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PROTAN
and where Romania's homeless animals "go"
230 dogs had been killed during the night from 11th of May, 2011 in Botosani. Their final destination: PROTAN
PROTAN is a company from Romania which describes their activities as follows:
Our company is the largest processing and neutralizer company for (animal) by-products from Romania. Our product range include: MBM, fat, Feather meal, Blood meal
in other words: PROTAN is a rendering plant.
A rendering plant renders dead animals carted in by farmers, veterinarians, animal shelters, and roadkill crews. And it also processes all kind of animal by-products from slaughterhouses.
It's not a topic that most people think about, but consider this: One dairy cow weighs 1,500 pounds, and chicken farms house millions of birds... and then there are the pigs and the horses. And all the homeless animals that no-one wants, that are being killed in shelters, have been poisoned, beaten to death, run over by accident or on purpose. When farm animals die of a disease and thus are not fit for human consumption, or like in the case of the homeless animals of Romania, when they die of starvation or dehydration, or when they have been killed after a '14-days-pre-slaughter-period' spent in one of Romania's death camps... they have to go somewhere. And they go to PROTAN.
Rendering plants take all kinds of dead animals, slaughterhouse and meat-packing castoffs, and restaurant oils and grease. They reduce these materials into oils, fats and proteins used in cosmetics, paints, pet food and livestock feed.
According to their own description, PROTAN produces MBM (meat and bone meal), fat, feather meal and blood meal, so let's first explain what their different "products" really are:
What is 'meat and bone meal' (MBM)?
Meat and bone meal is a product that is made from animal processing offal. Offal are those parts of the animal that are not fit for human consumption; it contains among others fat, meat, organs, bones, blood and feathers. Almost 30% of the live weight of an animal ends up as offal.
From WIKIPEDIA: Meat and bone meal (MBM) is a product of the rendering industry. It is typically about 48–52% protein, 33–35% ash, 8–12% fat, and 4–7% moisture. It is primarily used in the formulation of animal feed to improve the amino acid profile of the feed. Feeding of MBM to cattle is thought to have been responsible for the spread of BSE (mad cow disease). In most parts of the world, MBM is no longer allowed in feed for ruminant animals. However, MBM is still used to feed monogastric animals. It is widely used in the United States as a low-cost meat in dog food and cat food.
Meat and bone meal is thought to have been responsible for the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease. Cows (and other livestock) were commonly fed a ground-up mash of other cows' remains, because it was rich in protein and heightened the animals' amino acid intake. This practice has since been abandoned in most of the developed world and while in most parts of the world, MBM is no longer allowed in feed for ruminant animals it is still used to feed monogastric animals.
Also the Food and Drug Administration banned it in 1997 but the American meat industry still produces about 9 billion pounds of protein meal every year, most of which is meat and bone meal. Bone meal by itself is turned into garden fertilizer, but without widespread use for meat and bone meal, it's dumped into special landfills, according to ACS. It is treated with chemicals to prevent the spread of prions associated with BSE. Meat and bone meal is still a major ingredient in many pet foods produced in America.
In Europe, some MBM is used as ingredients in petfood but the vast majority is now used as a fossil-fuel replacement for renewable energy generation, as a fuel in cement kilns, landfilling or incineration.
Meat and bone meal has around two thirds the energy value of fossil fuels such as coal; the UK in particular widely uses meat and bone meal for the generation of renewable electricity. This was particularly prominent after many cattle were slaughtered during the BSE crisis.
Meat and bone meal is increasingly used in cement kilns as an environmentally sustainable replacement for coal.
From the EU-Commission: To prevent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from spreading, the European Commission has taken several measures. The most important ones are the removing of specified risk material from the food chain, applying appropriate rendering conditions for the production of animal by-products and the ban of meat and bone meal (MBM) from mammals in compound feed for ruminants (Commission Regulation (EC) No 999/2001).
Due to a lack of appropriate animal specific tests, i.e. selective methods for detecting mammalian proteins in the presence of proteins from other animals, the ban on meat and bone meal was extended in 2001 to cover feed for almost all farmed animals (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1234/2003). The only official method in the EU for the detection of banned meat and bone meal in feed is microscopy (Commission Regulation (EC) No 152/2009), which does not yield precise information about the origin of the detected bones. Other methods are applied to the analysis of feed samples for the presence of banned processed animal proteins, such as methods based on: polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoassay and near infrared microscopy (NIRM).
What is 'feather meal'?
