Dog Community

European by-product regulations

Posted : 3/5/2007 11:53:28 AM

From here: [linkhttp://useu.usmission.gov/agri/petfood.html#Petfood%20Ingredient%20Requirements]http://useu.usmission.gov/agri/petfood.html#Petfood%20Ingredient%20Requirements[/link]

So if the plant also manufactures food for export, the by-products used and stored have to be from animals otherwise approved for human consumption. No downed stock.

I suppose it would be too much to hope for that the US had regulations similar to these on domestic products... [8|]

[linkhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32002R1774&model=guicheti]European Parliament and Council Regulation 1774/2002[/link] establishes the health rules concerning animal by-products...requires that animal by-products used in the production of feeds and pet food be derived from the carcasses of animal declared fit for human consumption following veterinary inspection (category 3 products in the regulation). Provisions include a ban on intra-species recycling and fallen stock and restrictions on yellow grease...Pet food plants have to be dedicated to production of product fit for human consumption...

The following issues covered have practical consequences for the U.S. petfood exports to the EU:

Fit for human consumption: all ingredients used for the manufacture of petfood have to be "fit for human consumption" according to EU standards. Only animals declared healthy after ante- and post-mortem examination qualify as ingredients for petfood. Fallen stock is banned.

Registration: pet food and rendering plants have to be registered by and approved by the "third country competent authority", in this case APHIS, as complying with EU requirements. EU requirements include regular inspection by the competent authority, mandatory record keeping and salmonella and enterobacteriacea testing. Only products from companies on the approved establishments list can pass border control into the EU.

Segregation: plants manufacturing and storing pet food are not allowed to manufacture and store animal by-products that do not fulfill EU pet food requirements.

M.W.Lewis

Posted : 3/5/2007 12:09:15 PM

[sm=clapping%20hands%20smiley.gif]Now the U.S needs to follow suit.

(Oh I see , this is the stuff that we export and Europe accepts. So it must meet the standards provided)
"All pet food imported from the U.S. into the European Union has to meet requirements relating mainly to health and labeling aspects. These requirements are generally harmonized throughout the 25 EU member states but they are scattered over different pieces of EU legislation."

papillon806

Posted : 3/5/2007 1:46:31 PM

Here's the catch--- in the US, there isn't a difference in facilities where pet food animals are slaughtered vs. human-food animals (like in Europe). That means that all pet food animals are slaughtered and processed under human consumption laws here. [

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paulaedwina

Posted : 3/5/2007 1:57:07 PM

That means that all pet food animals are slaughtered and processed under human consumption laws here.

Really? Please give some examples of what you mean about 'human consumption laws' under which animals are slaughtered and processed for pet food.

Paula

sooner

Posted : 3/5/2007 1:59:33 PM

Hereford By-products is a dead stock removal company that (in their own words) uses the downed stock for pet food. That meat sure isn't ok for human consumption, so I guess it just goes directly to rendering - no slaughter? And then any company that uses the product made from these animals cannot make anything for export in the same factory.

ETA: I'm also wondering about all slaughtering being under 'human-consumption laws'. Not all meat that is slaughtered is fit for human consumption, there has to be some kind of difference there.

jessies_mom

Posted : 3/5/2007 2:52:55 PM

Eagle Pack's plant is APHIS inspected and their ingredients are EU certified; [linkhttp://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/EP_Testing-QC.html]http://www.eaglepack.com/Pages/EP_Testing-QC.html[/link] . Other holistic companies probably meet these standards too.

Misskiwi67

Posted : 3/5/2007 5:46:51 PM

ORIGINAL: sooner

Hereford By-products is a dead stock removal company that (in their own words) uses the downed stock for pet food. That meat sure isn't ok for human consumption, so I guess it just goes directly to rendering - no slaughter? And then any company that uses the product made from these animals cannot make anything for export in the same factory.

ETA: I'm also wondering about all slaughtering being under 'human-consumption laws'. Not all meat that is slaughtered is fit for human consumption, there has to be some kind of difference there.

So I'm curious... is this still current information, or is this like the "euthanized pets are in pet food" rumor that has been recirculated for 10 years and is no longer true...

sooner

Posted : 3/5/2007 6:02:53 PM

ORIGINAL: Misskiwi67

So I'm curious... is this still current information, or is this like the "euthanized pets are in pet food" rumor that has been recirculated for 10 years and is no longer true...

Hereford By-products is still a dead stock removal company (owned by Merrick). As far as using the stock in pet foods, the source I posted was 3-4 years old I think. In one of the Merrick threads, I posted a link to a Town Hall's meeting minutes, where a representative from Hereford gave a presentation requesting a county subsidy for their services. The comment about using the stock in pet foods was at that meeting.

cc431

Posted : 3/5/2007 9:24:40 PM

ORIGINAL: sooner

ETA: I'm also wondering about all slaughtering being under 'human-consumption laws'. Not all meat that is slaughtered is fit for human consumption, there has to be some kind of difference there.

Chickens in the USA are killed for the human consumption market. Therefore, one could conclude when you see chicken by-product meal listed in dog food, the ingredient would already get a passing grade say under the EU laws.