April 28, 2014
US FDA to revise livestock feed rules amid brewers'' objections
In view ofobjections about the potential cost from brewers who sell grain leftover from making beer to ranchers and dairy farmers, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will revise proposed livestock feed rules.
Brewerssay their grain is already covered by food safety rules for humans. High-quality grain left over from the brewing process provides an important source of protein and fibre for cows in the dairy industry, said John Kappelman, a long time farmer who now has a feed business in Port Washington, Wisconsin.
With the new rule, beer makers fear they would have to pay for grain testing, equipment, audits and other safety measures at an estimated cost of US$13.6 million per brewery, likely affecting the price of beer, beef and dairy products. Brewers had warned that to avoid passing on those costs, the
grain could end up in landfills if the new FDA rules added too much expense to beer production or the storage and transportation of grains. They gained support from federal lawmakers who lobbied the agency to take another look at its proposal.
Livestock feed is generally safe, and the FDA is not aware of any problems with brewers'' grain, McChesney said. The agency did not intend to force beer makers to come up with costly food safety plans, but it is concerned about potential contamination between the factory and the farm, he said.
MillerCoors official Steve Rockhold said his company sells grain to hundreds of farms around its breweries, and has been doing so since the late 1800s. The grain goes directly from the brewing kettle into a tank, where it''s held before being trucked to farms.
The FDA proposed the rules as part of its implementation of the 2011 Food Safety Modernisation Act, which is aimed at preventing outbreaks of foodborne illness. Oneexample was the 2007 contamination of pet food from China with
melamine, which killed hundreds of dogs and cats in the US.
The FDA plans to release revised rules this summer and will seek comments before issuing a final rule next year.