From WIKIPEDIA: Feather meal is a byproduct of processing poultry; it is made from poultry feathers by partially hydrolyzing them under elevated heat and pressure, and then grinding and drying. Although total nitrogen levels are fairly high (up to 12%), the bioavailability of this nitrogen may be low. Feather meal is used in formulated animal feed and in organic fertilizer.Worldwide, more than 25 billion chickens are used for human consumption. Feather meal is made through a process called rendering. Steam pressure cookers with temperatures over 140°C are used to "cook" and sterilize the feathers. This partially hydrolyzes the proteins, which denatures them. It is then dried, cooled and ground into a powder for use as a nitrogen source for animal feed (mostly ruminants) or as an organic soil amendment.
Containing up to 12% nitrogen, it is a source of slow-release, organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer for organic gardens. It is not water soluble and does not make a good liquid fertilizer. It can be used to:
When adding it to a garden as a nitrogen source, it must be blended into the soil to start the decomposition to make the nitrogenous compounds available to the plants. As an organic garden fertilizer, it is not synthetic or petroleum-based.
What is 'blood meal'?
From WIKIPEDIA: Blood meal is a dry, inert powder made from blood used as a high-nitrogen fertilizer and a high protein animal feed. N = 13.25%, P = 1.0%, K = 0.6%. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen. It usually comes from cattle as a slaughterhouse by-product. It can be spread on gardens to deter animals such as rabbits, or as a composting activator. It may also be used as an animal food supplement for cattle, fish and poultry and is in fact widely used due to the high lysine content. In some countries, it is mixed with molasses before use as animal feed. At least one major marketer is offering blood meal derived from hogs, as an alternative to bovine-derived product.
Blood meal, bone meal, and other animal by-products are permitted in certified organic production as soil amendments, though they cannot be fed to organic livestock. Blood meal is different from bone meal in that blood meal contains a much higher amount of nitrogen, while bone meal contains phosphorus. Alternatives to Blood Meal include feather meal and alfalfa meal.
Nitrogen is more typically missing from soils than the other elements provided by most fertilizers (phosphorus and potassium). Plants grown in soil lacking proper amounts of nitrogen will yellow from the leaves down due to nitrogen deficiency. Applying blood meal will help plants become green again.
Our company is the largest processing and neutralizer company for (animal) by-products from Romania. Our product range include: MBM, fat, Feather meal, Blood meal
in other words: PROTAN is a rendering plant.
A rendering plant renders dead animals carted in by farmers, veterinarians, animal shelters, and roadkill crews. And it also processes all kind of animal by-products from slaughterhouses.
It's not a topic that most people think about, but consider this: One dairy cow weighs 1,500 pounds, and chicken farms house millions of birds... and then there are the pigs and the horses. And all the homeless animals that no-one wants, that are being killed in shelters, have been poisoned, beaten to death, run over by accident or on purpose. When farm animals die of a disease and thus are not fit for human consumption, or like in the case of the homeless animals of Romania, when they die of starvation or dehydration, or when they have been killed after a '14-days-pre-slaughter-period' spent in one of Romania's death camps... they have to go somewhere. And they go to PROTAN.
Rendering plants take all kinds of dead animals, slaughterhouse and meat-packing castoffs, and restaurant oils and grease. They reduce these materials into oils, fats and proteins used in cosmetics, paints, pet food and livestock feed.
According to their own description, PROTAN produces MBM (meat and bone meal), fat, feather meal and blood meal, so let's first explain what their different "products" really are:
What is 'meat and bone meal' (MBM)?
Meat and bone meal is a product that is made from animal processing offal. Offal are those parts of the animal that are not fit for human consumption; it contains among others fat, meat, organs, bones, blood and feathers. Almost 30% of the live weight of an animal ends up as offal.
From WIKIPEDIA: Meat and bone meal (MBM) is a product of the rendering industry. It is typically about 48–52% protein, 33–35% ash, 8–12% fat, and 4–7% moisture. It is primarily used in the formulation of animal feed to improve the amino acid profile of the feed. Feeding of MBM to cattle is thought to have been responsible for the spread of BSE (mad cow disease). In most parts of the world, MBM is no longer allowed in feed for ruminant animals. However, MBM is still used to feed monogastric animals. It is widely used in the United States as a low-cost meat in dog food and cat food.
Meat and bone meal is thought to have been responsible for the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease. Cows (and other livestock) were commonly fed a ground-up mash of other cows' remains, because it was rich in protein and heightened the animals' amino acid intake. This practice has since been abandoned in most of the developed world and while in most parts of the world, MBM is no longer allowed in feed for ruminant animals it is still used to feed monogastric animals.
