What are rendered animal products?
Rendered animal products include tallow, fish oil, poultry oil, meat meals, meat and bone meals, dried blood, blood meal, poultry meal, and feather meal.
Legislation that applies to rendering
Animal Products Regulations 2021
Animal Product Notice: Production, Supply and Processing [PDF, 1.9 MB]
Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 (most renderers)
The requirements that apply to your business will depend on what you are doing. The Rendering products roadmap provides a summary of the specific requirements for different businesses.
Rendering products roadmap [PDF, 851 KB]
Meeting the requirements of the Animal Products Act
Under the Animal Products Act, all rendering operations are required to operate under a registered risk management programme (RMP).
Introduction to risk management programmes
The rendering code of practice has information that can help you with:
- meeting the requirements of the Animal Products Act and related legislation
- producing rendered products that are safe and fit for purpose
- preventing animal product that is not fit for human consumption from entering the human food chain.
Code of practice: Rendering [PDF, 802 KB]
Renderers of fish material
If you render fish to produce fish oil or fish meal, information about the requirements that apply to your business is on this page:
Rendering fish material for fish oil or fish meal
Meeting ruminant protein regulations
If you render animal material, there are rules you must follow to reduce the risk of your product spreading disease through animal feed.
Find out about the ruminant feed regulations for preventing BSE or 'mad cow disease'
If your site renders only ruminants
All of your packaged rendered products must have this wording on the label:
"Notice: Do not feed to sheep, cattle, deer, goats, buffaloes, or other ruminant animals. This product contains or may contain ruminant protein."
If your rendered product is sold in bulk, then this wording must be on the invoice or waybill.
Feed and fertiliser labelling requirements apply to rendered products.
Find out about labelling animal feed or fertiliser that may contain ruminant protein
If your site renders ruminants and non-ruminants
All packaged products that contain rendered ruminant material must have this wording on the label:
"Notice: Do not feed to sheep, cattle, deer, goats, buffaloes, or other ruminant animals. This product contains or may contain ruminant protein."
Non-ruminant products don't need this wording if:
- they're processed on a line that only processes non-ruminants, and
- your site has a registered ruminant protein control programme.
Find out about ruminant protein control programmes
If your site renders only non-ruminants but has ruminant protein on site
You must have a registered ruminant protein control programme if:
- you store or use ruminant protein on your site, and
- the rendered products are for feeding to ruminants.
Find out about ruminant protein control programmes
Ruminant protein assurance programme for tallow
Fat from ruminants is considered a ruminant protein if the insoluble impurities in it are more than 0.15% w/w (weight by weight).
The Ruminant protein assurance programme for tallow shows rendering premises to meet the requirements under the ruminant protein regulations.
Ruminant protein assurance programme for tallow [PDF, 236 KB]
Exporting rendered animal products
If you export rendered animal products, you'll need to meet additional requirements.
Find out about exporting rendered animal products
Who to contact
If you have questions about rendering, email info@mpi.govt.nz
