Part meat, part…?
A cow weighs about 480 kilos. We use 220 kilos of that for meat and meat products, according to research by Blonk Environmental Advice. What are you left with after slaughter?
Meat specialist Gertjan Kiers explains: ‘A number of parts of the animal do not consist of meat, those parts are considered slaughterhouse waste.’ So eyes, ears and udders.
Then throw it away?
Offal is certainly not thrown away as standard. According to the latest figures from the CBS In 2022, no less than 16.9 billion kilos of animal and vegetable waste were absorbed for reuse during the production process. 1 billion kilos were burned. Offal makes here part of out.
According to master butcher Gertjan There are plenty of options for reusing slaughterhouse waste. ‘It’s all about the returns,’ he explains. If you sell everything from an animal, the return is optimal.
But can you reuse eyes, ears and udders?
Reuse, but how?
Wageningen University & Research conducted research into the destination of slaughterhouse waste. It turns out that pet food manufacturers can make all kinds of pet food from it.
According to Wageningen University & Research, animal feed manufacturers process, among other things, cow udders in wet dog food. They dry the ears of a cow. The end product: a tasty snack for the dog.
However, a cow’s eyes contain harmful substances. That is why the eyes are burned instead of reused. Since the BSE crisis (also known as mad cow disease), it has been prohibited to use eyes in human and animal food, Wageningen University reports. & Research.
Eyes, ears and udders in frikandels?
Offal is used to make animal feed, among other things, but what is in frikandels? You can imagine the strangest things, but meat specialist Gertjan Kiers reassures us: ‘There are no eyes or other strange parts in frikandels, that is a myth.’
Frikandels consist of mechanically separated meat. This is meat from different types of animals that is sprayed off bones with high pressure. So no eyes, ears or udders.
Cow eyes are burned due to harmful substances, cow ears are dried into dog snacks and cow udders are processed into wet food for animals. So your pet might have cow udders on the menu for lunch.
Part meat, part…?
Imagine owning a cow weighing approximately 480 kilos. Now, let me guess—you thought that was your future BBQ, right? Well, brace yourselves. Of that hefty bovine, a mere 220 kilos is what we deem ‘acceptable’ meat and meat products. The rest? Well, according to our friend Blonk Environmental Advice, that’s what we call ‘slaughterhouse waste’. Just what exactly are we tossing away? Spoiler alert: it’s not just the steak leftovers.
Then throw it away?
Hold your horses—or cows, in this case! “Throwing it away” isn’t quite how it goes down in the meat biz. According to the latest figures from the CBS, a whopping 16.9 billion kilos of animal and vegetable waste were creatively reincarnated (yes, reincarnated!) into something new during 2022. And just a billion kilos were, understandably, burned. All those eyes, ears, and udders? They’ve got plans!
Our meaty maestro, master butcher Gertjan Kiers, claims that there are bountiful avenues for reusing this ‘waste’. “It’s all about the returns,” he asserts, and if you can sell every tiny bit of a cow, then the profit train rolls on! It’s like a magical meat recycling program—who knew being an eco-friendly carnivore would sound so good?
Reuse, but how?
Now, what’s happening to those parts of the animal that aren’t fit for your Sunday roast? Wageningen University & Research has done some legwork and discovered that pet food manufacturers are upon us! Imagine your dog munching away on a gourmet meal made from a cow’s udder. Yes, you heard right. Cow udders are being processed into wet dog food, while cow ears are being dried up for fun canine snacks. Consider these delightful crunchies the gourmet leftovers!
But—a hard stop for cow eyes. These little gems are a big no! Post-BSE crisis (that’s mad cow disease, for those keeping score), using eyes in any human or animal food has led them straight to the incinerator. Sorry, pup, no eyeball recipes on today’s menu, just udderlicious delights!
Eyes, ears and udders in frikandels?
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room—or shall I say, the frikandel? You might wonder what exactly is lurking in these Dutch delicacies. Rumours of offal and odd bits abound, but Gertjan Kiers assures us: “There are no eyes or bizarre bits in frikandels, that is simply a myth.” Hoo-rah for frikandel enthusiasts everywhere!
What does go into these beloved street snacks, you ask? Mostly mechanically separated meat, which as it turns out involves high-pressure meat extraction—it sounds more like a superhero movie than food production! So fear not; your late-night snack is not the horror show you imagined.
In summary, while cow eyes blaze away, horizons are bright for those lesser-known cuts. Cow ears are basically doggy gourmet treats, and udder-rific meals are in vogue for the canine cuisine. Your pet might just chow down on a cow udder for lunch, while you indulge in a tasty frikandel, blissfully unaware of the curious creatures behind the curtain!