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Industries

Food Industry Wastewater Treatment

High organic load, oil & grease, and seasonal fluctuations. We have been solving the food industry's wastewater challenges for 30 years.

Slaughterhouse & Meat Processing

Running a slaughterhouse or integrated meat plant?

We hold Türkiye's largest meat-sector reference list: Namet (3 plants), Akşeker (3 plants), Banvit Kırmızı and 30 meat facilities — with a dedicated expertise page.

Slaughterhouse Expertise

30 meat-sector clients · 35 installations

Wastewater Challenges of the Food Industry

BOD/COD
High organic load, 10–50 times the discharge limit
Oil & Grease
Grease layers that inhibit biological treatment
TSS
Meat, bone, peel and seed particles
Season
3–5x flow increase during harvest seasons

Sub-Sectors

Slaughterhouse & Meat Processing Plants

Challenges

  • Blood, fat and paunch content — very high BOD (3,000–8,000 mg/L)
  • Excess nitrogen and phosphorus (from animal protein)
  • Odor problems — H₂S and ammonia emissions

The GESU Solution

Screening & Grit Removal DAF Anaerobic Activated Sludge Discharge

Why GESU?

  • Rendering wastewater experience
  • 90%+ oil & grease removal with DAF
  • Odor control system included
  • Biogas recovery option
Visit our slaughterhouse expertise page
100+
Food Industry Plants
30
Years of Experience
95%
COD Removal Efficiency
17
Countries with Projects

Let's Talk About Your Project

With 30 years of experience, let's define the solution that best fits your project — together.

FAQ

Food Industry — Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled the questions our customers ask most frequently. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, get in touch with us.

What are the main treatment challenges of food industry wastewater?

Food industry wastewater is characterized by a high organic load (COD 2,000–20,000 mg/L), high oil & grease content, sudden flow and load fluctuations, and low pH. In slaughterhouses, dairies and seafood plants, oil & grease removal and COD reduction are critical issues. Drawing on 30 years of food sector experience, GESU recommends the DAF + biological combination.

Which treatment technologies are used in food factories?

The typical process is: screening + equalization tank + DAF (oil & grease removal) + biological treatment (SBR/MBR/activated sludge) + sludge dewatering. For high-strength wastewater (slaughterhouse, cheese whey), an anaerobic (UASB) + aerobic combination provides biogas recovery. GESU BIOSU MBR delivers <1 NTU effluent and water reuse capability for food factories.

How much does a food industry wastewater treatment plant cost?

Investment and operating costs vary with the facility, flow rate and discharge target — request a quote for a free preliminary assessment.

Can you revamp our existing food factory plant and increase its capacity?

Yes. GESU specializes in existing plant revamps (retrofit), debottlenecking and capacity expansion. We first carry out an on-site inspection and a performance audit (COD-BOD mass balance, sludge age, MLSS, MLVSS, F/M). Then, with solutions such as increasing the biological tank volume, converting to MBR or adding a DAF unit, we can achieve a 30–100% capacity increase.