Also the Food and Drug Administration banned it in 1997 but the American meat industry still produces about 9 billion pounds of protein meal every year, most of which is meat and bone meal. Bone meal by itself is turned into garden fertilizer, but without widespread use for meat and bone meal, it's dumped into special landfills, according to ACS. It is treated with chemicals to prevent the spread of prions associated with BSE. Meat and bone meal is still a major ingredient in many pet foods produced in America.
In Europe, some MBM is used as ingredients in petfood but the vast majority is now used as a fossil-fuel replacement for renewable energy generation, as a fuel in cement kilns, landfilling or incineration.
Meat and bone meal has around two thirds the energy value of fossil fuels such as coal; the UK in particular widely uses meat and bone meal for the generation of renewable electricity. This was particularly prominent after many cattle were slaughtered during the BSE crisis.
Meat and bone meal is increasingly used in cement kilns as an environmentally sustainable replacement for coal.
From the EU-Commission: To prevent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from spreading, the European Commission has taken several measures. The most important ones are the removing of specified risk material from the food chain, applying appropriate rendering conditions for the production of animal by-products and the ban of meat and bone meal (MBM) from mammals in compound feed for ruminants (Commission Regulation (EC) No 999/2001).
Due to a lack of appropriate animal specific tests, i.e. selective methods for detecting mammalian proteins in the presence of proteins from other animals, the ban on meat and bone meal was extended in 2001 to cover feed for almost all farmed animals (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1234/2003). The only official method in the EU for the detection of banned meat and bone meal in feed is microscopy (Commission Regulation (EC) No 152/2009), which does not yield precise information about the origin of the detected bones. Other methods are applied to the analysis of feed samples for the presence of banned processed animal proteins, such as methods based on: polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoassay and near infrared microscopy (NIRM).
What is 'feather meal'?
From WIKIPEDIA: Feather meal is a byproduct of processing poultry; it is made from poultry feathers by partially hydrolyzing them under elevated heat and pressure, and then grinding and drying. Although total nitrogen levels are fairly high (up to 12%), the bioavailability of this nitrogen may be low. Feather meal is used in formulated animal feed and in organic fertilizer.Worldwide, more than 25 billion chickens are used for human consumption. Feather meal is made through a process called rendering. Steam pressure cookers with temperatures over 140°C are used to "cook" and sterilize the feathers. This partially hydrolyzes the proteins, which denatures them. It is then dried, cooled and ground into a powder for use as a nitrogen source for animal feed (mostly ruminants) or as an organic soil amendment.
Containing up to 12% nitrogen, it is a source of slow-release, organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer for organic gardens. It is not water soluble and does not make a good liquid fertilizer. It can be used to:
- Increase green leaf growth
- Activate compost decomposition
- Improve soil structure
When adding it to a garden as a nitrogen source, it must be blended into the soil to start the decomposition to make the nitrogenous compounds available to the plants. As an organic garden fertilizer, it is not synthetic or petroleum-based.
What is 'blood meal'?
From WIKIPEDIA: Blood meal is a dry, inert powder made from blood used as a high-nitrogen fertilizer and a high protein animal feed. N = 13.25%, P = 1.0%, K = 0.6%. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen. It usually comes from cattle as a slaughterhouse by-product. It can be spread on gardens to deter animals such as rabbits, or as a composting activator. It may also be used as an animal food supplement for cattle, fish and poultry and is in fact widely used due to the high lysine content. In some countries, it is mixed with molasses before use as animal feed. At least one major marketer is offering blood meal derived from hogs, as an alternative to bovine-derived product.
Blood meal, bone meal, and other animal by-products are permitted in certified organic production as soil amendments, though they cannot be fed to organic livestock. Blood meal is different from bone meal in that blood meal contains a much higher amount of nitrogen, while bone meal contains phosphorus. Alternatives to Blood Meal include feather meal and alfalfa meal.
Nitrogen is more typically missing from soils than the other elements provided by most fertilizers (phosphorus and potassium). Plants grown in soil lacking proper amounts of nitrogen will yellow from the leaves down due to nitrogen deficiency. Applying blood meal will help plants become green again.
The connection
According to PROTAN, with Romania's accession process to the European Union, and due to the strictness of the rules to apply and the technology required for the collection and the neutralization processes that had increased, the Romanian Government was forced to declare this work as being of "national interest" and to organize an auction in May 2006.
