poultry lines came on-stream in 2006, with 

daily volumes now being handled with ease. The feather-plucking facility is 

scheduled to be replaced in 2008. In view of rising volumes, the site’s biggest 

investment to date is also planned for the coming year – this will take the 

form of a new clarification facility. ● Jeanette Slezingrová 

18 

SARIAnews 


Full remodelling of the 

Illzach plant (Mulhouse) 

13 million euros invested 

x 

uillerval Château- 

Eltm 

y Thierry 

Würzb 

Etampes 

Hüttenfeld 

is-le-Ponts 

é 

Eckbolsheim 

Metzinge 

Appenweier 

Mulhouse 

Villingen 

O 

Nérondes 

l Curgy 

Bayet 

Krumb 

Yzeure 

vert 

Avanne 

Illzach, 

France 

Come to Illzach (a suburb of Mulhouse) 

and you will find a category 3 

facility that has been completely remodelled 

in recent years. There is no 

trace of the old, red painted halls and 

offices. Instead a new factory has 

emerged that processes some 80,000 

tonnes of slaughter by-products every 

year. 

The catchment areas for the Illzach 

branch are very broad: Via the St. 

Denis transfer centre (Paris), some 

450 tonnes a week from the Greater 

Paris area are distributed to branches 

at Bayet, Issé, Lisieux and Mulhouse. 

Due to the favourable geographic 

location, our own collection vehicles 

bring 550 tonnes a week to Illzach 

for processing from the départements 

of Alsace, Moselle, Meurthe et 

Moselle, Vosges and Belfort. Approx. 

350 tonnes per week come from Germany 

and around 550 tonnes from 

Switzerland. 

Significant conversion work and new 

construction was carried out in 2002 

and 2003, including investment in 

new machinery and plant. Total 

investment amounted to 13 million 

euros. 

The hall where raw materials are 

accepted, the sterilisation hall and 

the meal grinding facility are new, as 

are the meal store, loading area, biofilter 

and boiler plants. 

The air purification equipment alone 

swallowed 650,000 euros’ worth of 

investment. Specifically, the biofilter 

fitted here was fully enclosed to 

enhance the appearance of the new 

site. Facilities for pretreating wastewater 

also involved major cost. 

Overall, however, these environmental 

measures have helped significantly 

improve our image among our 

neighbours. 

Following on from these major 

investments, further improvements 

were made to existing equipment. 

For example, in early 2006 the furnace 

burners were converted to run 

on category 1 animal fats, and in 

2007 three more large fat tanks were 

installed, each with a capacity of 

56,000 litres. 

Further improvements are anticipated 

at this site in the near future, 

although none will involve major 

investment. The main focus at 

present is on modernising the St. 

Denis transfer centre with which 

Mulhouse is linked. 

● Gérard Brice 

Gérard Brice, 

Plant Director Illzach 

As a result, on average 1,550 tonnes 

are processed here every week. 

The resulting products are bonemeal 

(category 3) and animals fats which 

are used in the German oleochemical 

industry, as well as in smaller quantities 

in biodiesel production. 


19 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

The Bayet production facility 

Large catchment area with eight “centres de transfert” 

Philippe Lefebvre, 

Plant Director Bayet 

Bayet, 

France 

The Bayet location is unique within 

the Group in France, as here we have 

a production line for category 1 material 

and another for category 3 material 

on the same site. 


Etampes 

azouges St. Denis-le-Ponts 

Echemiré 

é Auverse 

Eckbolsheim 

es Essarts 

St. Denis 

Mulhouse 

Benet 

Nérondes 


eignac 

Bayet 

Yzeure 

lagnac 

Avanne 



This fact demands high levels of care 

and traceability when it comes to 

collection and production, with both 

processes needing to be strictly separated 

for each category. Among 

other factors, this involves maintaining 

two specialist fleets for collection, 

separate entrances and exits 

and separate acceptance and production 

halls, obviously. 

The catchment area for the Bayet 

facility is very large, which requires 

a large number of transfer points 

(“centres de transfert”). There are 

eight in total across the region. 

This allows us to fulfil the requirements 

of the relevant state bodies 

(Services Public et Privé de 

l’Equarrissage (S.P.P.E.) in all 30 

départements. 

● Philippe Lefebvre 

20 

SARIAnews 


SARIA in Spain since 1989 

New acquisitions extend range of production 

DIMARGRASA has represented SARIA 

in Spain since 1989, but the company 

only became a wholly-owned subsidiary 

of the SARIA Group in 1996. Until 

January 2006 when the ARTABRA 

and PROARGA group of companies 

was acquired, DIMARGRASA was the 

sole SARIA representative in Spain. 

Valentin Garcia, 

Managing Director 

DIMARGRASA 

Today DIMARGRASA processes category 

3 by-products in central Spain. 

Category 1 and 2 by-products and 

category 3 fish by-products in the 

northwest part of Spain and northern 

Portugal are processed by ARTABRA. 

At ARTABRA, electricity generation 

forms an additional area of activity. 

PROARGA meanwhile handles both 

animal and fish by-products for subsequent 

transportation to ARTABRA. 

ARTABRA holds a 40% stake in 

GESUGA (collection and processing 

of fallen animals in the region of 

Galicia), 12% in AFAMSA (treatment 

and marketing of fish oil and soaps) 

and 50% in LIPAN (a company that 

markets animal fats and plant oils). 

The 2007 European Fat Processors and Renderers Association (EFPRA) Congress held in June 2007 

in Marbella, Spain: from left Valentin Garcia (Managing Director DIMARGRASA), Jordi Vaquer (Technical 

Manager of the Stocks del Vallés biodiesel plant, Barcelona), Patrick Coelenbier (SARIA France, 

President of SIFCO, EFPRA’s French member association), Esperanza Orellana (Animal By-Products 

National Commission General Secretary), Niels Leth Nielsen (EFPRA President) 

SARIA has always focused on 

expanding and securing its position 

in the Spanish market, a tough task 

given the considerable fragmentation 

in this sector. In Spain, there are currently 

55 plants that process animal 

by-products – 22 for categories 1 

and 2 and 33 category 3 facilities – 

not including processing facilities 

run by slaughterhouses themselves. 

