July 9, 2004

FDA and USDA Announce New Actions to Prevent BSE

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced three actions being taken to further strengthen existing safeguards that protect consumers against the agent that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as "mad cow disease." The three actions are:

1. FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) BSE Interim Final Rule (IFR) banning the use of prohibited cattle materials (which may contain BSE agents) in food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. The rule is immediately effective, but FDA will accept comments for 90 days. The BSE IFR is online at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr04714a.html.

2. FDA/CFSAN BSE Recordkeeping Proposed Rule, a companion to the IFR, requiring manufacturers and processors of human food, dietary supplements, and cosmetics that are manufactured from, processed with, or otherwise contain material from cattle to establish and maintain records. FDA will accept comments on this proposed rule for 30 days. The BSE Recordkeeping Proposed Rule is online at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr04714b.html.

3. USDA and FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM)-advance notice requesting comments and scientific information on additional measures to help prevent the spread of BSE. This ANPRM is online at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr04714c.html. Specifically, the proposed measures would be to:

   1. Remove specified risk materials from all animal feed, including pet food
   2. Require dedicated equipment or facilities for storing feed and ingredients to prevent cross contamination
   3. Prohibit use of all mammalian and poultry protein in ruminant feed, again to prevent cross-contamination
   4. Prohibit materials from non-ambulatory disabled cattle and dead stock from use in animal feed

Today's stakeholder outreach by FDA and USDA included a press conference and three conference calls: One with industry trade associations, one with consumer groups, and one with other federal agencies to briefly describe and explain these actions.

The complete press release announcing these measures is on FDA's website at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/hhsbse4.html.