FDA Proposes Feed Rule Changes

FDA has proposed to ban the use of the spinal cord and brain tissue from animals over 30 months of age and from downer animals in all animal feed.  About seven million animals over 30 months of age are slaughtered annually. 

Specifically, the FDA is proposing to prohibit from use in the food or feed of all animals certain high risk ruminant materials that could potentially carry the BSE agent including: brains and spinal cords from cattle 30 months of age and older or from cattle of any age not inspected and passed for human consumption; the carcass of cattle not inspected and passed for human consumption if the brains and spinal cords have not been removed; mechanically separated beef derived from materials prohibited by this proposed rule; and tallow derived from the materials prohibited by this proposed rule if the tallow contains more than 0.15 percent insoluble impurities. 

The FDA is not proposing to prohibit the use of blood by-products as the World Organization for Animal Health has indicated that BSE is not transmitted by these products.   Poultry litter and plate waste is not being banned because risk materials are already removed from these items and scientific data shows they present minimal risk.

NCBA insists that any changes must reflect what is needed to best protect the U.S. cattle herd.  Anything other than a science-based approach will be harmful to cattle producers and offer no real benefit to consumers or our industry.

The agency said that a complete ban on all downers and specified risk material would have created the need to dispose of 2.5 billion pounds of material. For instance, the brain and spinal cord weigh 1.3 pounds per animal.  Banning the entire head, spinal column, and small intestine would have created 88.5 pounds of material per animal that needed to be disposed.  The more limited amount can be disposed of through landfill, incineration, or alkaline digestion.

 The proposed changes are intended to further strengthen the measures currently in place to prevent the spread of BSE.  This proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 6.  It is subject to a 75 day public comment period before any further agency action is taken.  NCBA will review the rule and provide comments.