● Valentin Garcia 

“ Despite the complexity of the Spanish market, we face the 

challenges with optimism and are certain that SARIA can 

extend its favourable position further.” Valentin Garcia 


21 

SARIAnews

IMPRESSIONS 

RETHMANN Supervisory 

Board Chairman, Norbert 

Rethmann, welcomes 

around 90 French 

attendees to the seminar 

The Chairman of the RETHMANN Group’s Management Board, Dr. Hermann Niehues, also greets the 

participants (SARIA board member Jean-Louis Hurel can be seen on his left) 

An extensive seminar programme 

awaits French and 

German SARIA employees 

The head of the French side, 

Jean-Louis Hurel, is pleased 

with the success of the 

“Séminaire français” 

Dr. Kurt Stoffel, spokesman for the SARIA Management 

Board, addresses the French management team 

This time the event took place on two hotel ships on 

the Rhine (moored at Duisburg) 

An open day in Issé, France, on 23 September 

attracted many visitors 

22 

SARIAnews

Thomas Mieling, Branch Manager at KFU in Marl, 

shows guests a glass of used frying fat which will 

subsequently be made into biodiesel 

Neighbours of the Issé facility enjoying an interesting 

presentation during the open day 

SARIA employee Ekaterina 

Gorelchenko (Controlling) 

provides a musical interlude 

at the ceremony to open the 

ReFood facility in Marl 

Scientists from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Free University of Berlin visit 

SARIA plants in Marl and Lünen 

A summer celebration was also 

held at SARIA headquarters 

and enjoyed by all 

To coincide with the official opening of the ReFood branch in Marl, an open day was held for employees and their 

families 

23 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

DIMARGRASA takes part in Animal 

By-Product Training Workshop 

The plant in Arganda del Rey impresses the 80 attendees 

Roberto Perez, 

Environmental and 

Safety Officer 

Arganda del Rey, 

Spain 

From 6 to 8 June 2007, an Animal 

By-Product Training Workshop was 

held in Arganda del Rey (Madrid, 

Spain). Initiated by DG SANCO (the 

European Commission’s Health and 

Consumer Protection Directorate 

General), the event was coordinated 

by Agri-Livestock Consultants Ltd 

(specialists in agriculture & food production; 

livestock & veterinary services). 

Madrid 


The event attracted around 80 participants, 

including representatives of 

the authorities responsible for health 

and agriculture in numerous countries 

both from within the EU and 

beyond (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, 

Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, 

Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, 

Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, 

Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, 

Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, 

Turkey, UK, Argentina, Botswana, 

Brazil, Canada and Chile), as 

well as representatives from major 

trade bodies in Brazil, Croatia and 

Spain. 

As part of the workshop, a visit was 

organised to SARIA’s category 3 

DIMARGRASA plant. During the 

visit, all attendees learnt about the 

systems installed at DIMARGRASA 

which are designed to ensure production 

activities, HACCP requirements 

and operational safety are 

fully traceable. 

After the visit, Alex Park, Executive 

Chief Officer of Agri-Livestock Consultants 

Ltd, thanked DIMAGRASA 

for supporting the training workshop, 

commended the facility which 

had made a very positive impression 

and presented a corresponding DG 

SANCO award to environmental and 

safety officer Roberto Perez. 

For Lorena Briz (distribution and 

logistics), Fernando González (plant 

manager) and Roberto Perez, it was a 

pleasure to spend the day with so 

many interested visitors from such a 

range of countries. 

● Roberto Perez 

24 

SARIAnews 


New plans for 

DIMARGRASA 

One of the most advanced plants in Spain 

The SARIA category 3 DIMARGRASA 

facility in Arganda del Rey processes 

more than 65,000 tonnes of animal 

by-products into meal and fat every 

year on two production lines. 

On the first line we produce animal 

fat with 3-5% FFA and animal meal 

containing over 50% protein from 

unsorted raw material. The second 

line processes poultry and porcine 

by-products separately, resulting in 

end products such as poultry fat and 

porcine fat, poultry meal containing 

over 60% protein and pig meal featuring 

over 75% protein. 

During the past two years, DIMA- 

RGRASA has invested in a number 

of areas, including a new water 

treatment facility, a more effective 

system for transporting raw materials, 

a fat purification facility and 

new fat storage tanks. These investments 

have turned DIMARGRASA 

into one of the most advanced category 

3 plants in Spain. In the coming 

months, we will be adding new 

administrative offices, a modern recreational 

building, as well as enlarging 

the hall where raw materials are 

accepted. 

● Agustí Guillem 

Madrid 


Agustí Guillem, 

Acting Managing Director 

DIMARGRASA 

Arganda del Rey, 

Spain 


25 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

ARTABRA – a diverse facility with 

a bright future 

Two production lines 

Francisco Fernández, 


ARTABRA – La Coruña 

La Coruña, 

Spain 

ARTABRA S.A.U. started collecting and processing animal by-products in 

northwest Spain (Galicia) and northern Portugal over 50 years ago. In 2006, 

the company was taken over by DIMARGRASA (SARIA Spain). 

On the Atlantic coast in Arteixo (La 

Coruña), ARTABRA occupies a 

50,000 sq m site, with buildings covering 

12,500 sq m. The company’s 70 

employees generate revenues in 

excess of 20 million euros. 

Strategically situated in the centre of 

our catchment area, every day our 

trucks set out from here to collect 

raw materials. 


When EU Regulation 1774/2002 

became effective, some important 

restructuring took place at ARTA- 

BRA. Although the category 1 plant 

for producing animal meal and animal 

fat remained in place, a category 

3 production line was established for 

fish oil and fishmeal. At the same 

time, the company gained ISO 9001 

and ISO 14.001 certification for its 

quality management and environmental 

management respectively. 

The category 3 fish plant collects 

more than 40,000 tonnes a year, 

mainly from the tinned food industry 

(95% of all Spain’s canning factories 

are located in Galicia) but also from 

the fish markets at the region’s ports. 

This is used to produce over 11,000 

tonnes of fishmeal and 1,900 tonnes 

of fish oil per annum. More than 

75% of this is supplied to the petfood 

industry. 

