VANCOUVER – The federal government has vowed to keep an $80 million promise to help meat processors eliminate cattle parts from all animal feed, pet food and fertilizers and safely dispose of the material.
Francois Guimont, president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, told the annual meeting of the Canadian Meat Council that the money should be coming soon along with funds from the provinces to strengthen Canada’s feed regulations.
“The money has to flow,” Guimont said. “This has got to roll out.”
The deadline is July 12 and the meat council worries about members’ ability to comply, especially smaller facilities, even though they received an extra six months to prepare. Processors are reluctant to start projects without approval or money, which must come from provinces because waste management is a provincial responsibility.
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Removing specified risk material from cattle carcasses prevents cross contamination in a plant that uses meat and bone meal to make animal feed. Council past president Conrad Huber worries the provinces are stalling on this 60-40 arrangement.
“We want to meet the deadline but the provinces are dragging their heels.”
Federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl said other countries are aware that Canada is intent on removing SRMs from the feed system.
“I certainly recognize that is a challenge for some of your operations, but we should remember the ultimate goal of this undertaking, which is speeding our progress toward the elimination of BSE in Canada, is all the more important because of the announcement of this latest case,” Strahl told the meat packers, referring to a new BSE case in Alberta that was announced last week.
The promised ban is part of a 50,000 page document that Canada used to persuade the World Animal Health Organization, known as the OIE, that it should be considered a BSE country with controlled risk status. Such status would relax trade barriers against Canadian beef and cattle when it becomes official.
“A stronger feed ban places Canada in a very strong position to maintain current market access and take full advantage of opportunities,” Strahl said.
Susie Miller, Agriculture Canada’s director general of operations, said the money is available, but the federal government must negotiate with each province individually because each has its own environmental challenges and different regulations that require customized disposal programs.
“They have to establish the best way to move forward with the disposal of SRMs,” she said in an interview.
Funding may be retroactive, but processors want to know their projects are approved before starting construction.
The CFIA must approve all proposals, which in most cases will see the material going to a landfill after rendering or further incineration. There is talk of finding further uses for it such as biofuel, separating fat for tallow and mixing it with cement. More research may also be conducted into adding value to what has become a waste product.
“SRM disposal and disposal of animals with TSEs has been studied throughout the world,” Miller said.
The enhanced feed ban covers SRMs from older cattle, including brains, spinal cords and other tissues that are likely to contain the infective agent if an animal has BSE. Canada aims to eliminate BSE within 10 years.
