02.06.04

Cantwell to Work to Prevent Spread of Mad Cow with Feed Safety Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C . - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced legislation today that will significantly reduce the spread of mad cow disease by banning the riskiest material from the animal feed supply. The bill, the Animal Feed Protection Act of 2004, would strengthen the current Federal Drug Administration (FDA) feed ban by prohibiting specific risk materials (SRM) in all animal feed, including pet food. It will also set a clear definition of SRMs and prohibit the importation of animal feed that may contain SRMs.

Cantwell's bill strengthens a rule set by Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman on December 30 that banned SRMs in human food. Her legislation would make these same materials deemed too harmful for human consumption as too harmful for animal consumption, as well.

"Consumers need to be assured that our food supply is safe," said Cantwell. "Families sitting at the dinner table should not have to worry about what went into the food they eat. Consumers deserve more protection."

To make our food supply safe and help reopen international markets closed to U.S. beef sales after December's scare, Cantwell's bill would significantly strengthen the current FDA ruminant feed ban. This step was advised in a report released yesterday by the USDA's international review team. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman convened this team on December 31, 2003. In its report released yesterday, the team recommended that the U.S. ban SRMs and defined SRMs to include neural matter from cows over 30 months.

"We must act promptly, to preserve our market share around the world and to help our nation's cattlemen and their families, rural communities and our economy which have been hit hard by this case," said Cantwell.

The bill would expand the SRM ban to include animal feed, animal nutritional supplements, animal medicines, implants or any other article ordinarily ingested or implanted in an animal that contains SRM.

Cantwell's bill contains a clear definition of SRM as the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia (nerve tissue), eyes, tonsils, spinal cord, vertebral column, or dorsal root ganglia (nerve tissue) of cattle and bison 30 months of age and older; or sheep, goats, deer, and elk 12 months of age and older.

The legislation also prohibits the importation of any feed or material intended for feed that might contain SRMs. The bill includes a training provision to help the rendering industry train workers to remove SRMs from animals prior to rendering.