Fate of sodium pentobarbital in rendered products.

The fate of pentobarbital through rendering was evaluated by following a group of euthanatized animals through a commercial rendering facility. Samples of material were collected at various points in the rendering process, and assays for pentobarbital were conducted by an ultraviolet spectrophotometric method. The results indicated that the pentobarbital, or a closely related analogue, survived rendering without undergoing degradation. The pentobarbital was distributed approximately equally between the meat and bone meal and tallow fractions. If pentobarbital-euthanatized animals are processed along with other raw materials throughout a day's production, the likelihood of significant residues being present in rendered products is minimal.