According to an article published in the Romanian news, Gazeta de Bistrita, and which we have translated for you and that you can read below, PROTAN signed a contract for a period of 10 years with the Romanian government in 2006.
Below, the translated article:
According to an article published in the Romanian news, Gazeta de Bistrita, and which we have translated for you and that you can read below, PROTAN signed a contract for a period of 10 years with the Romanian government in 2006.
Below, the translated article:
Protan-ATEV Consortium, the provider of animal waste neutralization national must pay to the State under contract, a monthly fee of 6,200 euros, but receive each month, about one million euros from subsidies it grants to support State activities they perform.
According to the contract signed in 2006 for a period of 10 years, and was represented by Dumitru Saitoc, Protan and, at present, are found among shareholders Verestoy Attyla or SC Phoenix Farm, a company controlled by businessman Cristian Burci. Protan has over 100 processes involved in some of which is the Agency of State Domains, the government institution that has signed four years ago, a business-ATEV Protan monopoly. Four years ago when business initialed ADS with Protan ATEV, National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) carried out an inspection at Protan Dej after which it ordered the closure because of irregularities found.
"In 2006, inspectors from the Directorate of Inspection conducted 10 control inspections and Protan units had sanctions applied worth 621,600 RON and were ordered to issue an order prohibiting's work to neutralize MRS SC Protan Branch Dej and were punished with a fine in the amount of 20,000 RON", says a report ANSVSA.
So far, in the four years, Cluj different institutions dealing with environmental protection had fined and sanctioned SC Protan ATEV because of irregularities detected, but so far no authority challenged the contract to promote another auction from which to choose a new company to handle animal waste neutralization.
Moreover, the "match" between state institutions and Protan culminated two years ago, when representatives said they would close Protan incinerators if the money does not continue to turn the company's accounts and in autumn 2008 in the premises of Protan Dej, Suceava and Bucharest were closed for a short period of time. After repeated administration of state funds to Protan, neutralizing centers were reopened.
At the moment, Protan sued the State Domains Agency and termination of the concession agreement and order a range of remedies ADS. On the other hand, ADS sued seeking compensation Protan the nearly six million for the Protan not made investments undertaken by the concession contract. It was claimed that this had no political dimension. However, according to the contract signed in 2006, one clause clearly states that if the investments made will not be made the concession of this work of national importance is null. "Concessionaire shall undertake the necessary investments to meet the technical conditions prescribed MAPAM No 723/2003, according to technical and financial bid attached, with the objectives, values and terms, as reflected in technical and financial offer.
Investments provided will be completed within 6 months of signing the Agreement, but not later than 31.12.2006, so at this time to ensure the functionality of neutralization of animal waste in the winning zone with respect to the Order MAPAM No 723/2003 and law. If the investment under the Contract are not made within the period of the Contract, the Concessionaire Grantor grants a term for those investments up to 31.03.2007, the obligation of the licensee to pay a penalty of 1% per each day of delay in unrealized investment value. If any to date (31.03.2007) The concessionaire does not make investment contract is considered terminated by law without the necessary court referral, "says the investment chapter of the agreement. At the conclusion of this contract, the negotiating committee of ADS included Marian John, Ramona Mărăcine and Constantin Tomoioagă who, in 2006, was president of Barna Tánczos ADS. Currently, he is Secretary of State for Transport. In addition to being budget is also one of Barna's apropriaţii Verestoy Attila UDMR senator and adjacent shareholder SC Protan. In 2006, after signing the contract, SC Protan was the businessman Dumitru Saitoc, one of the characters "revolving" around the controversial businessman Cristian Burci.
The latter is true of business Artiz Protan through SC Phoenix Farm, the majority shareholder of Protan. Juggle strengths in 2005, one year before the appearance of agreement between ADS and Protan, Dumitru was Saitoc former economy minister counselor, Seres.
If Seres is investigated in connection with the privatization of DNA Hidroelectrica, Saitoc was part of the Board of Directors of SC Hidroelectrica. Further, among those who were paid from the work ,Protan include his brother Miron Mitrea, Sorin.
