How would you feel about using pig's blood to quench your thirst? A Zwevezele-based company is now purifying animal blood and turning it into potable water fit for human consumption.
Veos, a company in Zwevezele (West Flanders) has started to purify animal blood and turn it into drinkable water. Veos produces animal proteins for the food industry. Until now, the company used groundwater to clean its tanks. By purifying the water from animal blood itself, the company has to pump up to 40 per cent less water. The water is also perfectly drinkable.
Veos is a global leader in high-quality proteins. It processes animal blood and collagen, a protein, into high-quality protein powder used in human and animal food. The company invested 2 million euros in a water treatment plant that will allow it to filter water from animal blood into drinkable water.
The company needs an awful lot of water to clean the tanks in which animal blood is stored. Until now, it only used groundwater for this purpose, which it pumped up in the neighbourhood. "To reinforce our sustainable ambitions and keep groundwater at the right level, we started looking for an alternative," says Veos co-CEO Robert Slee.
From blood to potable water
The alternative is a large treatment plant to provide 150,000 litres of potable water daily. The company gets that water from animal blood. "Specifically, we are going to thicken blood during the production process to then vacuum dry it later," explains Slee. "During that process, water vapour is released from the blood. We let that condense until it's water again. That water will now be purified thanks to the new water treatment plant so it can be used in the production process."
The company will mainly use the water for tank cleaning.
Veos has been based in Zwevezele (Wingene) since it was founded in 1974 and is part of the Veos Group. There are also branches in France, Spain, Poland and Brazil. Veos is happy in Zwevezele: "We want to stay here," says Slee, "My and my family are from Zwevezele, and our employees are also from the area. We feel at home here."