The category 1 slaughter waste 

processing facility handles 60,000 

tonnes a year and produces 16,000 

tonnes of animal meal, which is all 

destroyed, plus 10,000 tonnes of animal 

fat for use as an energy source. 

The fat is used as fuel in the plant’s 

boilers and thermal oxidation facility, 

as well as by a combined heat 

and power unit which is currently 

being operated as a research and 

development project. 

Due to its prominent position directly 

above the coastline, environmental 

protection is a top priority for ARTA- 

BRA. Particular attention is paid to 

two aspects: wastewater treatment 

(chemical/physical and biological) 

and eliminating odours (thermal oxidation). 

● Francisco Fernández 

26 

SARIAnews 


A site of change: 

Benet 

Tapping into the market for food waste 

For some years the Benet branch has 

enjoyed special status when it comes 

to processing category 1 and 2 raw 

materials: Benet also handles surplus 

volumes from other sites. 

Recent developments in the market 

(sharp fall in volumes, deregulation, 

new customers) have had a major 

impact on how the Benet site has 

developed. 

We have lowered costs, adjusted 

organisational and wage structures, 

optimised logistics and entered new 

markets. This includes tapping into 

the so-called refood market, which 

involves collecting and processing 

food waste and foodstuffs that have 

passed their sell-by dates. Furthermore, 

extensive investment has been 

made to benefit the environment. 

Current projects relate to consolidating 

our existing activities, as well as 

new areas such as generating renewable 

energy. At the present time, we 

are applying for permission to 

expand capacity by 25% to over 

230,000 tonnes per year, which corresponds 

to the plant’s actual capacity. 

Four more collection points 

would also be added to the present 

four. 

Based on the SARIA Group’s experience 

and expertise in producing bio 

energy, some additional new projects 

are being considered at Benet: 

Combined incineration of dry biomass 

(animal meal); an operating 

licence for 80,000 tonnes a year 

has already been granted 

Setting up a transfer centre for 

waste grease collected in the region 

for transportation to biodiesel facilities 

Fermentation of organic waste 

(waste from the food industry, 

unsold products, food leftovers) 

For this purpose, in early November 

2007 we submitted an application for 

a facility processing 40,000 tonnes 

per annum through our subsidiary 

BIONERVAL. The thermal energy or 

electricity generated can be used in 

our own plants or fed into the power 

grid. The fermented substrate is suitable 

for use as fertiliser and we have 

already had a positive response from 

farmers in the region. Methanation is 

a cost-effective solution and an 

alternative to the thermal treatment 

of products like milk, yoghurt, fruit 

juice, animal feed, waste from vinegar 

factories etc., which would 

strengthen our position and develop 

this new area of business. 

● M. Spannagel 

ncarneau 


Locminé 

Arzano 

Vitré Ecommoy 

Guer 

Eta 

Guérande Issé Bazouges St. Denis-le-P 

Brains 

Echemiré 

Rezé Auverse 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 

Benet 

N 

Dun-le-Palestel 

B 

Reignac 

Y 

Chalagnac 


St. C 

M. Spannagel, 

Plant Director Benet 

Benet, 

France 


27 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Food fats from 

Alva und Célys in Rezé 

The only location in France to refine food fats 

Rezé, 

France 

The Rezé branch (60 employees) on 

the outskirts of Nantes in the Loire 

region is a fat melting plant with two 

separate areas: Alva and Célys. 

There are two special features about 

Rezé: It is the only site in France 

where animal fats are refined, plus 

three different processes take place 

here: melting, refining and processing 

category 3 slaughter by-products. 

Brest 

Plouvara 

Lisieux 


Guiller 

oncarneau 


Locminé 

Arzano 


Guer 

E 

Guérande Issé Bazouges St. Denis-le- 

Brains Rezé Echemiré 

Auverse 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 

Benet 


The fats are used in the following 

areas: foods, feed for calves, and petfood. 

Proteins are sold for petfood. 

In Rezé, 30,000 tonnes of by-products 

from pig slaughter and 20,000 

tonnes from slaughtering ducks are 

melted each year. We refine 18,000 

tonnes. In addition, 15,000 tonnes 

are processed separately. 

In the past five years, 3.2 million 

euros has been invested at Rezé in a 

new wastewater treatment plant, a 

cooling unit for processing, and a 

tallow waste dryer. 

The ongoing challenge facing this 

site is to achieve the maximum 

added value from the material it 

processes. 

● David Bluche, Hervé Collet 

David Bluche, 

Management Board Spokesman Alva 

Hervé Collet, 

Acting Director Alva 

Reignac 

Chalagnac 

28 

SARIAnews 


Expansion at Issé 

Investing to enhance product quality further 

St. Hilaire du Harcoet 


Morlaix 

Crouay 

Be 

Brest 

Plouvara 

la- 

Lisieux 


Guillerval 



Locminé 

Arzano 


Guer 

Etam 

Guérande Issé Bazouges St. Denis-le-Pon 

Brains Rezé Echemiré 

Auverse 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 

Benet 

Nér 


Ba 

Issé, 

France 

A great deal has happened at the 

Issé site near Chateaubriand in the 

past two years. Following the installation 

of a biofilter, an oxidation facility 

for exhaust vapour and a new 

hall for receiving raw materials, the 

feather hydrolysis unit was replaced 

in 2005 and the blood line in 2007. 

The steam generator was also subsequently 

renewed. 

Our aim of returning to higher added 

value for our end products led us to 

examine all processing steps. Production 

was adjusted to reflect customer 

requirements more closely. This new 

focus was the main reason behind 

the major investment of recent years. 

● Olivier Marin 

Olivier Marin, 

Plant Director Issé 

Further investment relating to environmental 

concerns is planned for 

the relatively near future, such as 

improving exhaust ventilation and 

building a new biofilter. 

We are also taking action on the 

production side: alterations relating 

to drying and pulverising feathers, 

rebuilding the meat pit and installing 

a new pump for transporting 

raw material. 