Initially, Sorin Mitrea was head of the National Sanitary Veterinary Agency, but later he became manager in Protan. But one leading Protan business through the above mentioned Cristian Burci. He owns The International Railway Systems, registered in Luxembourg, which manufactures wagons, bogies and forgings for railway industry. In rail transport, Burci also holds Servtrans Invest SA. In 2007, CFR Marfa leadership decided to establish joint ventures with which to repair / upgrade outdated cars that later can be rented. This appeared as Rolling Stock Company SA which, according Register of Commerce are shareholders of CFR Marfa and Romanian Railway Group. Following an announcement issued by CFR Marfa Association, companies controlled by Burci, SC Servtrans Invest International Railway Systems, managed to obtain a contract with the Serbian Republic worth 54 million euros. The IRS has taken businesses Burci Europe American concern "American Trinity Industries", one of the largest manufacturers of freight cars in the United States. Burci's group, the IRS has factories wagons Astra Arad, Meva Turnu-Severin and Romvag Caracal. Behind SC Phoenix Farm, the majority shareholder of SC Protan, lies off-shore BENETRIT ENTERPRISES LTD, and the company is managed by Adrian Ionescu, MIU MARIANA CRISTINA and Sorin Nicolae BORDEIANU one of his trusted men Cristi Burci. Last year, SC Phoenix Farm went on minus, with a profit of £ -152,638 and liabilities of nearly three million lei. factory SC Protan SA Dej is located three kilometers from the city of Dej, near the river Somes. The company was part of a network of factories that process slaughterhouse waste and animal carcasses. Protan Network was established in the 70s, to sanitation and 'greening' of the environment. Through a special cremation process, Protan produces protein meals used in livestock products. After 1990, Protan factories were involved in several environmental scandals. Protan factories in Chiajna Codlea or Glina were closed for violation of sanitary rules. (Razvan Robu)
According to the contract signed in 2006 for a period of 10 years, and was represented by Dumitru Saitoc, Protan and, at present, are found among shareholders Verestoy Attyla or SC Phoenix Farm, a company controlled by businessman Cristian Burci. Protan has over 100 processes involved in some of which is the Agency of State Domains, the government institution that has signed four years ago, a business-ATEV Protan monopoly. Four years ago when business initialed ADS with Protan ATEV, National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) carried out an inspection at Protan Dej after which it ordered the closure because of irregularities found.
"In 2006, inspectors from the Directorate of Inspection conducted 10 control inspections and Protan units had sanctions applied worth 621,600 RON and were ordered to issue an order prohibiting's work to neutralize MRS SC Protan Branch Dej and were punished with a fine in the amount of 20,000 RON", says a report ANSVSA.
So far, in the four years, Cluj different institutions dealing with environmental protection had fined and sanctioned SC Protan ATEV because of irregularities detected, but so far no authority challenged the contract to promote another auction from which to choose a new company to handle animal waste neutralization.
Moreover, the "match" between state institutions and Protan culminated two years ago, when representatives said they would close Protan incinerators if the money does not continue to turn the company's accounts and in autumn 2008 in the premises of Protan Dej, Suceava and Bucharest were closed for a short period of time. After repeated administration of state funds to Protan, neutralizing centers were reopened.
At the moment, Protan sued the State Domains Agency and termination of the concession agreement and order a range of remedies ADS. On the other hand, ADS sued seeking compensation Protan the nearly six million for the Protan not made investments undertaken by the concession contract. It was claimed that this had no political dimension. However, according to the contract signed in 2006, one clause clearly states that if the investments made will not be made the concession of this work of national importance is null. "Concessionaire shall undertake the necessary investments to meet the technical conditions prescribed MAPAM No 723/2003, according to technical and financial bid attached, with the objectives, values and terms, as reflected in technical and financial offer.
Investments provided will be completed within 6 months of signing the Agreement, but not later than 31.12.2006, so at this time to ensure the functionality of neutralization of animal waste in the winning zone with respect to the Order MAPAM No 723/2003 and law. If the investment under the Contract are not made within the period of the Contract, the Concessionaire Grantor grants a term for those investments up to 31.03.2007, the obligation of the licensee to pay a penalty of 1% per each day of delay in unrealized investment value. If any to date (31.03.2007) The concessionaire does not make investment contract is considered terminated by law without the necessary court referral, "says the investment chapter of the agreement. At the conclusion of this contract, the negotiating committee of ADS included Marian John, Ramona Mărăcine and Constantin Tomoioagă who, in 2006, was president of Barna Tánczos ADS. Currently, he is Secretary of State for Transport. In addition to being budget is also one of Barna's apropriaţii Verestoy Attila UDMR senator and adjacent shareholder SC Protan. In 2006, after signing the contract, SC Protan was the businessman Dumitru Saitoc, one of the characters "revolving" around the controversial businessman Cristian Burci.
