Patent ID: 6949265

Claim:
A low temperature rendering process for converting animal trimmings to meat product, said low temperature rendering process comprising steps of: (a) surface treating animal trimmings in a bath with a heat transfer fluid provided at a temperature between about 80° C. and about 150° C. for between about 25 seconds and about 150 seconds to provide surface treated animal trimmings; (b) heating said surface treated animal trimmings in a heat exchanger having a first in and first out arrangement to a temperature in the range of about 30° C. and about 50° C. to form a heated slurry; and (c) separating the heated slurry into a solids stream and a liquids stream, the solids stream containing an increased weight percent of protein compared with the weight percent of protein and moisture in the heated slurry, and the liquids stream containing an increased weight percent of tallow and water soluble proteins, and moist compared with the weight percent of tallow and water soluble protein, and moisture in said heated slurry.