29 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Kervalis works for the 

petfood industry 

Vitré specialises in by-products from poultry slaughter 

Christophe Brebion, 

Plant Director Vitré 

Vitré, 

France 

The Vitré facility (KERVALIS) in Brittany 

is an important supplier to the 

petfood industry. The site specialises 

in collecting and processing poultry 

meat (category 3). Around a quarter 

of the total tonnage is handled by 

the associated transfer centre at Locminé. 


t. Sauveur-le-Vicomte St. Aubin-le-Cauf 

Morlaix 

Crouay 

Beuv 

est 

Plouvara 

la-Fo 

Lisieux 

rémorel, Uzel 

Guillerval C 

neau 


Locminé 

Arzano Vitré Ecommoy T 

Guer 

Etampe 


Brains 

Echemiré 

Rezé Auverse 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 

Benet 

Néron 

Dun le Palestel 

Vitré processes 450 tonnes of material 

on a daily basis. The facility’s 

maximum capacity is 500 tonnes per 

day, with its nine dryers, three 

presses, one cutter and one mill in 

operation five days a week. 

The plant operates a wastewater 

treatment facility with a capacity 

equivalent to 20,000 inhabitants and 

an air purification system comprising 

a bioreactor, chemical wash and biofilter. 

Over the past few years, we have 

invested extensively in production, 

infrastructure and the environment, 

including building a roofed hall for 

accepting raw materials, installing a 

new non-continuous 20,000-litre 

boiler and redesigning all transportation 

routes with a new access road 

for trucks. 

As a supplier to the petfood industry, 

the KERVALIS plant needs to focus 

on customer satisfaction and achieving 

total product safety, while also 

heeding the concerns of local residents. 

● Christophe Brebion 

30 

SARIAnews 


Fishmeal and fish oil 

from Concarneau 

Taking over capacity from Lorient 

St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte St. Aubin- 

Morlaix 

Crouay 

Brest 

Plouvara 

Lisieux 


Gu 


Locminé Vitré Ecommoy 

Guer 

Guérande Issé Bazouges St. Denis 

Brains 

Echemiré 

Rezé Auverse 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 


Arzano 


Concarneau, 

France 

The Concarneau site has changed 

dramatically in the past few years. 

From 2005, the plant was completely 

renovated at a cost of almost 7 million 

euros. Merging Lorient and Concarneau 

and concentrating processing 

at one site in 2006 naturally increased 

the quantity of material being 

processed. 

Concarneau is one of two plants in 

France that turns by-products from 

fish processing into fishmeal and fish 

oil. Fishmeal is used in aquaculture, 

animal feed or the petfood industry, 

while fish oil is primarily used in the 

oleochemical industry, although also 

in petfood. 

Our catchment area is wide and 

extends from the Seine maritime 

regions to Vendée and Rungis. 

The reduction in fishing quotas and 

falling catches caused a drop in tonnage, 

for which the growth of aquaculture 

has only partially compensated 

to date. 

To maintain processing volumes, we 

are working to enlarge our catchment 

areas and diversify collection. 

● Philippe Barreau 

Philippe Barreau, 

Plant Director Concarneau 

(Bioceval) 


31 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Plouvara – in the heart of Brittany 

Adapting to changing markets 

Romain Guyon, 

Plant Director Plouvara 

Plouvara is situated in the heart of Brittany, where for 50 years the focus has 

been on breeding and slaughtering French beef, pork and poultry breeds. 

Plouvara, 

France 

The Plouvara facility was built in 

1971 and reflects the main challenges 

facing this region: 

A significant increase in breeding 

facilities, although the number has 

stabilised again since the BSE crisis 

in the 1990s 

Front-runner in terms of slaughterhouse 

capacity in France, with 

efforts to restructure in line with 

market requirements 

A growing focus on protecting the 

environment and improving water 

quality 


St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte St. Aubin-le-C 

Morlaix 

Crouay 

Brest 

Plouvara 

Lisieux 


Guille 

oncarneau 


Locminé 

Arzano 


Guer 

E 

Guérande Issé Bazouges St. Denis-le 

Brains 

Echemiré 

Rezé Auverse 

Les Essarts 

St. Denis 

Benet 

Based on this starting point, the 

location has developed further: 

In terms of process technology (e.g. 

moving from non-continuous to 

continuous drying) and 

In terms of processing capacity 

(currently 178,000 tonnes p.a.), 

adapting to the growing number of 

breeding facilities 

Alongside these developments, we 

have invested extensively in environmental 

measures at the plant: 

A wastewater treatment facility 

equivalent to 57,000 inhabitants 

Thermal post-incineration with a 

capacity of 21 tonnes of vapour per 

hour 

Exhaust ventilation from production 

and subsequent chemical and 

biological purification 

Reliable separation of rainwater 

and production wastewater systems 

Safe and monitored outlet for 

wastewater from the treatment facility, 

either directly into the main outfall 

or via a soakaway in scrubland 

These efforts have helped us forge a 

good relationship with regulatory 

authorities, professional bodies and 

our neighbours, as well as enabling 

us to obtain DS3027 certification 

and CE 1774 approval. 

● Romain Guyon 

32 

SARIAnews 


Expanding the site at 

Lampertheim-Hüttenfeld 

Modern industrial location for the safe disposal of category 2 material and 

category 3 food waste 

On the premises of Alois Fischer & Söhne GmbH & Co KG, where SÜPRO GmbH 

operates a carcase removal facility (intermediate treatment of category 1 material 

and processing of category 2 material), a category 3 plant for the intermediate 

treatment of kitchen and food waste has been built at a cost of over 4 

million euros. The plant has its own vehicle access and is operated by ReFood 

GmbH. 

SÜPRO GmbH in Lampertheim- 

Hüttenfeld 

In 1967/68, Alois Fischer & Söhne 

OHG – a company managed by partners 

Herbert Bensch and Peter 

Fischer – built a new private carcase 

removal facility. At the time, the 

plant was the most advanced in Ger- 

many. In 1985, the Bensch and 

Fischer families and a new generation 

comprising Jürgen Bensch, Matthias 

Fischer and Eva Lerchl established 

SÜPRO Südhessische Proteinund 

Fettfabrikation GmbH. 

