Maple Leaf Foods will be retaining its Rothsay rendering operations.

The fate of the division has been up in the air since October 2006, when the company announced a major change of strategy to focus on growing its value added meat, meal and bakery business.

At that time the company’s management said rendering operations were under review to see if they fit the company’s new “protein business model.”

After closely examining the fit within the overall company, Maple Leaf executives declared Friday that because the rendering plants play an important role in managing byproducts from primary processing facilities, they’re an integral part of the operation.

Rothsay recycles inedible animal byproducts from Maple Leaf operations and other customers into animal feed, amino acid supplements, biodiesel and other industrial products.

“Rothsay provides an essential service for its customers and internal operations by responsibly managing and recapturing the value of inedible byproducts,” Maple Leaf stated in a prepared media release.