South Korea’s state-invested NongHyup Agribusiness Group Inc. said on Thursday it is working innovative ways to recycle animal blood from slaughterhouses for food, medicine, and industrial applications.

Slaughterhouse animal blood represents a rich source of protein and minerals, which can be used in livestock feed as a protein supplement and both animal and human medicines. Blood proteins have possible bioactivities beyond a nutritional source of amino acids alone, together with minerals.

The unfamiliar concept however is being actively explored in developed countries like the United States. Some bovine blood has already been used in foods in Korea, while porcine blood is mostly dumped.

South Korea produces 90,000 liters of porcine blood and 20,000 liters of bovine blood every year.

NongHyup has been exploring technologies with foreign researchers. But it decided to develop home-grown technology due to complexities over technology transfer. The state-funded group will complete clinical tests and verification process by September and look for a location to build a blood processing center at the end of the year.

By Lee Yu-sup and Lee Ha-yeon

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