We broker animal fats and tallow across all three ABP categories into biodiesel, renewable diesel, oleochemical and, where the category permits, feed outlets. The first question is never the specification, it is the category under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, because that decides which outlets are legally available at all. Only once that is settled do FFA, titre, moisture and impurities decide the price.
Category first, specification second
The Animal By-Products Regulation sorts material into three categories by risk, and the category travels with the fat through the whole chain. Getting it wrong is not a commercial error, it is a regulatory one.
- Category 1: the highest-risk material, including specified risk material. It is excluded from feed and from food, but it is not banned from use as a fuel feedstock: category 1 fat is a well-established biodiesel and renewable diesel input, subject to the processing, traceability and channelling requirements in the regulation. The common belief that category 1 cannot be traded at all is simply wrong, and it costs renderers money.
- Category 2: including fallen stock and material unfit for consumption. Excluded from feed for farmed animals, available to oleochemical and energy outlets under the applicable conditions.
- Category 3: derived from animals fit for human consumption at slaughter. The broadest set of outlets, including petfood and, subject to the species rules, some feed uses. Generally the highest value.
What buyers screen on
Titre deserves more attention than it usually gets in a first conversation. A high-titre tallow that solidifies in an unheated tank or a cold flexitank turns a straightforward delivery into an expensive salvage operation, and the cost lands on whoever did not raise it.
| ABP category | 1, 2 or 3, with the processing method and the approval number of the establishment. |
|---|---|
| FFA (free fatty acid) | Percentage. The main price driver within a category. |
| Moisture, impurities and unsaponifiables (MIU) | Combined and separately. |
| Titre | Degrees C. Solidification behaviour; determines heated storage and handling. |
| Colour | Lovibond or FAC, depending on the outlet. |
| Iodine value | Unsaturation; drives cold-flow properties downstream. |
| Sulphur and phosphorus | Critical for hydrotreatment into HVO or SAF. |
| Peroxide value | Oxidation history and storage condition. |
| Insoluble impurities | Filterable solids and protein carry-over. |
| Species | Bovine, porcine, poultry or mixed. Decides feed eligibility and some market access. |
| Certification | ISCC EU where the fat is heading into the biofuel chain. |
Where it goes
Under EU renewable fuel rules, category 1 and 2 animal fats sit in Annex IX Part B alongside used cooking oil and share the 1.7 % transport-energy cap per member state. Category 3 is treated differently. This distinction moves real money, so it should be settled before a term contract is priced.
- FAME producers: animal-fat methyl ester, with different cold-flow behaviour from UCOME because of the saturated fatty acid profile.
- HVO and renewable diesel producers: hydrotreatment; more sensitive to sulphur, phosphorus and metals, and often paying for pretreated material.
- Oleochemical producers: soaps, surfactants, lubricants, fatty acids and glycerine.
- Feed and petfood: category 3 only, subject to species and processing rules.
- Meat and bone meal (MBM): placed alongside the fat where a renderer wants both streams handled together.
How we broker it
We act for renderers with continuous production to place and for producers who need a specific category, a specific titre or a consistent sulphur figure, and those requirements narrow the market far more than most sellers expect.
Rendering does not stop, which makes reliability of offtake worth more than a marginal price improvement on a single load. Most of what we do here is term rather than spot: matching continuous production to a buyer who can take it every week, with the category, analysis and heated-logistics reality agreed once rather than renegotiated every parcel.
Frequently asked questions
Can category 1 animal fat be used for biodiesel?
Yes. Category 1 material is excluded from feed and food, but it is an established feedstock for biodiesel and renewable diesel, subject to the processing, traceability and channelling requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009. The widespread belief that category 1 fat cannot be traded at all is incorrect and costs renderers real money.
What is the difference between category 1, 2 and 3 animal fat?
It is a risk classification under the Animal By-Products Regulation. Category 1 is the highest risk, including specified risk material, and is excluded from feed and food but available to energy outlets. Category 2 includes fallen stock and material unfit for consumption. Category 3 comes from animals fit for human consumption at slaughter and has the broadest outlets, including petfood. The category travels with the material through the entire chain.
What is titre and why does it matter?
Titre is the solidification temperature of the fatty acids, in degrees Celsius. It determines whether the fat can be handled in an unheated tank, a standard flexitank or a road tanker without heating, and in which season. A high-titre tallow that sets in transit turns a routine delivery into an expensive salvage job, so it belongs in the first conversation rather than the shipping instructions.
Do animal fats count towards the Annex IX Part B cap?
Category 1 and 2 animal fats sit in Annex IX Part B alongside used cooking oil and share the 1.7 % transport-energy cap per member state, with the possibility of a member state requesting a higher limit. Category 3 is treated differently under the framework. The distinction has a direct effect on value, so settle it before pricing a term contract.
Do you broker meat and bone meal as well?
Yes, and usually alongside the fat. A renderer generally wants both streams placed with as little friction as possible, and handling them together is more efficient than running two separate processes.
What certification is needed for animal fat into biofuel?
ISCC EU is the usual route for material entering the EU biofuel chain, alongside the ABP documentation, category, processing method and the approval number of the establishment. Both are checked. A valid ISCC certificate does not substitute for correct ABP paperwork, and vice versa.
Who to ask about Animal fats & tallow
Ask us. Rendered fat to place, or looking for category-specific supply? Tell us the category, FFA and titre. We answer the same working day, in English or Dutch, and there is no charge and no obligation for a market read or a second opinion on a specification.
You get Bart van den Brug directly, not a call centre and not a form that goes nowhere. We are an independent broker: we never take title, we do not trade our own book, and we are paid a commission only on business that actually concludes. That is why we will also tell you when the answer is no.
+31 6 115 83 448
[email protected]
Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V., Lemmer, the Netherlands
Last reviewed 09 August 2026 by Bart van den Brug, Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V. (KvK 99665042), Lemmer, the Netherlands. Regulatory references are given for orientation and are not legal advice; verify against the current Official Journal text before contracting.