Agri Processing Services

USDA Selects APS for Research Grant

Written by admin

Agri Processing Services, LLC (APS) has been recommended to receive a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Timm Ortman, President and CEO of APS, states the $348,835 grant will be used to fund the planned 24 month APS research project titled “Diversion From Land Application Of Nutrients Recovered From Non-MPP Processing Plant Wastewater To Value-Added Use In Multi-Species Feed Rations.” The official announcement of the award is expected on or about September 1.

APS is involved in the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of the Parthenocarpic Flocculation Compound, or PFC™, a patented specialty wastewater treatment compound developed by Dr. Bud G. Harmon, Professor Emeritus in Animal Science at Purdue University and the Director of Research & Development for APS. PFC™ was designed for use in the food processing industry to recover valuable nutrients without degrading the captured material. By reclaiming unadulterated nutrients from food processing plant effluent, the opportunity exists to decrease the amount of material disposed of into landfills and increase the amount of valuable feed ingredients available for use by livestock producers. The continuation of relatively high feed grain prices in recent years is believed to be due in part by increased global demand for commodities in general and the rapid expansion of domestic corn-based ethanol production and other grain-based biofuel initiatives in particular. These and other factors effecting feed grain costs would be expected to act as a further catalyst for the development of products like PFC™ that improve the overall environment while also enhancing the value of recovered materials in an economically beneficial manner.

Initial efforts in the development of PFC™ have focused primarily on the Meat and Poultry Products (MPP) food processing industry. A Phase I SBIR project completed by APS in December 2008 expanded this work into the non-Meat and Poultry Product (non-MPP) food processing industry by conducting a feasibility study that successfully estimated the potential positive economic impact of utilizing PFC™ on a cross-section of non-MPP processing plants. This Phase I project included snack food production (corn and potato), bakeries/cereal production, vegetable processing, and fruit processing. The successful completion of the planned Phase II SBIR project is expected to demonstrate the viability of utilizing PFC™ in thousands of non-MPP processing plants operating domestically and internationally.

Posted in Press Releases