France Resists Animal Protein in Livestock Feed

A few weeks ago, when the European Commission introduced its 12 concrete proposals to monitor and clamp down on the use of antibiotics in livestock production because of a fear they could pass on antibiotic resistance in humans, France together with Germany introduced their own even tighter measures.

Now the French Ministry of Agriculture is turning to the use of meat and bonemeal in animal feed.

The French Minister of Agriculture Bruno Le Maire has said that so long as he is in office it will not be reintroduced in France.

Its use has been banned for well over a decade after it had been labelled as a potential cause of BSE in cattle.

However, the European Commission has recently been considering allowing it to be added to feed for non-ruminants.

A report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) describes the risks associated with the residual presence of processed animal proteins as negligible.

France completed its own assessment of the use of animal proteins in November and has said that it does not support the reintroduction of animal proteins in animal feed.

Mr Le Maire said that he strongly opposes any changes in the regulations of animal feed and has pledged that while he is minister the use of animal meal in France will not be reintroduced.

In South Korea, The Korean Food & Drug Administration (KFDA), which sets maximum residue limits (MRL) for veterinary drugs (as well as pesticides) in livestock products including meat, dairy products, fish and honey, is to review existing veterinary drug MRLs and hopes to finish this process by the end of 2014.

Products with residue levels above the established tolerance are not eligible for entry into commerce, according to a report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

In the UK, new figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reveal that 90 per cent of campylobacter outbreaks at catering venues in the UK were linked to undercooked chicken liver pate.

HPA investigations into the outbreaks revealed that livers used to make the paté were not thoroughly cooked, allowing the liver to remain pink in the centre.

Now the Food Standards Agency has issued a warning to chefs and other caterers to ensure that campylobacter is killed through proper cooking.