May 5, 2008

 

Outrage at European moves to feed animal remains to chickens

 

 

An EU plan to allow pig remains to be fed to chickens is sparking outrage in the region.

 

The proposal, put forward at a time of soaring feed prices, has outraged animal rights campaigners, Muslim organisations and other groups.

 

They claim the move would put families at risk, offend religious sensibilities and lead to a major consumer backlash.

 

'There are two million Muslims in Britain and 25 million in Europe and this move would be a disaster for every one of them,' said Dr Abdel Majid-Katme of the Islamic Medical Association.

 

The RSPCA said it had major concerns about the health risks involved, while agriculture experts warned that many consumers would be offended by the idea of a return to the use of animal remains in farm feeds. '

 

The view was backed by supermarket managers with a spokesman from Waitrose saying the company would not condone the practice or use feed with animal by-products in its poultry supply chain.

 

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was cautious about the move, saying it would back the proposal only if proper safety tests were introduced. A spokesman said support would be given only if the agency is fully satisfied that appropriate and effective testing had taken place

 

In 1994, at the height of the mad cow disease crisis, the EU banned the use of animal remains as feeds but its transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) road map, released in 2005,  said some bans might be relaxed in future.

 

Only poultry feed would be exempt from the current ban on the use of animal remains.

 

Unlike cattle where the feeding of animal remains was linked to mad cow disease, chickens are omnivores that eat both vegetation and meat, officials point out.