The latter is true of business Artiz Protan through SC Phoenix Farm, the majority shareholder of Protan. Juggle strengths in 2005, one year before the appearance of agreement between ADS and Protan, Dumitru was Saitoc former economy minister counselor, Seres.
If Seres is investigated in connection with the privatization of DNA Hidroelectrica, Saitoc was part of the Board of Directors of SC Hidroelectrica. Further, among those who were paid from the work ,Protan include his brother Miron Mitrea, Sorin.
Initially, Sorin Mitrea was head of the National Sanitary Veterinary Agency, but later he became manager in Protan. But one leading Protan business through the above mentioned Cristian Burci. He owns The International Railway Systems, registered in Luxembourg, which manufactures wagons, bogies and forgings for railway industry. In rail transport, Burci also holds Servtrans Invest SA. In 2007, CFR Marfa leadership decided to establish joint ventures with which to repair / upgrade outdated cars that later can be rented. This appeared as Rolling Stock Company SA which, according Register of Commerce are shareholders of CFR Marfa and Romanian Railway Group. Following an announcement issued by CFR Marfa Association, companies controlled by Burci, SC Servtrans Invest International Railway Systems, managed to obtain a contract with the Serbian Republic worth 54 million euros. The IRS has taken businesses Burci Europe American concern "American Trinity Industries", one of the largest manufacturers of freight cars in the United States. Burci's group, the IRS has factories wagons Astra Arad, Meva Turnu-Severin and Romvag Caracal. Behind SC Phoenix Farm, the majority shareholder of SC Protan, lies off-shore BENETRIT ENTERPRISES LTD, and the company is managed by Adrian Ionescu, MIU MARIANA CRISTINA and Sorin Nicolae BORDEIANU one of his trusted men Cristi Burci. Last year, SC Phoenix Farm went on minus, with a profit of £ -152,638 and liabilities of nearly three million lei. factory SC Protan SA Dej is located three kilometers from the city of Dej, near the river Somes. The company was part of a network of factories that process slaughterhouse waste and animal carcasses. Protan Network was established in the 70s, to sanitation and 'greening' of the environment. Through a special cremation process, Protan produces protein meals used in livestock products. After 1990, Protan factories were involved in several environmental scandals. Protan factories in Chiajna Codlea or Glina were closed for violation of sanitary rules. (Razvan Robu)
PROTAN plant in Bucharest
PROTAN
has the monopoly in Romania and when PROTAN
stops working, the country drowns in rotting animal waste
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September 10, 2008 - the smell was unbearable when PROTAN Bucharest had accumulated hundreds of tons of rotting animal waste and animal carcasses for several days. They would have had to be neutralized but this was impossible because of the plant's closure as a result of a technical sabotage when a sewerage plant had apparently been deliberately destroyed. The media reported that for another ten days the rotting waste would remain there and another 150 tons per day would have to wait as well.
PROTAN representatives admitted that it was an ecological disaster as their plant was the only authorized plant to neutralize 'pet waste category 1'.
PROTAN representatives admitted that it was an ecological disaster as their plant was the only authorized plant to neutralize 'pet waste category 1'.
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On September 15, 2008 the Romanian media stated that a "waste crisis" in case PROTAN's activities would not resume could lead to the suspension of the country's beef exports and ROMALIMENTA representatives notified the European Commission.
Shortly after PROTAN stopped rendering, processors declared that due to this, they had accumulated over 700 tons of waste and suffered huge financial losses. PROTAN had been critisized already in 2006 by the EU Commission because of their "lack of a functional rendering system".
On November 12, 2008 the Romanian media announced that PROTAN would cease its activities in all 8 branches in the country and that the company's 350 employees would be notified and would become unemployed two weeks later. The media further stated that this would lead to a considerable increase of meat products given that meat processors and slaughterhouses would have to spend more money to get rid of their waste.
As an explanation for their decision, PROTAN director, Cristina Miu, said that the company was required to take this measure because it does not receive subsidies.
"Since we are dealers of rendering, the Ministry of Agriculture owes us four million euros while the Finance Ministry threatens to block accounts for unpaid state taxes amounting to one million euros," said Cristina Miu.
At that time, Protan charged a fee of 0.21 euro / kg of animal waste, and the money was to be recovered from the Ministry of Agriculture.
The director of the Romanian Meat Association, Sorin Minea, pointed out that if PROTAN closes, Romania would be the only country in Europe that will not know how to get rid of their animal waste. "Slaughterhouses can not stand without PROTAN. This decision leads to the closure of Romania and the disappearance of agriculture. Only big companies can afford to transport their waste to neighboring countries," he said.
