A system for producing edible residues, the system comprising one or more operating units for receiving and physically treating a feedstock, wherein at least one of the one or more operating units is a recalcitrance reducing operating unit for irradiating the feedstock to reduce recalcitrance; one or more cooking devices for processing the feedstock prior to fermentation; a bio-processing unit for fermentation; an evaporator/dryer operating unit; and an irradiating unit.