Fortifying Wheat with Biodiesel Co-products

Biodiesel production like any other product generation technologies is accompanied by the release and accumulation of waste by-products. Biodiesel production from biomass such as corn grain, soybean oil, animal fat, wood or other materials has crude glycerin or glycerol as by-product. Purified grlycerol can be used in pharmaceuticals, foods, drinks, cosmetics and toiletries. In addition, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Brian Kerr and Wlliam Dozier, and Iowa State University Kristian Bregendahl have discovered a way to economically use glycerin as supplement feed for laying hens, broilers and swine. 

Their research showed that crude glycerin can be substituted for corn grain as a source of caloric energy in feeds. In addtion, crude glycerin content of up to 10% in the feeds had no effect on laying hen egg production or broiler weight gain.  If added in pig feeds, the pig body weight gain, carcass composition and meat quality also showed little to no adverse change after equivalent levels of crude glycerin were added to their feed.

For details, see the news article at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/070920.htm