Optimization of rendering process of poultry by-products with batch cooker model monitored by electronic nose.

The best available controlled technology for transforming the disposal of animal by-products and mortalities is rendering. Two aspects of rendering process are mentioned in this research; product quality and emissions. A model of batch cooker with temperature, pressure and agitator speed controllers was designed and developed in order to optimize the process and to investigate the effect of changes in rendering conditions on quality of poultry by-product meal and also on pollutant emissions. An electronic nose system was designed and built based on metal oxide semiconductor sensors to monitor the gases emitted from batch cooker model. Also, GC-MS was used to identify the emitted components. In order to optimize the rendering process, response surface methodology was performed on temperature, cooking time and agitator speed variables. Results showed that the temperature of 140 °C (internal pressure equivalent to about 3.2 bar), the cooking time of 45 min and the agitator speed of 20 rpm optimized the process of batch cooking to maximize the percentage of protein and minimize the percentage of fat, moisture content, energy consumption and emission of pollutants. By GC-MS analysis, about 100 compounds include hydrocarbons, volatile fatty acids, sulfur-containing compounds, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and furans were observed in the emission of a batch cooker model. The major groups were organic acids and amides. Principle component analysis showed the most suitable sensors for detecting unpleasant odors from rendering plants.