Protan Bucharest is the only branch in the country that can destroy animal waste which is considered highly dangerous.
PROTAN and how to incinerate public money
According to an article on the Romanian stray dogs business, written by Codrut Feher (FNPA), the incineration of a 20 kg dog costs 10 EURO (0.5 EURO/kg). Since most shelters don’t have weight scales and Protan reception documents specify that the quantity column should be filled out by the customer, the weight was eyeballed by the animal control folks. If you fictionally kill between 40 and 60 animals, you also need to approximate their weight and fictionally incinerate about 1,000kg, which brings PROTAN about $500 EURO.
If you extrapolate this schema to a whole year between 10,000 and 15,000 EURO were embezzled in Brasov only.
With approximately 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 homeless dogs to be cremated over the next few years since the introduction of Romania's 'Slaughter Law', and if we take an average weight of 20 kg per dog, this would mean 20,000,000 - 30,000,000 kg of dogs to be cremated at a cost of 0,5 euros per kg = 10,000,000 - 15,000,000 Euros to be embezzled over the next 2 to 3 years only with the cremation process.
It should also be noted that it is the Romanian animal protection associations who estimate the number of homeless animals living in Romania at 1-1,5 million, but that their government estimates their numbers at 3 millions, which means that even twice as much money (20-30 million euros) could be generated only by cremating the to be 'eradicated" stray animals.
If you extrapolate this schema to a whole year between 10,000 and 15,000 EURO were embezzled in Brasov only.
With approximately 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 homeless dogs to be cremated over the next few years since the introduction of Romania's 'Slaughter Law', and if we take an average weight of 20 kg per dog, this would mean 20,000,000 - 30,000,000 kg of dogs to be cremated at a cost of 0,5 euros per kg = 10,000,000 - 15,000,000 Euros to be embezzled over the next 2 to 3 years only with the cremation process.
It should also be noted that it is the Romanian animal protection associations who estimate the number of homeless animals living in Romania at 1-1,5 million, but that their government estimates their numbers at 3 millions, which means that even twice as much money (20-30 million euros) could be generated only by cremating the to be 'eradicated" stray animals.
"Let them all be killed, none should be spared, let them make soap out of them" declared little Ionut's grandmother to the media.
In Romania, in the past also companion animals, stray animals included, used to be rendered into all kind of things, like soap, lubricants, candles and many other things, but Romania's current animal protection law 9/2008 clearly states that companion animals (dogs and cats) must be cremated.
Rendering animal waste from slaughterhouses, restaurants, veterinarians, shelters, farmers, etc... is common practice all over the world and you will find rendered animals in:
But since the Romanian Animal Protection Law specifies that stray animals (companion animals in general) must be cremated, this is precisely what PROTAN does - at least officially. That said: dogs become ash.
And knowing that at a "rendering plant" nothing is being wasted - that ALL is being rendered into something, it seems logical that also the dogs' ash is not being wasted - is not being discarded like garbage, or spread over the fields, or thrown in the sea... And most certainly not given that PROTAN produces MBM (meat and bone meal) which consists typically of 33-35 % of ash.
According to the website of ALIBABA, PROTAN has a supply ability of 3,000 tons of MBM (meat and bone meal) per month, the minimum order quantity being 20 tons which are being shipped from Constanta to where ever the customer wants them to be.
And to reach a monthly supply ability of 3,000 tons, PROTAN needs between 1,000-1,050 tons of ash (33-35 %) to be added to the proteins (48-52 %), the fat (8-12 %) and the moisture (4-7 %), which will then be exported to countries all over the world for whatever purpose it might have there, and in Europe it will be used as ingredients in pet food but the vast majority will now be used as a fossil-fuel replacement for renewable energy generation or as a fuel in cement kilns, landfilling or incineration.
Rendering animal waste from slaughterhouses, restaurants, veterinarians, shelters, farmers, etc... is common practice all over the world and you will find rendered animals in:
- Non-edible tallow: Used in wax paper, crayons and soap
- Oleic acid: Used in foods, soaps, permanent wave solutions, shampoos, hair dyes, lipsticks, liquid make-ups, nasal sprays
- Glycerine: Used in inks, glues, solvents, antifreeze, cosmetics, foods, mouthwashes, toothpastes, soaps, ointments, plastics
- Stearic acid: Used in rubber, cosmetics, lubricants, candles, hair spray, conditioners, deodorants, creams, food flavoring, pharmaceutical products
- Linoleic acid: Used in paints and esters
- Meat meal and bone meal: Used in livestock feed, pet food, cement, landfilling or to be used as a fossil-fuel replacement
But since the Romanian Animal Protection Law specifies that stray animals (companion animals in general) must be cremated, this is precisely what PROTAN does - at least officially. That said: dogs become ash.
