The European Commission has submitted to the Member States a working paper on the future strategy on the use of meat-and-bone meal (MBM) in Europe which will form the basis of a discussion at the Agriculture Council next week in Luxembourg, the Commission explained in a statement this week. The paper is based on the results of a series of inspection visits of the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) to the Member States on the implementation of BSE safety legislation and a first evaluation of the results of increased BSE-testing. The Commission considered that it would be premature to lift the temporary MBM-ban due to expire at the end of June. Instead it suggested keeping the ban in place until the adoption of the proposed legislation on animal by products, foreseen for the beginning of 2002. This proposal will establish rules for the production of feed ingredients of animal origin exclusively from animals fit for human consumption. The Commission maintained that a permanent ban of feeding of MBM to non-ruminant species like pigs, poultry and fish is not scientifically justified. Source: Visit the paper on the Commission site.
