Volume 13: Industry Processes and Controls
7. Animal feed manufacture
Introduction

7.1 The animal feed manufacturing industry, together with the slaughtering and rendering industries, was central to the BSE story. This is because it is believed that most infected cattle were exposed to the BSE agent through feed containing MBM produced by renderers. Furthermore, the infection of some cattle born after the ruminant feed ban (RFB) is believed to be due, at least in part, to cross-contamination of ruminant feed with pig or poultry feed containing ruminant MBM.

7.2 This chapter will examine some features of the animal feed manufacturing industry, including the reasons for the widespread use of MBM in animal feed. It will then describe the processes involved in the manufacture of animal feed at 1986, and some related issues, followed by legislative changes or developments in these processes between 1986 and 1996.

7.3 None of the processes in the animal feed industry are capable of destroying the BSE agent. The Government's controls have therefore been designed to prevent the BSE-infected material from being incorporated in animal feed in the first place, and being fed to ruminants or to other animals. As can be seen in vol. 14: Responsibilities for Human and Animal Health, the animal feed industry was and is subject to extensive regulation under EU legislation and both primary and secondary UK legislation. ¹ The controls introduced by the Government to combat BSE made use of the existing regulatory framework for the industry.