February 5, 2004

US Meat Group Argues Against International BSE Panel Proposals

American Meat Institute Foundation President Jim Hodges said Wednesday the U.S. Department of Agriculture should not adopt proposals made by an international bovine spongiform encephalopathy panel to increase removal of specified risk material from cattle and to expand feed-ban laws.

Hodges told reporters that the panel's proposal that specified risk materials (SRMs), such as brain and spinal cord, from all cattle over 12 months of age be excluded from animal feed and the human food chain would be far too restrictive.

"That essentially says that we are a high-risk country, and I don't think any evidence that I've seen suggests that," he said.

The U.S. currently requires removal of the SRM from cattle over 30 months of age.

When asked how much it might cost to implement the panel's proposal, Hodges answered: "I'm not going to speculate on what the cost would be because I don't think we're going to get there."

Hodges further criticized the panel's recommendation that the U.S. strengthen its feed ban for cattle by prohibiting swine, poultry and other mammalian protein, or meat and bone meal, as ingredients. He said the current feed ban in the U.S. that only prohibits cattle from being fed ruminant material is sufficient.

"It's inconceivable to me that you would want to go to the most aggressive measures," he said and added the the current feed rules have been successful in stopping the spread of BSE in the U.S.

The five-member panel of international experts was convened at the behest of USDA Secretary Ann Veneman to review U.S. safeguards against BSE in the wake of a case discovered here in December. The panel unveiled its report to officials with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wednesday.