May 7, 2004

New FDA Feed Rules Key To Fighting Mad Cow
 

New rules being devised now to strengthen U.S. livestock feed rules will be key in limiting the threat of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Acting Food and Drug Commissioner Lester Crawford said Thursday.

Crawford, speaking to the Consumer Federation of America, said a report issued in February by an international bovine spongiform encephalopathy panel convinced him that there is the possibility of "amplification" of BSE, or mad-cow disease, in the U.S.

The spread of BSE through European countries was a good example of the danger of BSE "amplification," he said.

The U.S. announced the discovery of a case of BSE in December, several months after Canada said it found a case. Both BSE-positive animals were born in Canada, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture officials.

BSE is believed to be spread between cattle through feed if it contains infected ruminant material. FDA oversees the safety of animal feed and has maintained a ban on ruminant material in cattle feed since 1997.

Crawford said, "When you have (BSE) spread out over two countries, you need to be more cautious.... If we don't take some strong steps in the United States, we could also have amplification (of BSE)...."

In January FDA announced it intended to add new restrictions to the feed ban, such as prohibiting the feeding of chicken litter, blood and restaurant plate waste to cattle.

Crawford suggested the new feedban rules FDA is now working on will be stronger than those it unveiled in January, but he refused to give specifics when asked by reporters. He predicted FDA will complete the new rules by the end of May.

"We've had to go back and take a second look and what we're going to come out with late this month will be different than what we would have come out with before...."