Blog Archives - North American Renderers Association

Meet Dr. Jennifer Dorick: NARA’s New Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs

Posted on October 18, 2026 (October 18, 2026) by Anna

NARA is pleased to welcome Dr. Jennifer Dorick as its new Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. Dr. Dorick also serves as Director of Research for the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), bringing extensive industry experience and scientific expertise to both organizations. Dr. Dorick joins NARA from Darling Ingredients, where she served as Corporate Product Safety Manager. In that role, she oversaw product safety and regulatory compliance across rendering and bakery feeds facilities,

Chicken By-Products and Rendering

Posted on September 28, 2026 (October 1, 2026) by nara-primediany

The next time you chomp into a chicken wing, order your kids’ favorite chicken nuggets, or enjoy an elegant dinner of coq au vin, think rendering! And what better time to consider poultry rendering than September, National Chicken Month! Industrial poultry rendering consists of large-scale recycling of unconsumed chicken parts, bones, and tissues from processing plants. During this process, raw materials are heated, moisture is evaporated, and mechanical separation

NARA Announces Inaugural Owen Vickers Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Anna

The North American Renderers Association (NARA) is proud to recognize Ava Goodpasture as the inaugural recipient of the Owen Vickers Memorial Scholarship, a new scholarship established in 2026 to honor the legacy of longtime rendering industry leader T. Owen Vickers, Sr. Created in partnership with BHT ReSources, the scholarship reflects Vickers’ commitment to the rendering industry, education, and investing in future generations. The recipient receives $2,500 per year for two years, for a total award

Meet Our 2026 NARA Rendering Scholarship Recipients

Posted on August 28, 2026 (August 28, 2026) by nara-primediany

The North American Renderers Association (NARA) is thrilled to announce Carmen Howard and Audreanna Brown as the recipients of the 2026 NARA Rendering Scholarship. Carmen Howard is currently a senior at Unity Environmental University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with an emphasis in Sustainable Livestock Management. She anticipates graduating in 2027. “It is an incredible honor to be selected as a recipient of the North American Renderers Association Scholarship,”

Ready to Join NARA?

Posted on July 30, 2026 (July 31, 2026) by nara-primediany

The North American Renderers Association (NARA), the trade association representing the U.S. and Canadian rendering industry, welcomes you to join your colleagues in the rendering industry. Who Joins NARA? NARA members are independent renderers and integrated packer/renderers who process their own animal by-products. Other members provide equipment and services to our rendering members, and broker or buy processed rendered products. International members are also welcome. Why Join NARA? NARA actively addresses the needs

This Month, Enjoy a Day by a River!

Posted on June 29, 2026 (July 2, 2026) by Anna

The sun glinting off its surface, the water lapping at its banks, the way it winds through a cityscape or the countryside. Wherever you live, there’s a river nearby to enjoy this June. That’s because it’s National Rivers Month, an annual celebration dedicated to appreciating, protecting, and restoring the thousands of rivers and streams across the United States. “But what does this have to do with rendering?” you might wonder. The answer is, “A lot!” Indeed, if

What Would a World Without Animal Rendering Be Like?

Posted on February 28, 2026 (March 6, 2026) by nara-primediany

If you are new to the topic of animal rendering, you may not realize how crucial it is for environmental sustainability worldwide – in addition to saving landfill space and accounting for $10 billion in annual economic activity across the country, including rural America. As a process to reclaim and reuse animal agriculture resources responsibly, reduce food waste, and find important uses for meat by-products, rendering is recycling at its most basic. In fact,

Highlights From The 2026 International Rendering Symposium

Posted on January 31, 2026 (February 5, 2026) by Anna

The 2026 International Rendering Symposium was held on January 29th in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta and sponsored by the North American Renderers Association (NARA) and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. It brought together global leaders from rendering, animal agriculture, sustainability, and communications to tackle a few main challenges in the rendering industry: how to clearly and passionately explain the value of rendering to a world increasingly disconnected from

How Does Rendering Create a Sustainable Environment?

Posted on January 30, 2026 by nara-primediany

These days, you can’t open a newspaper or turn on the TV without seeing a story about the environment and sustainability – and the practice of rendering can provide solutions to benefit both. What is rendering? Rendering is a process to reclaim and reuse animal agriculture resources responsibly, reduce food waste, and find important uses for meat by-products. It takes leftover materials from animal processing, such as fat, bones, and other materials, and reuses

Why Truck and Rail Transportation Are Essential to the Rendering Industry

Posted on December 30, 2025 (December 30, 2025) by nara-primediany

Every year, the rendering industry plays a critical role in sustainability by giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste. Massive volumes of animal by-products are transported to rendering facilities, where they are converted into valuable fats and proteins. These materials are then recycled into everyday products, including pet food and other essential goods. Additionally, renderers also collect billions of pounds of used cooking oil (UCO) from restaurants and food manufacturers.

Category: Blog