The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced this week the bolstering of its BSE rules by banning specified risk materials (SRMs) from all animal feeds, pet foods and fertilizers.

Chuck Strahl, Minister of Ag and Agri-Food, says extending SRM controls to all animal feeds addresses potential contamination that could occur during feed production, transportation, storage and use. Meanwhile, removing SRMs from pet food and fertilizers is intended to mitigate the risk associated with the potential exposure of cattle and other susceptible animals to BSE through misuse of these products.

The new regs take effect July 12, 2007, with small establishments allowed more time for full compliance.

SRMs include the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia (nerves attached to the brain), eyes, tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (nerves attached to the spinal cord) of cattle aged 30 months or older and the distal ileum (portion of the small intestine) of cattle of all ages.
-- Joe Roybal