The long-awaited final feed rule was made public Wednesday and it is scheduled to be published in Friday's edition of the Federal Register. The proposed rule was originally published Oct. 6, 2005. The final rule is now "on display" on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site. The rule will become effective one year from April 27. In an expansion of the 1997 feed rule, the updated version will cover fallen cattle, and it will prohibit the use of the entire carcass of cattle over 30 months of age unless the brain and spinal have been removed. The infective agents for BSE – bovine spongiform encephalopathy – are most prevalent in the brain and spinal cord tissues, scientists say.
The new rule includes all cattle over 30 months "not inspected and passed for human consumption unless: 1) the cattle are shown to be less than 30 months of age, or 2) the brains and spinal cords were effectively removed or effectively excluded from animal feed use." Despite comments on the rule proposing it be broadened to include blood, FDA is not prohibiting the use of blood and blood products in animal feed "because we believe such a prohibition would do very little to reduce the risk of BSE transmission," the rule said.
To view the rule, click HERE.