As Canada gets ready to implement its new feed regulations in July banning certain specified risk materials (SRMs) from all animal feeds, a new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) emerged in early February in a mature bull in Alberta.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspectors have confirmed the animal was born in 2000 and was at least six and half years old at the time of its death. Information collected through the investigation also indicates the animal was born and raised on the farm where it was found. While this is Canada’s ninth case of BSE since May 2003, CFIA has maintained that more cases could be found, especially considering that they are testing cattle most at risk of having BSE. More than 150,000 cattle have been tested since BSE was first detected in 2003. All of Canada’s cases have been detected through the country’s surveillance program with none of the infected animals entering the food and feed chain.
CFIA stated that this latest case should not impact Canada’s BSE country categorization submission to the World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE, in May. In 1997, Canada put in place feed regulations that prohibit the feeding of mammalian proteins to ruminant animals. This latest case is also not expected to impact Canada’s trade with the United States, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. The U.S. Department of Agriculture accepted comments until March 12, 2007, on a proposed minimal risk rule that specifies additional movement of cattle and beef from Canada into the United States.
Meanwhile, precautionary movement restrictions on cattle from nine farms in Saskatchewan were put in place because they received feed that did not meet Canada’s current feed ban requirements. CFIA stated that there is no food safety risk associated with meat and other products from the exposed animals.
The contamination occurred when misidentified ruminant meat and bone meal was distributed from a processor to feed mills and subsequently used as an ingredient in certain ruminant animal feeds, which is not permitted under Canada’s feed ban. The processor and mills notified CFIA once the error was detected, who immediately initiated an investigation.
All of the contaminated feed has been recalled and CFIA has verified that all receiving farms have been properly cleaned. Preliminary findings of a science-based assessment indicate that the risk to animal health is, at most, very low. No exposed animals or their products were exported. CFIA will consider enforcement actions once the investigation concludes.
These events come just months before Canada will start enforcing its enhanced feed ban put in place last year in which certain SRMs will be prohibited in all animal feeds, pet food, and fertilizer in an effort to eliminate BSE from the country’s herd within 10 years. Effective July 12, 2007, a CFIA permit will be required for anyone handling, transporting, or disposing of SRMs.
All federally inspected plants and large meat operations must also be ready to segregate and dye SRMs. Smaller operations will have until January 30, 2008, to comply.
In Canada, SRMs are defined as the distal ileum of the small intestine from bovines of all ages, and the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia (nerves attached to the brain), eyes, tonsils, spinal cord, and dorsal root ganglia (nerves attached to the spinal cord) from cattle over 30 months of age. SRMs can be in raw, rendered, composted, or carcass form and the regulation does not differentiate between edible carcasses and deadstock. If SRMs have not been removed, the whole carcass will be treated as an SRM. If SRMs are not segregated from raw waste, the total volume must be handled as SRMs.
According to Farm Business Communications, abattoirs, which generate 92 percent of bovine waste and renderers who choose to process it, will bear the brunt of the new regulations. Farm operators are exempt from staining, segregating, and permitting if the SRMs are disposed of on their premises. But they still must maintain records of what they did with the SRM. Burial and composting are approved in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, but open-fire burning is not (except in unusual circumstances).
In Ontario, scavenging is not allowed. Alberta is the only province with formal guidelines for natural disposal.
In mid-March, CFIA launched a communications campaign to raise awareness of the new safeguards that will affect anyone handling, transporting, or disposing of SRMs, including cattle producers; abattoirs; renderers; fertilizer, pet food, and feed manufacturers; waste management facilities; and transporters. Booklets, brochures, and posters are being distributed to individuals, groups, and organizations, and public notices are appearing in agricultural publications and community newspapers across Canada. CFIA is also hosting technical workshops for regulated parties.
More on Canada’s impending SRM ban is available on CFIA’s Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca/bse.
International Report - April 2007 Render