Rendering Establishments - Meat Safety
Elimination of Rendering Licensure Requirements
Rendering operators, as defined in Health and Safety Code (HSC) Chapter 144, are not required to hold licenses issued by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to conduct business in the state.
Renderers are regulated under the The Texas Renderers' Licensing Act (Health and Safety Code, Ch. 144) and the Transporting Dead Animals and Rendering rule (25 TAC, Ch. 221).
What is Rendering?
Rendering businesses handle dead animals and/or renderable raw materials, which substantially consist of any unprocessed or partially processed material of animal or plant origin, waste cooking greases and recyclable cooking oil. Over the years there has been substantial technological advancement within the rendering industry. Renderers convert otherwise useless or low value material into products for more economical use and market these products both nationally and internationally. Some of the sectors involved in the use of rendering products include the livestock, poultry and pet food industries, which utilize the products to provide fat and protein in rations; the industrial sector, which produces thousands of products containing tallow or tallow derivatives including some soap and personal care products; and most recently rendering products have provided a source material for bio diesel. The rules apply to all persons handling renderable raw materials for commercial gain.
The Texas Department of State Health Services' (DSHS) role is to promote the health, safety and welfare of the public, providing oversight to rendering businesses, assuring that rendering materials handled by rendering businesses are stored, produced, transported and transferred in an environment that will not create a nuisance, and to preclude the entry of inedible renderable products into the human food chain.
Contact Us
To learn more and for questions, contact the Meat Safety Assurance Unit.