Optimización del proceso de secado del chicharrón obtenido de los residuos de carnaza de una curtiembre de Ambato para la elaboración de harina para consumo animal

Abstract

The tanning industry in Ecuador is thriving due to the high demand for leather to manufacture clothing and footwear. However, it is also recognized for its negative impact on the environment. The tannery in Ambato produces around 4 tons of solid waste daily. Therefore, this research aims to implement a process to valorize the fleshing, a by-product of the tanning process, to produce protein flour for animal feed. This process includes several steps such as chopping, cooking, drying, grinding, and sieving. The main objectives of this work were: to characterize the fleshing in terms of moisture, fats, proteins, and nutrients, to cook the fleshing by controlling time, temperature, and pressure, and to optimize the drying process to obtain flour suitable for animal feed. It was determined that the optimum drying temperature is 60 degrees Celsius for 625 minutes, resulting in a yield of 36.66 percent of dried pork rind with a moisture content of 7.91 percent. The fleshing flour is rich in protein (56.60 percent) and fat (41.67 percent), making it a valuable ingredient for animal feed because a high-protein food contributes to growth. Additionally, it meets most of the requirements set by the INEN 1829.