Pet Food Processing - September 2024 - 64

ASSOCIATIONS
NORTH AMERICAN
RENDERERS association
Promoting the use of animal byproducts in
the pet food industry and beyond.
ABOUT NARA
500 Montgomery St.,
Ste. 310
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 686-8174
info@nara.org
www.nara.org
A
As the trade association serving the US and Canadian
rendering industries, the North American Renderers
Association (NARA) seeks to speak with a collective
voice to represent the interests of the industry in public,
government and regulatory affairs. NARA's mission is to
promote the greater use of animal byproducts and foster
the expansion of trade between foreign buyers and
North American exporters.
NARA provides services, programs and technical support
to its members and focuses on educating industry
members and the public about the value of rendering in today's
society. Some important facts about rendering include:
* Only about 50% of an animal is considered edible
by Americans.
* Rendering is the process of cooking and drying
meat and/or other animal byproducts not used for
human consumption in order to recover fats and
proteins.
* Rendering creates alternative, sustainable fuels to
power trucks, trains, water vessels and other vehicles
in addition to feeding cattle, hogs, turkeys,
chickens, household pets and other animals.
* The unwanted leftovers, like organ meats, used to
produce rendered end products contain valuable
fats and proteins filled with vitamins and minerals
that animals, including pets, need to maintain
their health and nutrition.
* US renderers collect 56 billion lbs of raw materials
a year and recycle them by cooking and drying
them into 22 billion lbs of animal fats/oils and
proteins.
* The US rendering industry accounts for $10 billion
in annual economic activity.
One of the association's primary responsibilities involves
representing the interest of its members to legislative,
regulatory and other government agencies on
issues that impact the industry. NARA members,
staff and government affairs experts
64 PET FOOD PROCESSING | September 2024 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
meet regularly with key government officials, members
of Congress and their staff to advocate for positions and
policies that enhance opportunities for renderers and
promote the industry's sustainability.
Several of the association's key priorities were included
in the Farm, Food and National Security Act
of 2024 including doubling Market Access Program
(MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) funding
and including rendering in the Butcher Block Act, a
new meat processing grant program.
" These achievements reflect NARA's dedication to
advocating for policies that benefit their members and
the rendering industry and contribute to the agricultural
circular bioeconomy, " NARA said.
NARA members include independent renderers and
integrated packers or renderers who process their own
animal byproducts. In addition, members include companies
that provide equipment and services to the rendering
industry, as well as those who broker or purchase
rendered products.
Members receive the association's bi-monthly publication,
Render Magazine, which is written for and about the
rendering industry. Members are also invited to attend
NARA's annual convention, held each October, which
provides a forum for renderers from around the world to
share experiences and discuss common interests.
In addition to its US-based headquarters in Arlington,
Va., NARA also maintains offices in Mexico and Hong
http://www.nara.org http://www.petfoodprocessing.net
Pet Food Processing - September 2024

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