What Darling Ingredients does

Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR), founded in 1882 and headquartered in Irving, Texas, is the world's largest publicly traded renderer, operating 260+ facilities in 15+ countries with approximately 16,000 employees and processing roughly 15 million metric tons of animal by-products and food waste annually into more than 350 sustainable ingredients. The company is organized into three segments — Feed Ingredients & Services (rendered fats and proteins for livestock, aquaculture, and pet food; fertilizers; used cooking oil collection via DAR PRO Solutions), Food Ingredients (gelatin, collagen peptides, natural casings, meat products, and pharmaceutical-grade heparin via Rousselot, CTH, Hepac, and others), and Fuel Ingredients & Services (renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel through the 50/50 Diamond Green Diesel joint venture with Valero Energy, plus European biogas and RNG via Ecoson and Rendac).

The business model is asset-heavy and B2B. Feed revenue is generated through transaction-based collection of animal by-products and used cooking oil from slaughterhouses, farms, and food-service operators, processed into commodity and specialty feed inputs. Food Ingredients revenue is generated through sale of branded functional ingredients (notably Nextida GC collagen peptides) to food manufacturers, nutraceutical firms, and pharmaceutical companies on negotiated contracts. Fuel revenue is generated through proportional cash distributions from the Diamond Green Diesel JV (approximately 1.2 billion gallons of renewable diesel and SAF produced in 2024) and through low-carbon feedstock sales into California LCFS and European compliance markets. Pricing is uniformly quote-based and negotiated with no public price list, supporting margin management against feedstock volatility. Key brand-level scale indicators include 60% North American used cooking oil market share via DAR PRO, 30% global gelatin and collagen market share via Rousselot, and 15% global animal by-product processing share.

Recent strategic activity — including the announced Tessenderlo Group collagen/gelatin JV ($1.5B pro-forma revenue, 85% Darling ownership, expected 2026 close), the completed Miropasz acquisition (Poland, January 2024), the prior FASA acquisition (Brazil, 2022), the Q4 2024 SAF upgrade at Port Arthur DGD, and ~$1.6B of 2025 debt refinancing — indicates continued inorganic and capacity-led expansion in Food and Fuel while Feed benefits from the ongoing DAR PRO collection network and rendering footprint.

Name

Darling Ingredients

Legal name

Darling Ingredients Inc.

Website

https://darlingii.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Darling Ingredients is the world's largest publicly traded renderer, operating 260+ facilities in 15+ countries to convert animal by-products and food waste into sustainable ingredients for animal feed, human food (gelatin, collagen, heparin), and renewable diesel and aviation fuel via its Diamond Green Diesel JV with Valero.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Ingredients Manufacturing (Animal Rendering & Bio-nutrient Conversion)

NAICS

Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing (311613), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Edible Animal Fats Rendering & Refining (Tallow, Lard) (AFAKAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bio-based Animal Feed Ingredients & Nutrition Co-products (e.g., DDGS, protein meals, yeast) (EUAAAIAI), Animal-Derived Edible Fats (Tallow, Lard, Butterfat/Ghee) (AFAJALAE)

Keywords

• Animal rendering services
• Renewable diesel production
• Gelatin collagen manufacturing
• Sustainable feed ingredients
• Used cooking oil collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Feed Ingredients & Services: Revenue from sale of animal nutrients (fats, proteins, minerals) for livestock feed, aquaculture feed, and pet food; fertilizers; and used cooking oil collection services. Feedstocks for renewable fuel production.
2. Food Ingredients: Sale of gelatin, collagen peptides, natural casings, meat products, lard specialties, and pharmaceutical ingredients (heparin). Serves food manufacturers, nutraceutical companies, and pharmaceutical firms.
3. Diamond Green Diesel Joint Venture: 50/50 joint venture with Valero Energy producing renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Darling supplies feedstocks and receives proportional cash flows. Approximately 1.2 billion gallons annual production capacity.
4. Fuel Ingredients Services: Renewable natural gas production from wastewater, biogas production in Europe through Ecoson and Rendac brands, and low-carbon feedstock sales for biofuel production.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Darling Ingredients collects and processes animal by-products, used cooking oil, and food industry residuals through its 260+ global facilities, converting them into sustainable ingredients across three operating segments. The Feed segment produces animal fats, proteins, fertilizers, and renewable fuel feedstocks; the Food segment supplies gelatin, collagen peptides, natural casings, meat products, and pharmaceutical heparin; the Fuel segment produces renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, biogas, and renewable natural gas through the Diamond Green Diesel joint venture with Valero.

