California dairy producers play
a critical role in protecting the state’s dairy herd from Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease. By following federal and state
regulations, producers ensure the safety of the meat supply, maintain the
consumer confidence in dairy products and reduce the likelihood of experiencing
herd depopulation in the event of a BSE outbreak. The primary way cows become
infected with BSE is through feed, the direct result of feeding cow-derived
products back to cows. For this reason in 1997 the federal Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) implemented a "ruminant feed ban" that prohibits protein
derived from most mammals from being added to ruminant feed.
The feeding ban (and its
associated record-keeping) may seem burdensome but it’s actually the most
important "fire wall" preventing the spread of BSE. The feed ban has effectively
stopped BSE from spreading within the US after introduction from other countries
such as Canada.
What can dairy producers can
do to prevent BSE?
• Confirm with your
nutritionist and feed suppliers that the dairy’s rations are free of banned
feeds (see list below).
• Check feed labels for the
caution statement “Do Not Feed to Cattle or Other Ruminants.” Feed
labeled with this caution statement may contain prohibited materials.
• Do not feed salvaged pet
food, chicken feed or pig feed to cattle because it could contain prohibited
materials such as meat and bone meal.
• Maintain records (invoices
and feed labels) of all feed containing “allowed” animal proteins for a minimum
of one year.
• Maintain herd records and
animal identification sufficient to allow you to track when animals entered and
left your herd.
• Report cattle with
neurological signs to your veterinarian. These signs include stumbling,
inability to rise and behavior change.
• Using licensed renderer for
appropriate disposal of carcasses.
Which feed commodities are
allowed and which are not?
Unless a commodity is
specifically exempt (see exemptions below), it is illegal to feed a tissue that
comes from any mammal to any ruminant. Below is a partial list of prohibited and
allowed commodities. A complete list is available at FDA’s guidance document for
"small entities" feeders web page (see at bottom).
Examples of PROHIBITED
feed commodities
• Meat meal
• Cooked or steamed bone meal
• Meat or bone tankage
• Un-inspected or uncooked
human food meat products
Examples of ALLOWED
("exempted") commodities
• Milk Products (milk replacer)
• Blood Products (blood meal)
• Pure pork or equine products
• Poultry products (feather
meal)
• Fish products (fish meal)
• Animal fat, tallow and grease
Do I need to keep feed
records?
If a producer uses any of the
animal protein sources on the “allowed” list above, then they must maintain
records (invoices and feed labels) of those deliveries for at least one year.
Only producers using solely vegetable feed commodities (hay, grain, etc.) have
no record-keeping requirements.
Where can I get other
questions answered?
More information is available
at the websites listed below. The first of these is a particularly useful video
on BSE produced in California.
Producers with questions about their obligations under the feed ban are
encouraged to contact their veterinarian, nutritionist, University of California Cooperative Extension
advisor or the California commercial feed inspection program at 916-445-0444.
Useful Internet Resources
http://dairybeef.ucdavis.edu/home.htm
This site contains a short video on BSE prevention collaboratively produced by
the CDQAP, the School of Veterinary Medicine and CDFA.
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/BSE_info.html
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) home page for BSE
information including brochures, posters and links to other BSE sites
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/fflders/safe.html
Information on California’s Safe Animal Feed Education (SAFE) Program
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Guidance/guidance69.pdf
An FDA guidance document for producers with on-farm mixing
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/guidance/guidance70.pdf
An FDA guidance document for producers without on-farm mixing
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/guida76.htm
A FDA Question & Answer document on ruminant feeding
http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/1237
American Meat Institute chart on strategies used in US to prevent BSE
