Material flows in livestock product utilisation

Source: Defra Agriculture in the UK 2006

Notes: * This figure includes calf slaughter for human consumption, which was only 51,000 in 2006 plus live exports; in addition MLC estimates suggest there were 115,000 unrecorded calf slaughter (mainly diary bull calves culled soon after birth), out of total calf disposals of 250,000.

** Of which it was estimated by MLC that in 2006, 50,000 head were exported live.

2.2.1.1. Primary Source
The scale of waste from the primary source A (home fed), in the red meat sector can be estimated by using total slaughterings in 2006, as given in the table below, adjusted to take account of various factors. This gives totals of the following contributing to the primary source of ‘waste’:
Table 2.2.1.1: 2006 total slaughterings (‘000 head)

	Main usage	000 head
Cattle *	Human food chain	2,612
	Disposal (condemned, OTM, etc)	200
Sheep**	Human food chain	16,491
Pigs	Human food chain	8,746

Source: MLC

Notes: * excluding calves

** Adjusted to take account of live exports

2.2.2. RED MEAT SUPPLY CHAINS

The analysis of supply chains in the red meat sector carried out in recent years by such as the Supply Chain Centre and the Red Meat Industry Forum, has shown that there are a wide variety of routes whereby the meat derived from farm animals (and imports) can reach the consumers plate, and each one of these share the total volume of ‘waste’ produced from the primary source. When explaining supply chains the term ‘agent’ is used to describe any party within the chain that interacts with others in the chain, both up and down the chain.
This report takes a simplified approach as used in a recent report on supply chains, to make basic sectoral estimates (Cox et al., 2007).
Using this approach the red meat sector can be thought of as consisting of six major chains:

1. 
   Large abattoir/cutting plant/ meat processors – supplying supermarket/large food service and export
   

2. 
   Large abattoirs (some with cutting plants)– supplying mainly export and domestic ethnic specialist markets (particularly for sheep meat)
   

3. 
   Medium abattoirs (some with cutting plants) – supplying mainly domestic market
   

4. 
   Small abattoirs – supplying domestic (many with own retail shops)
   

5. 
   Other cutting plants/ meat wholesalers
   

6. 
   Meat processors
   

In supply chains, 1, 2, 5 and 6 the primary source of waste consists of both that derived from animals from

1. 
   ‘Home fed marketings’, and also;
   
2. 
   That derived from imported supplies of meat (although the amount of waste from the latter is far smaller than that from the former).
   

The process of producing and slaughtering cattle, sheep and pigs, followed by de-boning, and the further cutting to provide beef, lamb and pork for use as fresh meat or processed products for human consumption, can be thought of as the main meat supply chain. This process also generates what can be thought of as a offal and by-product supply chain for ‘waste’ as defined in this report that consists of both edible and inedible ‘by products’ and other waste material.

The quantity of such ‘waste’ for cattle and sheep immediately after slaughter, equates to between 45 to 55% of the weight of the live animal and for pigs 20 to 30% (depending on the animal i.e. size/weight/conformation/fatness/breed).
However, the total amount of waste will increase as the carcases are broken down into cuts, diced and minced product by agents further up the primary supply chain (e.g. cutting plants, butchers and catering butchers). They will produce further quantities of bone, fat and meat trimmings that also have to be disposed of. In addition to that derived from home produced animals will be that from bone in carcases imported (and to be exact less that from bone in carcases exported).
All of this is in one sense a ‘waste’ product from the principal business of producing meat, but after further processing some has an economic value.
In addition a small amount of ‘waste’ from red meat cutting/processing activities will also be derived from the customers they supply i.e. the supermarkets, catering outlets, independent shops, and independent butchers (who in a small number of cases will be linked to an abattoir).

Table 2.2.2: Meat Used by Cutting/Boning Plants (both stand alone and co-located with abattoirs) and Secondary Processors

000 tonnes Dressed carcase weight	Beef and veal		Mutton and lamb		Pig meat
	2006	2000	2006	2000	2006	2000
Home fed production	847	707	330	361	680 *	691
Imports	291	188	129	123	378 **	299
Exports	51	-	87	99	101 **	91
New supply	1,086	930	372	390	856 **	793