Marl 

Selm 

Lünen 

Linnich 


eaury 

Hüttenfeld Würzburg 

Dörnten 

Wathlingen 

Schw 

Elxleben 

Schwallungen 

Wün 

Eltmann-Limb 

Eckbolsheim 

Metzingen 

Appenweier 

Mulhouse 

Villingen 

Oberding 

This company disposes of carcases 

for the entire southern Hesse area, 

the Rhine-Neckar district, the city of 

Mannheim and the city and district 

of Aschaffenburg. 

Hüttenfeld, 

Germany 

View of the new ReFood 

operation from the SÜPRO 

site 


33 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

SÜPRO GmbH 

Matthias Fischer, 

Technical Director of 

SÜPRO GmbH 

On 1 April 2001, SARIA became a 

50% shareholder in both Alois 

Fischer & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG 

(holding company) and SÜPRO Südhessische 

Protein- und Fettfabrikation 

GmbH (operating company). 

SÜPRO GmbH is involved with the 

recording, prompt collection and 

subsequent processing of carcases 

and animal by-products. The plant 

has an hourly processing capacity of 

approx. 10 tonnes of raw material 

and currently processes approx. 

50,000 tonnes per year. 

EU Regulation 1774/2002, which 

stipulates that animal fat must be 

purified so impurities represent less 

than 0.15%, and the fact that thermal 

processing places high demands 

on the steam generator emissions, 

has increased the need for investment 

in fat purification facilities. 

This includes providing additional 

fat heating before the relevant purification 

stages, optimising and 

enlarging the decanter and purchasing 

a new separator facility. 

Animal fat is sold to external parties 

to generate energy or used in our 

own boilers. For this reason, two 

boilers are fitted with special combustion 

and fume recirculation 

equipment. Fumes are monitored by 

continually measuring O2 and CO. 

There are tough requirements with 

regard to purifying the wastewater 

and exhaust air that arise during 

processing. When treating wastewater, 

the focus is on removing as 

many nitrates as possible. We fulfil 

these requirements with a wastewater 

purification facility equivalent to 

10,000 inhabitants, simultaneous 

nitrification and denitrification, plus 

a biotope downstream. 

A classic biofilter is used to purify 

exhaust emissions. Thanks to the 

special design of the ventilation system, 

continuous operation and over 

98% effectiveness is assured. The 

purification facility stands out for its 

high level of operational reliability, 

ease of maintenance and high rate of 

purification and efficiency. Due to 

the open structure, purified air is 

released into the atmosphere evenly 

over a wide area. 

Today SÜPRO GmbH employs some 

50 people. Commercial director Jürgen 

Bensch, technical director Matthias 

Fischer and business manager 

Eva Lerchl manage the company. SecAnim 

GmbH (formerly SARIA) is 

represented by managing director 

Franz-Bernhard Thier. In future, the 

company will continue to pursue its 

policy of performing disposal tasks 

quickly and hygienically, to achieve 

high added value with regard to its 

end products and to always adapt effectively 

to new business and legal 

requirements. 

● Matthias Fischer 

34 

SARIAnews 


ReFood GmbH 

Rapid construction of a new ReFood branch 

y- 

^et 

hâteauhierry 

a 

Lünen 

Linnich 


Wathlin 

S 

Elxleb 

Schwallun 

W 

Eltmann-L 


Eckbolsheim 

Metzingen 

Appenweier 

Mulhouse 

Villingen 

Oberding 

des 

Curgy 

Hüttenfeld, 

Germany 

This modern industrial site in Hüttenfeld 

for category 3 materials has set 

a new milestone in processing food 

waste. 

A modern new facility has been built 

on the premises of Alois Fischer & 

Söhne GmbH & Co. KG to process 

food waste. Taking into account 

recent hygiene regulations, the hall 

features the very latest technology 

and covers 7,000 sq m. A new 

administrative building and a biodiesel 

filling station were also constructed. 

Building a food waste processing 

plant at this location was particularly 

attractive because a number of 

key prerequisites were already in 

place: a wastewater treatment plant, 

a biofilter facility for purifying 

exhaust air, an appropriate water and 

mains electricity supply. The site also 

benefits from excellent road links. 

These advantages, coupled with the 

foresight of the municipal authorities 

in allowing a further 50 jobs to be 

created here, meant the project was 

realised by December 2006 after just 

seven months of construction. 

Eva Oberschelp manages the company 

locally, while Hans-Heinrich 

Lüdde is the managing director of 

this location. The company is 

involved in the collection and intermediate 

processing of food waste, 

frying fats, out-of-date foodstuffs 

and meat waste from restaurants, 

canteen kitchens, food markets and 

butcher’s shops. This happens by col- 

lecting and replacing large waste 

containers (with a capacity of 120 

and 240 litres) or OLEO fat containers 

(a proprietary development). 

The hall is designed to optimise the 

loading and unloading procedure: 

There is a functional work platform 

with four docking points for collection 

vehicles and six emptying stations 

for separating different products. 

All areas of the hall are generously 

sized so that vehicles can be cleared 

under cover. This prevents emissions. 

The exhaust air that is generated 

inside the hall is extracted by the 

exhaust unit and fed over to the biofilter 

at SÜPRO GmbH by a special 

Eva Oberschelp, 

Branch Manager ReFood 

Hüttenfeld 


35 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

exhaust collection system. Each 

unloading station features a connection 

to the high-pressure cleaning 

unit that supplies foam cleaner and 

disinfectant from a central source. 

Here the vehicles are disinfected after 

unloading and then loaded up with 

empty containers in the container 

area ready for the next day’s round. 

Once emptied, containers are conveyed 

to the container-washing unit. 

This is designed to accommodate 

various container sizes for cleaning. 

The conveyor runs continuously to 

take containers through to the hall 

for empties, where automated equipment 

moves them into position ready 

for loading. 

Food waste is emptied into a receiving 

bunker, where it is continually 

blended and thereby homogenised. 

Then it is forwarded to a grinding 

unit and milled to a grade of less 

than 12 mm. After the milling process, 

the processed material is transported 

to the interim storage tank by 

means of a rotor pump. From there 

the product is moved to the fermentation 

units. Materials that are 

unsuitable for fermentation are separated 

out and passed to SÜPRO 

GmbH for safe disposal. 

