Rob Michitsch, a doctoral student at Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) was recently awarded the 2007 Canadian Meat Council (CMC) Associate Members Scholarship. The scholarship is intended to promote quality education and development of meat science research in Canada. He recently traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia to attend the Canadian Meat Science Association (CMSA) Technical Symposium, where he received the award and gave a presentation on his doctoral research to an audience of government and industry leaders.

Mr. Michitsch’s research is part of a project titled “Management of Slaughterhouse Waste Materials” through NSAC and the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture being led by Dr. Rob Gordon, Canada Research Chair and Director of Research at NSAC. The research is part of an industry-led initiative with partial funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through Agri-Futures Nova Scotia and the New Brunswick Agricultural Council/Conseil Agricole du Nouveau-Brunswick.

Mr. Michitsch is researching on-farm composting of both livestock mortalities and slaughterhouse waste materials. This is an alternative method to traditional rendering and burial. The management and disposal of these materials (carcasses and offal) is a necessary aspect of animal production, which needs to be quick, cost effective, and safe, especially to reduce the risk of disease.

The potential of this management practice for additional waste treatment opportunities has recently been identified for the slaughterhouse industry. “We already know that biopiles work”, says Mr. Michitsch. “However, there is little research on the persistence and movement of bacterial and viral pathogens in these biopiles.” Given the recent CFIA ban on specified risk materials (SRM’s) and deadstock in animal feed, pet food and fertilizers, on-farm composting is especially attractive since regulatory permits are not required for safe disposal of these materials on the farm of origin.

Mr. Rick Williams, Executive Director of Agri-futures Nova Scotia, agrees. “This topic is on the forefront of issues currently being examined by the meat industry. It is exciting to see an industry-led initiative presented at a national arena.” As the sole recipient of the scholarship, Mr, Michitsch says “I feel very fortunate to have received this scholarship and to be able to present Maritime-focused research at a national symposium.”