Volume 3: The Early Years, 1986-88
6. Notification of the ruminant feed ban to other countries
OIE Commission, November/December 1989

6.50 A meeting of the OIE Foot and Mouth Disease and Other Epizootics Commission took place from 28 November to 1 December 1989. ¹ A description of the meeting is contained in a MAFF minute dated 4 December 1989. ² It states:

It was a routine gathering of a small specialist Commission of OIE, the FMD and other Epizootic Diseases Commission. The group comprises 3 persons, the Commission Chairman (Swiss), the Vice-Chairman (from Africa) and the Secretary (Dr Donaldson of Pirbright). They are supported by OIE veterinary officials and they also invite appropriate experts and interested parties to their meetings. Their remit for this session was to obtain and assess information available from GB experts on BSE and to consider how this information should be disseminated to other countries. Mr Rees attended as Chairman of the OIE Animal Health Code Commission and spoke in that capacity. His Commission is charged with producing Code guidance covering these diseases [and] recommended methods of control and criteria for international trade.

6.51 Presentations of technical papers were given by Mr Bradley (CVL), and Mr Wilesmith (CVL) and Mr Lowson (MAFF Animal Health Division) gave a summary of the legislative and administrative action taken in the UK. ³ At the meeting a summary document on BSE was discussed, amended and unanimously accepted together with a paper prepared by Mr Bradley, Mr Wilesmith and Mr Lowson providing a brief account of the major features of BSE, its epidemiology and the measures taken to control it in the UK. The summary document (pages 17-19 of the OIE report of the meeting) included the following points: ⁴

1. The increase in exposure of cattle in 1981-82 which led to the appearance of clinical disease in 1985-86 was due to either proprietary concentrate rations or protein supplements containing meat and bone meal contaminated with viable agent;
2. . . . an increasing sheep population and prevalence of scrapie and changes in the industrial processing methods for meat and bone meal production . . . may have resulted in a less effective reduction in the amount of agent in the final product than hitherto;
3. under the heading 'Recommended action for early detection of BSE' reference was made to undertaking studies to determine 'the use of and inclusion rate of ruminant protein in rations fed to ruminants', and it was recommended that consideration be given to 'banning the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants'; and
4. under the heading 'Recommended action for countries wishing to import cattle and cattle products' it was suggested that answers be determined to questions including 'Are ruminant carcasses processed for inclusion in ruminant rations?' and 'Is ruminant-derived meat and bone meal fed to cattle and what is the inclusion rate?'

In addition, the paper providing the brief account on BSE in the UK (Appendix IV of the OIE report of the meeting) noted that the control of BSE in cattle was 'effected largely through the banning of the feeding of ruminant-derived protein to ruminants (since July 1988)'. ⁵