And knowing that at a "rendering plant" nothing is being wasted - that ALL is being rendered into something, it seems logical that also the dogs' ash is not being wasted - is not being discarded like garbage, or spread over the fields, or thrown in the sea... And most certainly not given that PROTAN produces MBM (meat and bone meal) which consists typically of 33-35 % of ash.
According to the website of ALIBABA, PROTAN has a supply ability of 3,000 tons of MBM (meat and bone meal) per month, the minimum order quantity being 20 tons which are being shipped from Constanta to where ever the customer wants them to be.
And to reach a monthly supply ability of 3,000 tons, PROTAN needs between 1,000-1,050 tons of ash (33-35 %) to be added to the proteins (48-52 %), the fat (8-12 %) and the moisture (4-7 %), which will then be exported to countries all over the world for whatever purpose it might have there, and in Europe it will be used as ingredients in pet food but the vast majority will now be used as a fossil-fuel replacement for renewable energy generation or as a fuel in cement kilns, landfilling or incineration.
No-one ever wanted them. Except PROTAN!
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Most owned dogs in Romania are not sterilized but allowed to roam freely and to mate as they wish. Their off-spring are then simply being killed or dumped on the streets or in the woods. Approximately 5 million puppies are born each year in Romania in rural areas. Nobody knows how many puppies are born in the entire country...
Few are those who will find a human companion who will feed them, or maybe even given them a warm home. They are born anonymous and they will die anonymous. They are nobody's dog and they will not live old. A stray dog's average life expectancy is said to be about 5 years, but many adult dogs do not live older than 2 years as life on the streets is hard, and even harder in Romania's so-called 'shelters' run by poorly educated and cruel people who don't bother to care for them. In many public shelters, dogs are not even being fed nor watered and the sooner they will die, the earlier they will make room for new dogs. It's all the volunteers, all those good Romanian people, who spend all their free time giving all their commitment and who go to the PS (public shelter) to feed the dogs at their own expenses a few times a week, making their lives a little less miserable and keeping them alive in the hope that they can find a loving home for them outside of Romania. But only very few of them are lucky ones...
Few are those who will find a human companion who will feed them, or maybe even given them a warm home. They are born anonymous and they will die anonymous. They are nobody's dog and they will not live old. A stray dog's average life expectancy is said to be about 5 years, but many adult dogs do not live older than 2 years as life on the streets is hard, and even harder in Romania's so-called 'shelters' run by poorly educated and cruel people who don't bother to care for them. In many public shelters, dogs are not even being fed nor watered and the sooner they will die, the earlier they will make room for new dogs. It's all the volunteers, all those good Romanian people, who spend all their free time giving all their commitment and who go to the PS (public shelter) to feed the dogs at their own expenses a few times a week, making their lives a little less miserable and keeping them alive in the hope that they can find a loving home for them outside of Romania. But only very few of them are lucky ones...
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On the streets, the dogs will fight over the limited amounts of food and that which can be scavenged, and injuries sustained this way are rarely treated. They are hit by cars, be it on purpose or by accidents, and few people care to help them... Tumors, skin infections, open sores, and infected wounds are common for stray dogs. It is estimated that over three quarters of puppies die in agony from diseases including parvovirus, distemper and even rabies.
It is difficult to estimate the number of stray animals living in Romania, because the problem is not only homeless dogs but also loose dogs who contribute to the stray animal population. Romania's animal protection associations estimate the number of homeless dogs at 1-1,5 million while their government says that there are 3 million.
It is difficult to estimate the number of stray animals living in Romania, because the problem is not only homeless dogs but also loose dogs who contribute to the stray animal population. Romania's animal protection associations estimate the number of homeless dogs at 1-1,5 million while their government says that there are 3 million.
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Whatever their numbers might be, most of them share a common plight: they are unwanted; their lives are miserable, painful and short; their death won't come swiftly and it won't come gently and unless their lifeless bodies will be eaten up by other starving dogs or left to rot in the woods or on a deserted road side, they will all have the same destiny: they will go to PROTAN.
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