Fats are collected using special vats 

which were developed in-house by 

ReFood. The collected containers are 

placed in a specially created delivery 

area ready for dispatch to a fat 

processing plant. 

We currently deploy 29 vehicles and 

38 drivers, serving customers within 

a radius of around 200 km. 

Choosing this site for the ReFood 

plant was a good decision because it 

offers a number of synergies associated 

with SÜPRO GmbH and other 

advantages such as proximity to 

processing facilities. Further cost 

benefits are derived from using biodiesel 

fuel from ecoMotion GmbH in 

all vehicles. 

● Eva Oberschelp 

Work platform with four docking points 

for collection vehicles 

Unloading station for containers 

holding food waste 

36 

SARIAnews 


UNIMELT – fat melting in Würzburg 

Food line now closed loop 

Because food safety has been the 

subject of many scandals, all food 

manufacturers must ensure that every 

stage of production can be traced 

on behalf of customers and the authorities 

– from the raw materials 

through to the final product. 

In taking this situation into account 

on the production technology side, 

we decided to renew our food line to 

create a closed loop system in terms 

of both production equipment and 

personnel that would fully separate 

the unit from the category 3 area. 

Selm 

Dörnten 

Marl 

Wathlingen 

Lünen 

B 

Schwerz 

Linnich 

Elxleben 

hwalmtal-Hopfgarten Schwallungen 

Wünsche 



kbolsheim 

Metzingen 

Appenweier 

ulhouse 

Villingen 

Oberding 

Her 

Würzburg, 

Germany 

Sorting raw material, fractionation 

and heating were always separate 

from the category 3 area in the old 

facility, but the subsequent separation 

and filtration equipment was 

housed in the same area as the 

machinery for processing category 3 

material while also being operated 

by the same staff. 

To achieve our vision of a high-performance 

facility, extensive construction 

work had to be carried out 

on the existing building, parts of 

which are 100 years old, so that we 

could install new machines. The new 

plant has been operational for a year 

and a half now. Every day, three 

shifts produce 10 to 15 tonnes of 

lard and 50 to 80 tonnes of beef tallow 

depending on the availability of 

raw material. 

Audits by customers and the authorities 

show that we invested wisely. 

UNIMELT’s products – premier jus, 

refined beef tallow, refined flakes, 

lard, olein, stearin – are ideal for use 

in food. Due to their universal properties, 

UNIMELT’s natural edible fats 

are perfect for enhancing foodstuffs 

and preparations. We supply fats to 

our customers in their desired compositions, 

including products that 

combine animal fats and plant oils, 

as well as fat flakes based on different 

fats such as premier jus flakes 

and palm oil flakes, which offer 

added convenience thanks to easy 

handling. 

As an option we also offer fat compounds 

tailored specifically to our 

customers’ needs (antioxidants, aromatic 

blends, etc.). The potential 

range of uses is as diverse as our 

product portfolio: 

Basic materials for pastries, cakes, 

bread, soups, sauces, aromatic 

blends, vegetables, convenience 

products, ice cream, cooking lard 

and many other food products. 

Wherever they are deployed, UN- 

IMELT products improve taste and 

palatability. ● Rolf Clarenbach 

Rolf Clarenbach, 

UNIMELT Plant Manager 

Würzburg 

Automated packaging 

facility for UNIMELT 

products 


37 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

ReFood now also active in 

Franconia 

Eltmann/Limbach branch 

Jürgen Reber, 



Eltmann-Limbach, 

Germany 

rl 

ReFood GmbH acquired Gottfried 

Zaby, a company specialising in animal 

materials and located in Eltmann, 

at the start of 2007. Zaby has been 

collecting bone, fat and rind from 

slaughterhouses, butcher’s shops and 

private slaughtering operations in the 

region of Franconia (Würzburg, Bamberg, 

Nuremberg, Erlangen) since 

1952. 

Selm 

Lünen 

innich 

-Hopfgarten 

Hüttenfeld 

Dörnten 

Wathlingen 

Bresinchen 

Schwerz 

Elxleben 

Schwallungen 

Wünschendorf 

Würzburg 

m 

Metzingen 

Appenweier 

Villingen 

Oberding 


Žichl 

M 

T 

Hermannsdo 

ReFood took over all existing contractual 

commitments, as well as the 

company’s vehicles and employees. 

The fleet was steadily replaced and 

the buildings also now reflect the 

ReFood corporate image. 

In March 2007, ReFood obtained permission 

to operate an intermediate 

processing plant for category 3 

materials and therefore kitchen and 

food waste were added to the raw 

materials being disposed of in Eltmann. 

To maintain the current collection 

and transfer of 11 daily routes, a 

planning application to build a fractionation 

facility for food waste is 

currently being examined by the 

local authority. The pumpable matter 

will be transported 140 km by tanker 

to the company’s biogas facility in 

Schwallungen. 

The Eltmann branch has been 

upgraded to meet the Group’s standards 

on specialist disposal, the 

HACCP system and ISO 9001:2000 

(QM), and is certified. 

Having acquired this new ReFood 

branch in 2007, we are working hard 

to ensure it flourishes. 

● Jürgen Reber 

38 

SARIAnews 


The SecAnim site at Elxleben 

Ongoing modernisation of an “old” site 

Dr. Henry Helmholz, 


Elxleben 

Elxleben is situated on the outskirts 

of the state capital of Thuringia. Carcases 

and slaughter waste have been 

disposed of here since 1963. In 1993, 

the RETHMANN Group took over the 

site and expanded it, upgrading the 

technology in the process. 

Today, a total of 65 employees, 

including drivers, work for SecAnim 

GmbH in Elxleben. Many of them are 

“old hands” who have worked at the 

plant for many years and who still 

remember how things were done 

before 1993. Then you could simply 

follow your nose to find the plant. 

This bears no relation to conditions 

after modernising the plant in 1993 

and certainly not to conditions 

today. 

We dispose of material throughout 

Thuringia from Altenburg to 

Eisenach and from Suhl to Nordhausen 

in a region characterised by 

forests and hills (with the occasional 

valley) that we have to cross to reach 

our customers. Every year, some 

50,000 tonnes of category 1 and category 

2 raw materials are pressuresterilised 

at 133°C and 3 bar in 20 

minutes and disposed of safely. 

