New FDA Rule results in Disposal Fee for Dead Cattle ≥ 30 Months of Age
FDA rule 21CFR 589.2001 is entitled “Cattle Materials Prohibited in Animal Feed (CMPAF) to Prevent the Transmission of BSE.” The FDA Effective date is April 27, 2009, but Wisconsin rendering plants have already implemented this rule.
This rule states that brain and spinal cord of cattle 30 months of age and older may not be rendered for use in any type of animal feed. This rule will obviously affect producers with dead stock and also slaughter facilities; it also affects WVDL when we receive a mature cow or bull for necropsy.
Please be sure to indicate on the WVDL submission form the age of all bovine animals, even young animals. Our records must be auditable by the FDA. Any animal whose age cannot be determined to be less than 30 months by physical examination or a statement by the submitting veterinarian will be treated as if it were over 30 months old.
How this FDA rule affects disposal of dead cattle ≥ 30 months of age:
- Either the entire animal must be disposed of outside the food chain,* or the brain or spinal cord must be removed before rendering.
(*Landfill, incineration, or alkaline hydrolysis tissue digestion)
- In order to minimize disposal cost for your clients, WVDL has opted to remove the brain and the entire spinal column with pelvis from necropsy animals at no charge to you. The rest of the remains will be rendered as usual.
- The brain and spinal column with pelvis will be disposed of using our alkaline hydrolysis tissue digester (Madison), or sent out for industrial incineration (Barron).
- WVDL incurs a cost per pound for each of these methods of disposal, and we must pass that cost on to clients (in addition to the regular necropsy fee).
- In order to simplify this charge, we have checked the average weight of the material to be destroyed from a number of adult cows, and multiplied that number by our per pound disposal cost. This cost $105.00 per adult.
- This fee is effective immediately.