The Production and Processing of Certain Tallow-Derived Oleochemicals: a Report on the Results of a Survey Conducted by the Soap and Detergent Association
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The Production and Processing of Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals: A Report on the Results of a Survey Conducted by The Soap and Detergent Association The Soap and Detergent Association 475 Park Avenue, South New York, New York 10016 August 1,1997 O The Soap and Detergent Association All Rights Reserved August 1, 1997 Table of Contents i. Introduction.. ..............................................................1 ii. The Survey Objective and Scope ...............................................3 ... 11i.TheSurveySample ..........................................................4 a.Description ..........................................................4 b. Response from SDA Members ..........................................5 c. Profile of Participants ..................................................8 iv. SurveyResults ............................................................10 a. Animal Fat Feedstocks ................................................10 b. Pretreatment of Fats ..................................................16 c. Processing Methods and Operating Conditions .............................18 1. Processing Operations Performed on Trig1ycerides .....................1 8 2. Processing Operations Performed on Fatty Acids ......................36 3. Processing Operations Performed on Crude Glycerine ..................48 d.Testing ............................................................57 v. Discussion and Conclusions ..................................................61 Tables Appendix A .Survey questionnaire and instructions ............................... 68 Appendix B .SDA member companies categorized by division membership ............ 69 Appendix C .Survey results on in-process control and quality testing .................. 74 Table4.3.3 ............................................................75 Table4.4.3 ............................................................ 76 Table4.5.3 ............................................................ 77 Table4.6.3 ............................................................ 78 Table4.6.4 ............................................................ 79 Table4.7.3 ............................................................ 80 Table4.7.4 ............................................................ 81 Table4.8.3 ............................................................ 82 Table4.8.4 ............................................................ 83 Table4.9.3 ............................................................ 84 Table4.10.3 ............................................................ 85 Table4.10.4 ............................................................ 86 Table4.11.3 ............................................................ 87 Table4.12.3 ............................................................ 88 Table4.12.4 ............................................................ 89 Table4.14.3 ............................................................ 90 Table4.14.4 ............................................................ 91 -iv- Executive Summary The Production and Processing of Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals: A Report on the Results of a Survey Conducted by The Soap and Detergent Association The Soap and Detergent Association prepared this report based on a survey of member companies on the processing methods, operating conditions, and testing carried out in the production of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, esters, soap and glycerine derived from tallow and other animal fats. The data document the harsh temperatures, pressures, residence times, and chemicals used in the production of these oleochemicals. The data also indicate that the fats used for production here in the United States are from animals native to the United States. Based on these rigorous and carefully controlled operating conditions and the exclusive utilization of animal fats originating in the United States, where no case of BSE has been diagnosed, it appears that the oleochemicals produced by the survey participants meet the highest standards of purity and safety and pose no risk of BSE infectivity. The Production and Processing of Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals: A Report on the Results of a Survey Conducted by The Soap and Detergent Association 1. Introduction The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) has prepared this report to present the results of a voluntary survey of members on the processing methods, conditions, controls, and testing carried out during the production of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, esters, soap, and glycerine derived from tallow and other animal fats. The results document the harsh temperatures, pressures, and residence times used in the production of these oleochemicals. The data also indicate that the fats used for production of these oleochemicals here in the United States are from animals native to the United States. Based on the rigorous and carefully controlled operating conditions and the exclusive utilization of animal fats originating in the United States, where no case of bovine spongiform enceophalopathy (BSE) has been diagnosed, it appears that the oleochemicals produced by the survey participants meet the highest standards of purity and safety and present no risk of BSE infectivity. The Association undertook the survey in response to a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in mid-1996 for data on the production of oleochemicals derived from animal sources. The FDA had no detailed data on how, or under what conditions, oleochemical products are processed industrially in the United States. The FDA needed such information to help assess the safety of substances derived from animal fats (tallow), particularly those which are used in drug products, cosmetics, toiletries, and foods because of recent public health concerns about BSE. The SDA developed a detailed survey questionnaire titled Production of Certain Tallow-derived The Production and Processing of Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals August 1,1997 Oleochemicals: Processing Conditions and Controls and In-process Testing for Purity and then launched the survey project in November 1996. The SDA volunteered to address the FDA's request for data because many of its member companies are consumers as well as producers of oleochemicals derived from tallow. The SDA committed itself in order to demonstrate the responsibility and dedication of member companies to the safety of their products. The SDA is a trade association. Membership is open to companies that manufacture qualifying products in the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Membership in SDA is by division, and a company may, at its own option, join one or more of SDA's four operating divisions, if it meets their membership criteria. SDA membership has proven very stable over time and does not vary significantly from year-to-year. Currently, membership totals 135 companies, distributed among SDA's four divisions: 1) Household; 2) Industrial & Institutional; 3) Technical & Materials; and 4) Oleochemical. The Household Division is composed of manufacturers of finished soaps, detergents, and other cleaning products for use in households. The Industrial & Institutional Division covers cleaning products for industrial use and for consumption in institutions and service establishments, such as schools, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, and the like. The Technical & Material Division is comprised of a mixture of companies that produce finished cleaning products, their ingredients, and their finished packaging materials. Membership in the Oleochemical Division is open to producers of fatty acids, glycerine, fatty alcohols, methyl esters from triglycerides, and fatty nitrogen derivatives. The Production and Processing of 3 Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals August 1,1997 2. k~e The objective of the SDA survey was to gather meaningful, reliable data on the industrial production of oleochemicals as carried out in the United States. The scope of the survey covered the processing methods, operating conditions, and testing practices associated with the industrial production of fatty acids, glycerine, esters, fatty alcohols, and soap made by direct saponification of triglycerides, and the type and origin of the animal feedstocks from which these materials were made. The survey results will be useful for appraising the oleochemicals included within the scope with respect to safety from BSE infectivity and for similar evaluations of their derivatives. Most of the basic oleochemicals covered in the survey are largely utilized as intermediates, serving as feedstocks for derivatives andlor components of other finished products, and thus undergo additional processing steps. The survey Production of Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals: Processing Conditions and Controls and In-process Testingfor Purity questionnaire and instructions are given in Appendix A. The Production and Processing of 4 Certain Tallow-derived Oleochemicals August 1,1997 3. The Survev Sam~le A. Descri~tion The survey questionnaire was targeted to the SDA membership, specifically, to the attention of the individual designated by each member company as its principal contact with SDA. The questionnaire was distributed by mail to the 135 companies listed on the SDA membership roster as of the day of distribution (November 11, 1996). These member companies are listed in Appendix B. A follow up mailing to achieve compliance with the survey was made January 7, 1997, and a second follow up was electronically transmitted by telecopier on April 29, 1997 to those