Brussels, 02/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - European organisations in the meat sector have welcomed the possible and conditional reintroduction of animal meal into feed for pigs and poultry.
Due to the virtual disappearance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the EU (67 cases in 2009 compared to 2,167 in 2001), the European Commission made a proposal on 16 July 2010 for animal meal (or processed animal proteins) in food for non-ruminants to be phased back in. In July 2011, the MEPs gave their support to this approach.
In a letter to Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, the professional organisations for livestock farming, meat and rendering lent their support to the sanitary measures proposed by the Commission. They would like processed animal proteins to be made available to a small number of agricultural industrial companies (feed factories) and holdings, in order to limit the risks of misuse. The professionals approve the principle of non-recycling within the same species (no pig meal used in pig feed). The signatories of the letter stressed that the reintroduction of processed animal proteins will help to improve the competitiveness of the European livestock sectors, reduce the Community protein deficit, fight the volatility of cereals prices and limit the prices of animal feed. (LC/transl.fl)