Wastewater Characterization for the
Specialty Food Industry
CURTIS J. SCHMIDT, Staff Engineer
ERNEST V. CLEMENTS, HI, Staff Engineer
Stearns, Conrad, and Schmidt, Inc.
Long Beach, California 90807
JOHN FARQUHAR, Director of Research and Technical Services
The American Frozen Food Institute
Washington, D.C. 20006
INTRODUCTION
Specialty foods, as used in this project, includes frozen and canned items containing
several major ingredients. Included are such varied products as frozen dinners, frozen and
canned pre-cooked fish, beef, and poultry dishes, frozen and canned stews and soups,
frozen or canned ethnic/nationality foods, frozen vegetables in sauce, frozen bakery
products and other prepared and/or pre-cooked foods. Specialty food firms generally fall
within SIC Codes 2032, 2035 and 2037.
The magnitude of this segment of the food industry is made obvious by a stroll through
any supermarket: more shelf and freezer space is taken by specialty foods than by ordinary
canned and frozen fruit and vegetable items. Exact production data on a national scale is
lacking. However, combined statistical sources estimate that specialty foods production
exceeds other types of food production.
The estimated number of specialty food plants is approximately 2,300 with the largest
number in the states of California, New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Meat specialties
has the largest number of individual plants among the categories.
During the second half of 1973 the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) conducted
a study to characterize wastewater generation by the specialty food industry. AFFI was
aided by the National Canners Association (NCA), which performed all laboratory
analyses, and SCS Engineers (SCS), which performed all field work and prepared the final
report. Financial assistance was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
under Grant No. R-801684.
The major objectives of the project were to: 1) Inventory and categorize the specialty
foods industry; and 2) Investigate typical raw waste loads generated by major categories of
the specialty foods industry.
This information is needed by AFFI, NCA and EPA to increase their background
Knowledge in answering questions concerning waste generated by the specialty food
industry and to regulate industry waste generation in an equitable manner.
FIELD INVESTIGATIONS
A preliminary assessment of the types, number and locations of specialty food plants
was prepared, and a tentative determination made of representative plants in the west,
midwest, and east which appeared to be desirable candidates for field investigation. Each
candidate plant was contacted by phone and letter, given a description of the project, and
requested to indicate a preliminary assurance of cooperation. A series of meetings were
arranged by AFFI in San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. at which the project
technical team met with company representatives to work out details of individual plant
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