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FDA Statement

FDA Statement on Rendered Products Derived From
BSE Cow in Washington State

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that its investigators and inspectors from the states of Washington and Oregon have located all of the potentially-infectious product rendered from the one cow that has tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, known as mad cow disease) in Washington State. The rendering plants that processed all the non-edible material from the BSE cow have placed a voluntary hold on all of the potentially-infectious product, none of which has left the control of the companies and entered commercial distribution. The firms, located in Washington State and Oregon, have assisted and cooperated fully with FDA’s investigation.

Rendering plants typically produce two types of products: meat and bone meal, and fats and oils. Meat and bone meal is a protein supplement used in the manufacture of some animal feeds. FDA’s “animal feed” rule, which took effect in 1997, is a public health measure designed to prevent the spread of BSE by prohibiting the feeding of most mammalian protein to ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats. Currently more than 99% of firms handling mammalian protein are in compliance with the animal feed rule.

FDA continues to work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the states of Washington and Oregon, other public health authorities and Canadian officials to investigate this case of mad cow disease. The agency will provide updates as more information becomes available. Additional information about FDA’s work on BSE and links to other websites is available online at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bse.html.

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