Farmers, farming leaders and scientists may be happy with this decision; also seen on the poll on this website where we asked if the EU should lift the ban on feeding animal protein to farm animals. Almost 50% of the voters chose the option: Yes, it is the best protein to feed, but cannibalism should be avoided.
However, re-introduction of meat and bone meal would probably not be tolerated by the public. Supermarkets have also stressed that they would not sell meat produced in this way.
Safety guarantee
So what is the solution? Tests commissioned by the EU’s
Economic and Social Committee (EESC) showed that there is no safety risk from
adding pig remains to chicken or poultry parts to pig feed. So if you make sure
that animals don't eat 'themselves' (cannibalism), everything should be fine
right?
Unfortunately that is easier said than done, unless a good traceability
system is in place which is clearly communicated to all the parts in the food
and feed chain including the consumers. "The way in which proteins are
identified and the methods used to trace the meat meal in which they are found
must give consumers a cast-iron guarantee that pigs are fed on meat meal
obtained exclusively from the by-products of poultry, and that poultry is fed on
meat meal obtained exclusively from the by-products of pigs" according to the
EESC.
Need for recycling
Until know, no definite decision has been made if there will be a relaxation
of the feed ban at all and the lively debate which is going on at the moment
will probably harp on for a few months. At the same time, due to high raw
material prices, farmers are increasingly looking for alternative feed sources,
mainly by products from the food and biofuel industry. Recycling waste products
is necessary to safeguard a sustainable green environment and a viable livestock
industry. In my opinion, recycling animal by products (such as meat and bone
meal) in a safe way is no exclusion in this process. It would benefit farmers
and the economy in general.
Author: Emmy Koeleman