During the past two years, plant 

equipment has been upgraded once 

again. For example, the fat storage 

tanks and control equipment were 

completely replaced. Protecting the 

environment is also a priority at Elxleben. 

Instead of using natural gas, a 

fossil fuel, since October 2006 animal 

fat has been used as fuel, 

exhaust air purification has been 

enhanced further and the water 

treatment facility has been completely 

renewed. Current projects 

involve renewing the access road 

and building a new recreational 

building for our employees. 

The SecAnim plant in Elxleben is 

ideally placed to handle all market 

developments and optimisation will 

continue. ● Dr. Henry Helmholz 

Hude 

Kogel 

Herzberg 


nster Detmold 


Selm 

Dörnten 

Wathlingen 

ünen 

Bresinchen 

Schwerz 

ch 

Elxleben 

pfgarten Schwallungen 

Wünschendorf 

üttenfeld 


Würzburg 

Žichlinek 

Medlov 

Elxleben, 

Germany 


39 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

ReFood Marl – a new location 

Over 200 guests attend the commissioning ceremony 

Dirk Schulze-Rieping, 

Branch Manager ReFood Marl 

and Münster 

Image right: We have lift-off 

(from left: Franz-Bernhard 

Thier, ReFood Management 

Board, Dirk Schulze-Rieping, 

Environment Minister of 

the State of NRW Eckhard 

Uhlenberg, ReFood Managing 

Director Hans-Heinrich 

Lüdde, Norbert Rethmann 

and Uta Heinrich, mayor of 

the town of Marl) 

Since late 2007/early 2008, ReFood 

GmbH in North Rhine-Westphalia 

(NRW) makes even more of an impression 

with an additional new and 

more modern branch in Marl. In addition 

to the original branch in Münster, 

from January 2008 all category 

3 “refood” material such as kitchen 

waste, out-of-date foodstuffs, bread 

and bakery products, as well as other 

items like used cooking oils, from the 

NRW area will also be processed in 

Marl. This will help deal with rising 

volumes in the refood business. 

Marl, 

Germany 

eaurry 

Marl 

Melle 


Selm 

Lünen 

Linnich 


Cuxhaven Ster 

Hude 

Kogel 

Hohenham 

Dörnten Ge 

Wathlingen 

Sch 

Elxleben 

Schwallungen 

Wü 

Eltmann-Limb 

Würzburg 

Proximity to KFU – the plants are on 

the same site approximately 100 

metres apart as the crow flies – will 

generate considerable synergies 

when it comes to efficiently processing 

the bone, fat and rind collected 

by ReFood. 

Logistics-wise, being so close to the 

Ruhr area and the Rhineland will 

prove beneficial for the Marl branch 

and help reduce transport costs. This 

will ensure we can offer competitive 

prices and acquire the new customers 

that are necessary for the company’s 

continued growth. A total of approximately 

7 million euros has been 

invested in state-of-the-art and 

future-ready machinery and plant 

equipment. In the incoming hall, 

which is clad in stainless steel, five 

trucks can be unloaded at the same 

time to achieve a fast turnaround. A 

separate, connecting store for empties 

ensures a hygienic “black-andwhite 

principle” is adhered to. Category 

3 products are prepared using 

the very latest technology. 

The new hammer mill, which reduces 

and extracts materials and has a 

40 

SARIAnews 


throughput of approx. 40 tonnes per 

hour, is particularly worth mentioning. 

This is followed by heat sterilisation 

at 70°C and an hour’s holding 

time, as well as separating waste fats 

using a decanter. The products 

extracted are processed within the 

SARIA Group to make biodiesel and 

biogas. In total, approx. 60,000 

tonnes are set to be processed annually 

at the Marl site, plus transfer 

services relating to used cooking oils 

and bone, fat and rind of approx. 

10,000 tonnes per year. 

scope for a total of approx. 150 

employees at the plant. 

In this light, this new branch in Marl 

can truly be regarded as an investment 

in the future of the ReFood 

Group. We wish our experienced staff 

and new, highly motivated employees 

alike great success! 

● Dirk Schulze-Rieping 

Around 50 new jobs were created at 

the branch in the first phase of 

expansion. The inviting office and 

recreational wing offers further 

potential for growth. Once Marl is 

fully online – probably by the end of 

2008/early 2009 – there should be 

The ReFood GmbH service company aims to achieve the very highest standards of 

customer service and satisfaction. 

We operate a container system to 

dispose of material, replacing collection 

containers with fresh ones that 

have been cleaned inside and out using 

pressure jets and subsequently 

disinfected. The hygienic disposal of 

food waste in compliance with statutory 

provisions is all about customer 

satisfaction. 

The Chairman of the 

Supervisory Board of 

the RETHMANN Group, 

Norbert Rethmann, 

welcomes approx. 200 

guests in Marl 

By enhancing logistics and thanks to 

tighter clusters of customers, disposal 

services can be offered up to five 

days a week at the same location. 

ReFood GmbH is therefore able to 

offer its customers a veterinary service-preferred 

solution for disposing 

of this complex organic waste. 

Because we offer reliable disposal 

methods – this applies particularly to 

disposing of fermented waste – 

ReFood GmbH is well placed longterm. 

With the additional capacity at 

Marl, the company is the ideal partner 

for any business with organic 

waste to dispose of that is in the 

public eye or where the public interest 

is concerned. 

Benefiting from certification in 

accordance with ISO 9000/2001, specialist 

disposal plant status and 

HACCP conformity supported by an 

accurate digital recording system for 

quick and easy paperless documentation, 

ReFood GmbH is an attractive 

partner for the future. 

● Friedrich Hautkapp 

Friedrich Hautkapp, 

ReFood Sales Manager 


41 

SARIAnews

EUROPE 

Good for us, bad for pigs? 

Throughout the EU, animal fats are used in animal nutrition. The entire EU? No! 

A “small” nation of 82 million people at the very centre of the EU continues to 

refuse to do so ... 

