: Fiona, could you post your article to the lists or give us the reference
: for it?
: In the US Legislation you mentioned, does it ban from the specified animal
: feeds All meat and meat byproducts like bone and blood meal or just those
: products from Known Infected animals? This could make a big difference in
: our safety.
I am not very familier with the US Legislation, below I will copy a direct
quote from the FDA back in 1997 and in a separate email my article.
Reports that I am receiving from the US is that this is being strictly
enforced.
FDA direct quote:
"FDA PROHIBITS MAMMALIAN PROTEIN IN SHEEP AND CATTLE FEED
The Food and Drug Administration today announced publication of a final
regulation that prohibits the use of mammalian protein (with certain
exceptions) in the manufacture of animal feeds given to ruminant animals
such as cows, sheep and goats. The rule will take effect 60 days after
its publication June 5. The following may be used to answer questions.
This prohibition is a preventive measure designed to protect animals from
transmissible degenerative neurological diseases such as bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and to minimize any potential risk to
humans. No case of BSE has ever been documented in cattle in the U.S.
But if a case of BSE were ever found here, these measures would prevent
the spread of BSE through feeds by precluding amplification of BSE in
U.S. cattle.
In January, FDA proposed a regulation that would have prohibited the
feeding of ruminant protein to other ruminant animals. In a draft rule
published April 17, FDA expanded that prohibition to include nearly all
mammalian protein. Like the proposal, however, the final rule allows the
use of products believed to pose a minimal risk of BSE transmission.
These products include blood, blood products, gelatin, milk, milk
products, protein derived solely from swine and equine sources, and
inspected meat products which have been offered for human food and
further heat processed for food, such as plate waste from restaurants and
other institutions.
By prohibiting nearly all mammalian protein from being used in ruminant
feed, FDA believes it has made the final regulation more practical and
effective. Pure pork and pure equine protein are excluded because these
animals are not known to have transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
(TSEs), and because the protein is processed so that it is not
contaminated by potentially infective proteins.
In addition to prohibiting tissues with the potential to spread TSEs such
as BSE, the final regulation also requires process and control systems to
ensure that feed for ruminants does not contain the prohibited mammalian
tissue.
The first case of BSE was reported in the United Kingdom in 1986.
Epidemiological evidence gathered in the U.K. suggests an association
between the outbreak there and the feeding to cattle of protein derived
from sheep infected with scrapie, another TSE.
Today's final rule caps a period of intense discussion about the most
appropriate way to provide an additional layer of protection against the
potential risk from BSE in this country. In the last year, FDA has
sought comment on the best course of action by publishing an Advance
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, a Proposed Rule and a Draft Rule. The
agency has received more than 1460 formal comments on this issue, and has
held two open public meetings to discuss the most appropriate course of
action.
The current state of knowledge concerning TSEs is far from complete. FDA
will continue its close collaboration with the scientific community and
with pubic health officials, at home and abroad, on measures to reduce
the potential risk of these diseases. "
End of quote!
Regards
Fiona Benson
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