Exploring the Surprising Uses of Inedible Pork Blood

Pork blood is a byproduct from pork processing that most people don’t think of as an edible ingredient. While pork blood can be cooked and consumed in some cuisines, much of the global pork supply classifies blood as inedible. But just because pork blood isn’t used for food doesn’t mean it goes to waste. In fact, inedible pork blood has a number of commercial and industrial applications that provide value.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what makes pork blood inedible for food, and the innovative ways that this animal byproduct gets put to use. The wide range of purposes for inedible pork blood may surprise you!

What Makes Pork Blood Inedible for Eating?

First, let’s cover what factors lead to pork blood being deemed inedible for human consumption:

• Food safety – Blood can harbor pathogens like salmonella, E. coli, or other contaminants if not handled properly. Most commercial processors classify blood as inedible to avoid foodborne illness risks.

• Quick spoilage – Being highly perishable, pork blood must be treated rapidly after slaughter to prevent spoiling. Often it’s unfeasible for processors to collect blood in a timely, sanitary way.

• Unpleasant taste – Unless skillfully prepared, the strong metallic flavor of pork blood is unappealing to most Western palates. It’s an acquired taste that requires careful cooking.

• Lack of consumer demand – Outside specific culinary traditions there’s low market demand for pork blood as food. It’s not cost-effective for processors to invest in collecting it.

• Religious restrictions – Several faiths prohibit consumption of blood, so processors avoid unwanted controversy by not directing it to food.

For these reasons, most pork blood today gets classified as inedible offal during slaughter. But while it may not end up on your dinner plate, inedible pork blood still provides value.

Surprising Uses for Inedible Pork Blood

Although not used for cooking, inedible pork blood has become a key ingredient in manufacturing and commercial products. Here are some of its most common applications:

• Animal feed – Dried, powdered pork blood is rich in protein and added to feed for livestock, fish farms, and pets. This repurposes it as a nutrient source.

• Leather processing – Pork blood contains albumen proteins that help soften and treat animal hides during leather production.

• Textile manufacturing – The albumen in pork blood improves the dye absorption of fabrics for more vibrant colors.

• Paints and coatings – As a binder, pork blood helps paints and adhesives stick and spread smoothly on surfaces.

• Fertilizer – Dried pork blood meal makes an excellent organic fertilizer due to its nitrogen and mineral content.

• Science and labs – Chemical components in blood provide reagents, cultures, and testing materials for research.

• Medications – Heparin derived from pork blood acts as an anticoagulant drug active ingredient.

• Brickettes and fuel – Compressed with other biomass, dried pork blood can be made into brickettes for renewable energy.

From nourishing animals to powering engines, these applications prove pork blood’s versatility even when deemed inedible!

Pork Blood Meal: A Popular Fertilizer

One of the most common products derived from inedible pork blood is blood meal fertilizer. Here’s a closer look at how it’s made and used:

• Pork blood is dried at high temperatures until it forms a powder. This sterilizes it while concentrating nutrients.

• It’s enriched with extra nitrogen and minerals to optimize the formula for plants.

• The resulting fertilizer contains about 12% nitrogen along with iron, phosphorus, and potassium.

• Blood meal provides slow-release nitrogen to stimulate leaf growth and chlorophyll production.

• It’s especially beneficial for heavy feeding plants like corn and squash.

• Blood meal also deters or repels certain insects and animals that try to feed on plants.

• It can be mixed into soil or sprinkled around plants as a supplement to improve yields.

Thanks to its stellar nutritional profile, blood meal is a coveted organic fertilizer for farmers and gardeners seeking to boost plant growth and productivity.

Pork Plasma: A Special Type of Inedible Blood

Within the broad category of inedible pork blood exists a product called pork plasma. What exactly is it, and how does it get used?

• Pork plasma comes from blood drawn directly from live pigs at slaughter facilities. This creates a controlled source before contamination can occur.

• The blood is immediately flash-frozen then processed to remove red blood cells and isolate the plasma portion.

• Plasma contains valuable proteins like albumin, globulin, and fibrinogen used in products like pet food.

• Freeze-drying plasma while still frozen creates a powder with stable nutritional content.

• Pet food and aquaculture feed manufacturers add plasma powder to recipes as a highly digestible protein.

• due to strict safety controls during rapid processing, pork plasma is deemed safe and permissible in animal feed.

• Research shows plasma protein enhances growth, digestion, and immunity in young pigs and fish.

Though not approved for humans, hygienically processed plasma becomes a nutritious, functional ingredient that boosts nutrition in animal feed.

Evaluating the Pros and Cons of Using Inedible Pork Blood

Like any agricultural byproduct, utilizing pork blood that’s inedible for people has both advantages and drawbacks. Let’s weigh some of the key pros and cons:

Pros:

• Provides added value from an abundant waste product

• Makes use of blood’s unique nutritional components

• Powers sustainable products like organic fertilizer and animal feed

• Avoids contamination risks of handling blood for food purposes

• Can be processed into shelf-stable ingredients with long expiry dates

Cons:

• Requires significant energy and resources to transform blood into usable forms

• Transportation and processing of blood increases environmental footprint

• Some applications like fertilizer have high concentrations of nutrients that can impact ecosystems if over-applied

• Blood from diseased animals risks spreading contamination if not properly disposed

• Cultural taboos sometimes limit acceptance of blood-derived consumer goods

Overall, the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks, especially as safety protocols and green technology continue improving. But all blood sources and applications should be monitored to avoid health or environmental issues.

Key Takeaways About Inedible Pork Blood Uses

• Safety, taste, and logistical hurdles make most commercially sourced pork blood infeasible as a food ingredient.

• Inedible pork blood is processed into products like animal feed, textile dyes, leather treatments, and fertilizer.

• Blood meal and plasma protein are two specific types of pork blood products added to pet food and livestock feed.

• Pork blood provides beneficial nutritional components like protein, nitrogen, and minerals even when not eaten directly.

• Careful processing controls risks of contamination while generating shelf-stable pork blood-based ingredients.

• There are advantages and disadvantages to repurposing inedible blood that must be responsibly managed.

Rather than going to waste, inedible pork blood can have “new life” as a component in agricultural, industrial, and commercial products. At the same time, its use must be conscientiously regulated. With innovation and proper oversight, pork blood could continue providing value in surprising ways.