For over six years now, Germany has 

proven the exception by banning the 

use of animal fats in feed. This has led 

to the curious situation whereby Danish 

pigs, for example, are fed animal 

fat, slaughtered in Germany for the 

German market, with their freshly 

slaughtered bones – and those of German 

pigs – then sold to the Netherlands 

where a category 3 bone fat is 

subsequently processed for sale as 

feed through Germany to Denmark or 

Poland. 

Still with us? Don’t worry, we don’t 

quite follow it either! 

What is worse is that the German 

processing industry is severely limited 

compared to its European counterparts 

when it comes to marketing 

these food-grade by-products and 

cannot achieve market-driven added 

value for its products. German fattening 

operations are also unable to 

use a low-cost feed that is recognised 

as safe and are at a disadvantage 

compared to their international competitors. 

This even applies to foodsafe 

fats such as lard and suet, meaning 

that what is safe to go on our 

plates is not safe enough for the 

trough! 

were able to welcome scientists 

from the BfR and the Free University 

of Berlin to SARIA in Lünen 

on 7 September 2007 and inform 

them about the capabilities of our 

industry. Visits were also made to 

the KFU GmbH plant in Marl and 

that of Kurt Fülling Tierprodukte 

GmbH in Dissen. 

Recently German ministers for 

agriculture have argued for the 

ban on feeding fats to be lifted, 

with German associations for the 

livestock and meat industry (DBV, 

DRV, ISN, VDF, ZDS, etc.) articulating 

this even more strongly. 

They are also calling for meat 

bonemeal to be approved for poultry 

and pigs. 

Even though the signs are that 

Germany will initially lift the ban 

only partially, with the feeding of 

animal fat to ruminants remaining 

prohibited, this is a very important 

step towards repositioning animal 

fat within the feed and farming 

industries. 

● Dr. Martin Alm 

Dr. Martin Alm, 

Research and Development 

Based on a new risk assessment by 

the Berlin-based German Federal 

Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in 

early 2007, this situation now seems 

to be slowly changing. As a result we 

42 

SARIAnews 


“Séminaire français” on the Rhine 

Annual event organised by SARIA France held in the Ruhr area this time 

At the close of the financial year the 

Management Board of SARIA Industries 

France traditionally invites plant 

and administrative managers to a 

two-day seminar. 

This time the seminar was held on 

two hotel ships anchored at Duisburg. 

On the evening of 21 November, 

some 90 participants arrived in 

Duisburg on three coaches and 

checked into their cabins. Over an 

aperitif, Dr. Hermann Niehues, Chairman 

of the Management Board of 

RETHMANN AG & Co. KG, and Jean- 

Louis Hurel, PDG SARIA France, 

welcomed the guests, including 

numerous employees from SARIA 

Deutschland. Everyone then gathered 

in the onboard restaurant for dinner, 

during which Monsieur Hurel introduced 

a number of new employees. 

To inform the guests about the Ruhr 

area in which they found themselves, 

the Chair of the Franco-German 

society in Duisburg, Wolfgang 

Schwarzer, gave an interesting and 

entertaining illustrated talk about 

the Ruhr region through the ages. 

The seminar took place the next 

morning with presentations on various 

developments within the SARIA 

Group given by Dr. Kurt Stoffel, 

Jean-Louis Hurel, Serge Verdier and 

Jean-Yves Bordas. After lunch, all 

the participants assembled on the 

MS Swiss Diamond, which set sail 

for a number of Rhenus sites on the 

Rhine and within the port of Duisburg. 

Dr. Andreas Schmidt and Thomas 

Maaßen from Rhenus outlined Rhenus 

activities during this time. 

After returning to port, it was time 

for the gala evening, featuring a 

highly amusing and intelligent game 

which was enjoyed by all and helped 

the attendees to bond and relax. 

Early on the Friday morning, the 

guests boarded their three coaches in 

order to visit the new ReFood site in 

Marl (which opened one week later). 

The three groups then headed to 

REMONDIS-Lippewerk for a tour, 

where particular attention was paid 

to the centre that disassembles electrical 

equipment, the biomass power 

plant and the biodiesel facility. 

Around midday the three coaches 

left for Paris, which the participants 

reached just before midnight, somewhat 

tired, but full of new insights 

into the diverse range of activities 

performed within the RETHMANN 

Group. 

● Claus M. Andreas 

Claus M. Andreas 

Head of Corporate 

Communication 

It might take a while... 

New regulations for driving and rest times 

Collecting carcases and slaughter byproducts 

is not just where our job begins 

– it is also the start of a race 

against time. 

We are obliged to collect material by 

the following day – which means 

driving to all registered customers. 

Furthermore, the material is perishable 

and in the event of pandemic 

disease may even be infectious. This 

means that for hygiene reasons the 

material must arrive at an approved 

facility and be unloaded or transferred. 

A full vehicle must not be 

parked on the road somewhere so 

that the driver can rest overnight. 

When organising daily routes, the 

fleet manager naturally schedules 

leeway in order to adhere to driving 

and rest times and comply with legal 

requirements affecting drivers. This 

generally suffices to deal with 

delays, e.g. during loading (approved 

signatory not present, address incorrect, 

“cow misplaced”, etc.) or during 

the journey (diversions, traffic jams, 

etc.). 

Nevertheless in the event of a pandemic 

in particular, there may be a 

need to make more frequent and 

longer journeys than would normally 

be allowed. For this reason, the legislator 

has amended the regulations to 

the effect that vehicles transporting 

animal by-products within a radius 

of 250 km of the vehicle’s base are 

exempted from adhering to driving 

and rest times. This applies to all 

three categories. ● Dr. Martin Alm 


43 

SARIAnews

This company newspaper is 

intended for SARIA Group 

employees and business partners. 

www.saria.de 

www.saria.fr 

www.saria.com 

info@saria.de 

Editor: 

Claus Michael Andreas 

SARIA Bio-Industries AG & Co. KG 

Werner Strasse 95 

59379 Selm, Germany 

Tel.: +49 2592 210 166 

Design and layout: 

www.atelier-14.de 

Printed by: 

Lonnemann GmbH, Selm

A European group of companies - Saria Bio-Industries AG & Co. KG

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