Quote:
this is incorrect...no beef waste is allowed in chicken feed (not unless they have changed the laws)... it is why many look to game feed to get the meat protein they want for their chickens *not sure what the protein source for that is btw).....
However you do not need to worry about beef tissue (and possible prion disease from it) and your chicken feed because it is not allowed.
Actually, here in the United States it IS true. That fact was well-document and explored by Michael Pollan back in 2002 (way before Barbara Kingsolver's book). Not only is beef allowed to be fed to chicken, but that chicken by-product is allowed to be fed BACK to the beef, creating a closed loop system. You can read the full article ...........
I am
only addressing the issue of beef protein being used in
chicken feed ...it is forbidden
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/dairybeefprod.html
INFORMATION FOR DAIRY AND BEEF PRODUCERS -- PROTEIN FEED RULES
"Dairy and beef cattle producers are now prohibited from feeding to their cattle certain commonly used protein feed ingredients made from rendered mammalian tissue. The rules, issued in August 1997 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are designed to prevent the establishment and spread in the U.S. of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The disease, commonly known as "Mad Cow Disease," has been found in European cattle herds, but has not been diagnosed in the U.S.
The rule bans most types of protein made from mammalian tissue from feeds given to cattle and other ruminants (four-stomached-animals). An example of this protein is meat and bone meal made from cattle byproducts. Cattle may become infected with BSE when they eat contaminated protein products made from rendered diseased animals.
Feed manufacturers, protein blenders, and rendering companies are required to label any feeds or feed ingredients containing prohibited material with the warning statement, "Do not feed to cattle or other ruminants." FDA can take action against a company that sells prohibited material that does not have the warning label on it, especially if that feed is sold to cattle producers.
The rule has several provisions that apply to you, as a dairy or beef cattle producer:
You must watch for that warning label, and avoid using any prohibited feed in cattle rations.
If you suspect that feed may contain prohibited ingredients, do not accept it until you are sure it does not. Buy feed products only from companies that comply with the new rules.
If you mix feed for both cattle and non-ruminant animals (such as hogs and poultry) and you use prohibited material in the non-ruminant feed, you must either use a completely separate mixer for the cattle feed or carefully clean out your mixer to be sure no prohibited material contaminates the cattle feed. Even if you do not mix your own feed, but purchase feed for both cattle and non-ruminants, you must take steps to make sure that any prohibited material intended for your non-ruminant animals is not accidentally fed to your cattle.
You must keep records for a minimum of one year concerning all animal protein ingredients you buy and use with your cattle. For one year, keep copies of purchase invoices and labeling of all feeds that you receive containing animal protein products. The copies must be available for government inspectors. Keep at least one representative copy of the label from each type of feed you buy. FDA on-farm records inspections will be limited, but will be needed to verify that prohibited material is not being sold for feeding to cattle.
If you are careful in selecting feed and feed ingredients, and you keep adequate records, then you will not be found in violation of FDA's rules. More important, you will be doing all you can to protect your herd from risk of this disease.
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Issued by:
FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine,
Communications Staff, HFV-12
7519 Standish Place, Rockville, MD 20855
Telephone: (240) 276-9300 FAX: (240) 276-9115
Internet Web Site:
http://www.fda.gov/cvm"
The restrictions increased in later years (the above from 1998)to include rendered fat (following per 2006) :
http://www.renderers.org/North American Rendering V 2.pdf
"Animal byproducts that would otherwise have been discarded have for centuries been rendered into fat which is an essential ingredient in the
manufacture of soap, candles, glycerin, and industrial fatty acids.
More recently animal protein meals have been produced as feed supple-
ments for companion, meat producing animals"
Rendering is a cooking and drying process that yields fat of varying grades, both edible and inedible, and animal and poultry protein meals. At one time fat was separated from raw material by boiling the raw material with water, a process known as wet rendering. Now it is done by dry rendering, a process that releases the fat by dehydrating raw material in a batch or continuous cooker. This process eliminates the direct physical contact of added water and live steam with raw materials. .................
..... Feed grade animal fat or more properly, "fat product, feed grade," as officially defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (2006) is "any fat product which does not meet the definitions for animal fat, vegetable fat or oil, hydrolyzed fat, or fat ester. It must be sold on its individual specifications which will include the minimum percentage of total fatty acids, the maximum percentage of....................................
.............The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory authority over the production of rendered products. Section 201 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act defines food as "articles used for food or drink for man or other animals."
This section of the act categorizes animal feed with food for humans. ...."
