UK cautiously explores lifting the ban on PAP feed for pigs & poultry

UK cautiously explores lifting the ban on PAP feed for pigs and poultry The UK is gradually reconsidering its long-standing ban on processed animal proteins (PAPs) in pig and poultry feed, originally imposed in the wake of the BSE crisis of the 1980s. This epidemic resulted in the culling of 4 million cattle and caused 178 human deaths from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Consultation launched in Scotland A consultation initiated by the Scottish Government in late 2024 is exploring the potential use of poultry PAPs in pig feed and porcine PAPs in poultry feed. Adrian Kesterson, technical advisor for FABRA UK, highlighted that similar consultations are expected to take place in England and Wales later this year. Kesterson explained that if the consultations result in positive feedback, the government will begin drafting legislation, though changes are unlikely to be implemented before 2026. He emphasized that UK farmers and feed producers are keen to access PAPs, just as their European counterparts have since 2021, adding, “Public and retailer sentiment remains to be gauged, but no backlash was reported in Europe after the rule change.” EU policy: PAPs inclusion in feed The European Union (EU) updated its regulations in 2021, allowing the...