FDA sets date for final feed ban, says downer cattle could be composted or landfilled

The Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that the final rule banning cattle materials at a high risk of carrying bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, from all animal feed will go into effect Monday, April 27. Tom Johnston of Meatingplace reports, "FDA had proposed delaying the ... effective date by two months and allowed a week-long comment period after industry organizations turned up the volume on concerns about the disposal of prohibited cattle materials and difficulties in modifying operations to comply with the rule."

We reported here that "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."

The FDA said in its formal notice, "The rule provided a 12-month delayed effective date to allow sufficient time to arrange for alternative disposal. Where services to remove brain and spinal cord will not be available, such arrangements might include composting dead stock cattle, or disposing of dead stock cattle in landfills." (Read more)