U.S. Considers Additional Mad Cow Regulations
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Food and Drug Administration is considering additional regulations of animal feed to strengthen the country’s protection from a breakout of mad cow disease.
The FDA is currently seeking comments on the difficulty and costs that would be imposed to remove the brains and spinal cords of animals before they are rendered. After the public comment period, the FDA will consider drafting a rule to require the removal of such organs from animals rendered for animal feed.
Existing regulations already ban the inclusion of rendered parts of ruminants and minks from begin included in feed given to other ruminants, but feed manufacturers are allowed to include chicken and pig parts in ruminant feed, and ruminants can be included in chicken and pig feed.
The new regulations would require the removal of brains and spinal cords from all rendered products.
Source:
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: U.S. may ban more animal parts from feed. Jeff Nesmith, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, January 12, 2003.
Tags: Chickens, Cows, Mad Cow Disease, Pigs