UK Renderers’ Association (UKRA) is to restructure management operations in order to better serve the needs of its 21 members and their food-chain partners. The Association has announced changes to its operating structure, including the establishment of a core team with the technical competency to represent such a scientifically-strong industry.
Stephen Woodgate, head of the new UKRA Core Team, explains: "The industry represented by UKRA is a vital link in our meat production chain, and its work to add value to meat industry by-products is essential to the long term health of a wider European meat industry. The industry is gaining in importance and visibility, and has benefited from massive investment in recent years, both in terms of research and development, and in plant and equipment.
"By restructuring UKRA operations, the Association can continue to drive change within the industry; securing new markets for processed animal protein and new uses for by-products, and engaging in debate on biofuels and the uses of tallow," says Mr Woodgate. "By dispensing with the traditional committee structure, we can focus on technical advancement and regulatory affairs, reporting directly to the UKRA Council of Members."
Stephen Woodgate, a long-serving UKRA technical adviser and consultant on rendering matters throughout Europe and the US, is joined by technical director David Green and association secretary Nikki Robertson. Alan Lawrence, who has been instrumental in the development of the UKRA for over 10 years, has remained closely associated with the organisation since stepping down from his post in December.
