Industrial-scale continuous thermal sanitization of rice husk bedding for cleaner poultry production: Resource valorization, biosecurity improvement, and sustainability assessment

TBC contamination in poultry bedding materials remains a critical biosecurity challenge in modern poultry production systems due to its adverse impacts on animal health, food safety, and environmental sustainability. Rice husk, one of the most widely used bedding materials in poultry farming, is highly susceptible to microbial contamination during storage, transportation, and farm utilization. Conventional sanitation approaches primarily rely on chemical disinfectants; however, these methods often exhibit limited penetration into bulk biomass matrices and may result in chemical residues, occupational exposure risks, secondary environmental pollution, and increased operational costs. Consequently, the development of cleaner and more sustainable sanitation technologies has become increasingly important for poultry production systems. This study developed and validated an industrial-scale continuous Thermal sanitization system designed to reduce TBC contamination in rice husk bedding while improving resource-use efficiency. The system integrated screw-assisted biomass transport with controlled hot-air recirculation to enhance residence-time stability, airflow uniformity, and heat-transfer performance during continuous operation. Thermal and microbiological evaluations were conducted through laboratory validation, pilot-scale optimization, and full-scale industrial implementation. Under optimized operating conditions, the Thermal sanitization chamber-maintained temperatures between 115 and 125 °C, achieving rice husk outlet temperatures of 95–100 °C with residence times of 15–17 min and processing capacities of 2.0–2.5 t h −1 . The developed technology significantly reduced TBC occurrence from approximately 16% before treatment to 4% after sterilization while simultaneously improving thermal utilization efficiency through hot-air recirculation. Sanitization performance was influenced by the initial moisture content of the incoming rice husk feedstock, while the treated product exhibited a final moisture content of approximately 4.1–4.5%. Over a three-year operational period, approximately 7.87 million kg of rice husk bedding were processed, generating cumulative cost savings exceeding USD 0.30 million. The results demonstrate that continuous Thermal sanitization represents a technically effective, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable cleaner production technology that supports agricultural waste valorization, reduces dependence on chemical disinfectants, enhances poultry biosecurity, and contributes to the transition toward more circular and sustainable poultry production systems.