Companies abandon dead-animal disposal due to new FDA regulations on animal-feed makers

A new U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation for animal-feed manufacturers is not only increasing the cost for cattle farmers to dispose of dead cows, but in many areas, is eliminating all options for disposal -- expensive or not. For example, The State Journal in Frankfort, Ky., reports that one Kentucky company is getting out of the dead-animal removal business altogether, forcing counties to take over responsibility for the task.

Nation Brothers "stopped the service in Franklin and 21 other counties to try to get the new regulations rescinded," Charlie Pearl reports. If the new regulations stand, the Nations say their charges for removal will have to increase significantly. Franklin County Judge-Executive Ted Collins says that in the last fiscal year, Nation picked up 301 cows, 31 horses, 34 goats, two hogs and 55 deer in the county for $18,352.

The new FDA regulation requires that animal-feed and dog-food manufacturers to remove brains and spinal cords from all cows older than 30 months, in an attempt to keep mad-cow disease out of the food supply. But cattle farmers say that the regulations impose significant costs on dead-cow disposal, which used to be an inexpensive task. (Read more)