014—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 21,1981
Nothing goes to waste in meat processing
WASHINGTON, D.C. - There’s
more to a steer than steak. Ac
tually, an average 1,000-pound
market steer yields only about 440
pounds of beef. Most of what’s left
around 40 percent of the animal’s
live weight-becomes byproducts.
Although beef makes up about 5
percent of the total U.S. diet,
Dividend products come from parts
of the slaughtered animal called
the “fifth quarter ” in the cattle industry.
Americans really eat even more
disguised in chewing gum, mar
shmallows, some margarines, and
gelatin capsules. And many more
items are manufactured from
cattle byproducts'-sporting
equipment, bone china, cosmetics,
and photographic film are just a
few.
All these “dividend” products
come from parts of the slaughtered
animal called the "fifth quarter”
in the cattle industry.
In reality, of course, the carcass
of a 1,000-pound market steer is
divided into only four quarters
two front and two hind-which
weigh about 600 pounds and in
clude the fat and bone that will be
trimmed at the retail counter. But
almost all of the remaining 400
pounds-the “fifth quarter”-
become byproducts which have a
potential market value.
According to USDA economist
Larry Duewer, byproducts make a
significant contribution-just over,
10 percent-to the packer’s profit
Boom hsuunoN Company
“THERMAL INSULATION SPECIALISTS”
margin. Byproducts benefit both
cattle producers and consumers by
helping increase the value of fed
cattle without further increasing
retail beef prices.
In dollar value, hides account for
about half of all byproduct sales
Last year’s average of $44.50 per
100 pounds of hide was about $27
per animal (a normal hide weighs
around 60 pounds).
However, in recent years, hide
prices have been erratic. During
spring 1979, native heavy steer
hides reached a record $9O per
cwt., although 1979’s average was
only $73-still a hefty 64 percent
above the 1980 price.
And volatile prices may reflect
the primary hide market-export.
Between 60 and 70 percent of U.S.
hides from commercial slaughter
In dollar value, hides account
for about half of all byproduct sales.
are bound tor world trade, and
almost all of those (90 percent) go
to Japan
Of course, any change in
Japanese demand or in U.S. supply
can drastically affect hide prices.
And some analysts suggest that
dramatic price swmgs-as in
1979/80-could be a future trend
unless the industry replaces hide
exports with leather exports.
Some leatner mdustry officials
believe that leather-simply hides
that have been tanned-would have
a wider market appeal and offer
greater p,*ice stability for
wholesalers.
Over the past few years, leather
exports have been reaching new
records. In 1980, the industry had
export sales of $3lO million.
But only better grade hides are
made into leather-latigo, suede, or
tooling. Those of lower quality can
be used in the manufacture of felt
and certain textiles, as binders for
plaster and asphalt, or tor the base
ot some ointments and buildmg
msulation materials.
Leather manufacturers usually
buy hides complete with hair and
trim them oefore making a
finished product. This leaves
another byproduct-animal hair
one ot the more difficult items to
move.
At one tune, upholstery stuffed
with animal hair was popular, but
synthetics have practically wiped
out this market. However, one
long-time use ot animal hair is the
manufacture ot artist's paint
brushes. This market is limited,
though, because only the fine hair
from the animal’s ear can be used.
Hair does contain a lot of protem,
THE FARMERS NATIONAL BANK OF QUARRWHIE
SMALL ENOUGH TO KNOWN YOU
LARGE ENOUGH TO SERVE YOU.
TWO CONVENIENT SOUTHERN LANCASTER COUNTY LOCATIONS
★ QUARRYVILLE Phone: <717) 786-7337 ★PENN HILL
An Equal Opportunity Lender • Member F.D.I.C. • Each Account Insured To $lOO,OOO
and researchers have developed it
as a feed additive for livestock-a
less expensive alternative to meat
and gram as a protein source.
Tallows " and greases are
probably second to hides in terms
A relatively new and sophisticated
byproduct market is the manufacture
of cash value tor byproducts. And
the slaughter process provides a
lot-an average 60 pounds per
animal-ot both the edible and
inedible varieties
In 1975/76 alone, 2,580 metric
tons were produced. This is much
more than domestic use (about
1,500 metric tons during that same
period) because demand tor these
items has really been slipping over
the last two decades.
As tar as eating tallow outright,
the average American consumer is
no longer interested. Lard, a pork
byproduct, had been widely used in
cooking before the sixties, but
margarine and shortening have
essentially replaced lard in the
kitchen.
Lycoming
hrankhnJ Hnck
Bonnie
Ginger
Suella
Hay
Brooke
X 1 1.
II
MS MAIL
’^vttianuj
• Today, edible tallow's major
domestic use is as an additive in
livestock and pet foods, again
because it is a cheaper source of
protein than meat itself. And it
sells. The pet food industry is huge.
of pharmaceuticals.
with domestic sales reaching over
$2 billion in 1980.
Some inedible tallow is still used
industrially, mostly for lubricants,
although its bigger market-soap
has virtually dried up with the
introduction of synthetics. From
1947 to 1964, tallow-based soap
production declined some 2 billion
pounds.
But concern over environmental
pollution, particularly trom
detergents, has rekindled interest
in natural-based soaps. And
scientists working with USDA’s
Science and Education Ad
ministration have been successful
in creating (but not yet marketing)
completely biodegradable soaps
(Turn to Page Dl 5)
Co. DHIA
(Continued from Page DI3)
8/ 21,582 845 305
4 2 18,543 664 292
4 0 17 213 667 305
3 11 19,400 679 305
3 0 22,029 731 305
JOIN TODAY
AND I’LL
DELIVER A
VACATION
CLUB
CHECK
TO YOU IN
1982
Put yourself on
our Vacation
list! Open your
high interest
Vacation Chib
now...enjoy the
extra cash
later!