Should animal by-products obtained from securitised animal meats for human consumption be allowed in farm animal feed ?

In late 2002, the use of Bone and Meat Meals (BMM) in animal feeds was prohibited in France and, soon after, in the EU. Bovine meat consumers' confidence was soon restored. However, the BMM ban raised problems of an economic, technical, environmental and ethical nature. Since this time, the situation has changed drastically, with new rules adopted in the EU to make slaughterhouse by-products of a bovine, ovine and caprine nature safer. Among these rules, the most relevant were " Risk Specified Material" (RSM) withdrawal, and systematic slaughterhouse screening for the BSE agent in cattle aged more than 24 months (France) or 30 months. Screening for scrapie in ovine and caprine species is also required, by testing all neurologic cases and by sampling animals (100 000 tests a year) in slaughterhouses and rendering plants. The original herds of positive animals are stamped out and destroyed under some conditions. Animal by-products are now classified according to a new regulation (EC 177412002); those collected from slaughtered animals recognised as safe for human consumption are classified in category 3. After certified treatment, these category 3 by-products are named Transformed Animal Proteins (TAP) and are considered suitable for direct incorporation in animal feed. These new regulations create a special category of sage animal by-products, especially regarding the risk of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSF). Consequently, the French Academy of Medicine suggests that a debate should be opened should be opened at the national and European administrative and professional levels, in order to examine the possible rehabilitation of PAT in animal feeds, and the necessary regulatory conditions.