27.03.2013

Source: Reuters

The European Union (EU) hopes to ease the cost of protein used to make pig and poultry feed by lifting a ban on by-products imposed during the mad cow disease outbreak over a decade ago.

The use of processed animal proteins (PAPs), particularly when cows were fed with feed containing cow protein, was blamed for the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in Europe.

In Europe, PAPs can currently be used in pet food. As of June this year they will also be allowed in EU fish feed.

The next planned step would be to allow them in poultry and pig feed.