Product overview

Darling Ingredients operates a multi-segment platform organized around three core operating segments — Feed, Food, and Fuel — that transform animal by-products and food waste into over 350 sustainable ingredients. The Feed segment (encompassing brands such as North American Rendering, DAR PRO Solutions, FASA, Miropasz, Sonac, Nature Safe, Bakery Feeds, and EnviroFlight) produces animal nutrients, fertilizers, used cooking oil collection, and renewable fuel feedstocks. The Food segment (Rousselot, CTH, LARU, Vada, and Hepac) provides gelatin, collagen peptides, natural casings, meat proteins, and heparin for human health and pharmaceutical applications. The Fuel segment (Diamond Green Diesel joint venture with Valero, Ecoson, and Rendac) produces renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, biogas, and RNG. The portfolio spans 260+ global facilities across 15+ countries, processing over 16 million metric tons of raw material annually into ingredients serving animal feed, pet food, food production, pharmaceutical, biomedical, energy, and ceramics end markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• North American Rendering: Leading rendering and recycling services network in North America, collecting and processing animal by-products into sustainable ingredients.
• DAR PRO Solutions
• Diamond Green Diesel
• Rousselot
• EnviroFlight
• Bakery Feeds
• CTH
• Sonac
• Ecoson
• Miropasz

