July 9, 2004

U.S. FDA To Hold Briefing Friday On Improving BSE Safeguards

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will host a briefing Friday at 1200 ET (1600 GMT) "to provide technical information about measures to strengthen safeguards against mad cow disease," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

Officials representing the U.S. Department of Agriculture also will be participating in the briefing, HHS said in a news release.

Spokesman Lawrence Bachrok revealed Wednesday that FDA would likely make new disclosures on its efforts to improve its regulations to protect human food and animal feed from BSE "possibly by the end of this week."

FDA has been promising for months to unveil new rules to strengthen its livestock feed-ban regulations that are designed to prevent BSE from spreading in U.S. cattle.

With regards to the feed ban, the American Feed Industry Association, or AFIA, said Wednesday it expects FDA to release an advance notice, laying down a list of its concerns for livestock feed and requesting public feedback rather than unveiling actual new rules.

HHS published several proposals being considered in January to strengthen livestock feed rules such as banning plate waste, chicken litter and mammalian blood and blood products from cattle feed.

But Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said in May the feed-ban rules FDA is now working on will be stronger than those it unveiled in January.