BSE Prevention ResourcesOn August 15, 2008 Canada announced its fourteenth native case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or "Mad Cow Disease"), a beef cow from Alberta. There have been a total of 16 native BSE cases indentified in North America, only two of them (both beef cattle) in the U.S. While this is a testament to regulatory and industry efforts, producers will need to remain vigilant in order to keep BSE out of our herds. An aggressive testing program and strict enforcement of the preventative animal feeding rules has virtually eliminated BSE from the US herd. The United States government implemented comprehensive BSE preventative measures back in 1997. The most important of these was the prohibition of feeding "high-risk" tissues of mammals (including ruminants) back to ruminants. USDA's surveillance programs test about 40,000 cattle per year. The last US case of BSE was diagnosed in a 10-year old beef cow in 2006, an infection that probably occurred before the animal feeding changes were fully implemented. There have been no cases of the human form of BSE in people linked to consumption of US beef. Of the 16 cases of BSE that have been reported in North America, six have been dairy cows. Dairy producers play a critical role in preventing BSE spread in our country, primarily by ensuring that high-risk feed components are not used in their rations. The following resources help explain how dairy producers can prevent BSE: BSE Prevention: Q&A and Resources for Dairy Producers (PDF) Preventing BSE in Your Herd (Video) CDFA BSE Producer Guide (PDF) Jump down to: Questions & Answers for Dairy ProducersCalifornia 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?
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
Examples of ALLOWED ("exempted") commodities
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 Resourceshttp://dairybeef.ucdavis.edu/home.htm http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/BSE_info.html http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/fflders/safe.html http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Guidance/guidance69.pdf http://www.fda.gov/cvm/guidance/guidance70.pdf http://www.fda.gov/cvm/guida76.htm http://www.meatami.com/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/1237 |
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