Products and services

• Diamond Green Diesel 50/50 joint venture with Valero Energy producing approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel from low-carbon feedstocks including rendered animal fats and used cooking oil at Port Arthur, Texas.
• Rousselot Gelatin and collagen-based solutions for health and nutrition, biomedical, and pharmaceutical sectors; leading global producer of gelatin and collagen peptides with sales in more than 80 countries and approximately 30% global market share.
• DAR PRO Solutions North America's largest collector of used cooking oil serving over 200,000 commercial kitchen customers across the continental U.S. through 90+ facilities and a fleet of nearly 2,100 service trucks, holding approximately 60% of the North American used cooking oil market.
• North American Rendering U.S. and Canada rendering operations that collect and process animal by-products and used cooking oil to produce essential ingredients for animal feed, pet food, and renewable fuel feedstocks.
• Nature Safe Nutrient-rich, ready-to-use fertilizers derived from animal proteins and other nutrient-rich residuals, used to boost yield for gardens, golf courses, and farms.
• EnviroFlight Largest producer of insect-based (black soldier fly larvae) ingredients for animal and plant nutrition in North America, providing sustainable protein for poultry, aquaculture, pet food, and crops.
• FASA Brazil's largest independent rendering company, providing collection and processing of animal by-products in South America, acquired by Darling Ingredients in 2022.
• Miropasz Polish rendering company operating three poultry rendering plants in southeast Poland, processing approximately 250,000 metric tons of poultry by-products annually, acquired by Darling Ingredients in January 2024.
• CTH Provider of natural animal-based casings and meat by-products for the food and pharmaceutical industries for over 50 years, including sausage casings and heparin ingredients, operating in China, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain.
• Hepac Leading Dutch manufacturer of high-quality, fully traceable crude porcine heparin for pharmaceutical use, including anticoagulants for surgeries and insulin production.
• LARU Germany's only nation-wide producer of pork and goose fat for food service and culinary applications.
• Bakery Feeds Transforms bakery and snack food residuals into high-energy, bio-secure animal feed ingredients, providing equipment, 24-hour maintenance, data collection services, and nationwide pickup to bakery manufacturers.
• Ecoson Produces renewable energy from food waste, animal waste, and animal fats in Europe through anaerobic digestion; largest industrial digestion operation in The Netherlands and Belgium, generating certified renewable gas and electricity.
• Rendac Collection and processing of fallen livestock to support the agriculture industry and protect public health in Europe, converting materials into renewable energy.
• Sonac Collection and processing of animal by-products in Australia, China, Europe, and the U.S., producing ingredients for animal feed, pet food, and food applications.
• Vada Premium beef frying fats for the wholesale food service industry in Europe.
• Global Ceramic Materials One of the world's largest processors of natural calcium phosphate, providing raw materials for fine ceramic tableware (including bone china), tiles, and refractory coatings for copper and aluminum production. Operating since 1827, based in the United Kingdom.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Sustainable aviation fuel produced at the Diamond Green Diesel Port Arthur, Texas facility from low-carbon feedstocks.
• Nextida GC Collagen Peptides Proprietary collagen peptide ingredient for dietary supplement applications related to natural glucose control and metabolic support, protected by patents in multiple countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% fewer lifecycle GHG emissions from renewable diesel compared to fossil fuels
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Waste Resource ManagementminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 May 2026Waste Resource Management acquired majority of Darling Ingredients' trap grease collection and processing assets, expanding across 13 major metropolitan markets in the United States. Ridgewood Infrastructure partnered with WRM on the transaction.
• Perdue FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Environmental partnership at Perdue's Lewiston, North Carolina broiler processing facility. Perdue achieved 99% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through methane capture partnership with GreenGas USA, with wastewater treatment excellence recognized by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Clean Water Award. Facility processes 347,000 birds per day.
• Tessenderlo GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Definitive agreement to combine collagen and gelatin segments into new joint venture company with Darling holding 85% ownership and Tessenderlo retaining 15%. New company will have approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenue and ~200,000 metric tons capacity across 22 facilities in South America, North America, Europe and Asia. Expected to close in 2026 pending regulatory approvals. Combines Darling's Rousselot and Tessenderlo's PB Leiner businesses.
• National FFA OrganizationminorOthers · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting the next generation of agricultural leaders through Blue Jacket Program and community engagement initiatives.
• Valero EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201350/50 Diamond Green Diesel joint venture established in 2013, producing approximately 1.2 billion gallons of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel annually at Port Arthur, Texas facility. One of North America's largest renewable diesel producers from low-carbon feedstocks. JV has generated approximately $6.5-7 billion in cash returns since inception.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Neste: World's largest producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel from waste and residue feedstocks. Directly parallels Darling's Diamond Green Diesel JV in renewable fuel production from low-carbon feedstocks.
• Bunge Global: Global agribusiness and food company processing oilseeds into edible oils and protein meals. Highly comparable to Darling Ingredients as both are large-scale agricultural processors of fats and protein co-products for food, feed, and renewable fuel end markets.
• Phibro Animal Health: Animal health and nutrition company producing medicated feed additives, vaccines, and nutritional specialty products for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture. Comparable to Darling's Feed segment ingredient portfolio serving similar producers.
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global agricultural processor with major Animal Nutrition and Carbohydrate Solutions segments producing animal feed, pet food ingredients, and food ingredients. Closely parallels Darling's diversified protein meal, fat, and feed ingredient portfolio, and also operates renewable fuel capacity.
• GELITA: World-leading manufacturer of gelatin and collagen proteins for food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical applications. Directly competes with Darling's Rousselot brand in the global gelatin and collagen peptide market.

Others

• JBS: Global meat processing giant and the world's largest protein producer. Major upstream supplier of rendering feedstock and an operating partner for Darling's FASA Group operations in Brazil.
• Tyson Foods: Largest U.S. chicken, beef, and pork processor and major supplier of animal by-products that Darling renders into fats and proteins. Functions as both an upstream feedstock supplier and strategic partner in the rendering value chain.
• Pilgrim's Pride: Major U.S. and European poultry processor and key supplier of poultry by-products to the rendering industry. Directly comparable as a major rendering feedstock supplier, with Darling's Miropasz acquisition specifically targeting poultry rendering in Poland.
• Perdue Farms: Privately held U.S. poultry processor and Darling's existing wastewater and rendering partner. Major supplier of rendering feedstock and an example of Darling's biosecurity and environmental service relationships with major protein producers.

Broad incumbents

• Ingredion: Global ingredient solutions provider serving food, beverage, brewing, and animal nutrition industries. Broader incumbent with overlapping ingredient offerings but focused on plant-based sweeteners and starches rather than animal rendering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DAR_Ingredients
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZxYqEX5D8RjZxKcPdLwK5g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darling-ingredients
• Instagraminstagram.com/DarlingIngredients

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A13 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darling Ingredients