Loopholes in the feed ban Posted by frayam at 05/03/05 01:55 PM

You wouldn't feel too hot either if you were made to eat chicken feces, feathers, sawdust and cow's blood.

Vegetarian cows need vegetarian diets. It's that simple. In 1997, the FDA banned the practice of feeding remains of dead cattle to live cattle. But lax enforcement by the FDA and loopholes in the feed ban, still allow cows to be fed to other animals, and other animals to be fed to cows. The ground-up remains of a mad cow may be fed to a pig or a chicken, which could then be fed back to a cow, then end up on our plates.

The feed ban also neglects to include cow's blood, poultry litter and plate waste from restaurants. Calves taken from their mothers are fed milk replacers which often contain cow's blood added as a cheap protein supplement. Poultry litter, which contains chicken feces, feathers, sawdust, and uneaten feed containing cow parts, and plate waste from restaurants such as leftover steaks are added to cattle feed as well. Cooking, chemical disinfection and irradiation does not destroy mad cow disease. Read more.

These practices are now under public comment, but the USDA and FDA predict it could take up to a year or more to decide the best framework for an animal feed safety standard. Visit NotinMyFood.org to help change the system.

comments (2)

1 Posted by Kathy Watkins at 10/05/05 03:29 AM

Oh. My. God.

How did the cattle and livestock industry get so insane? Cows are vegetarians! So are chickens! What kind of twisted mind would come up with the idea of feeding them cows blood and poultry litter?!

I'm passing your post on to some friends who will, I'm sure, be just as grossed out as I am.

2 Posted by Angelique at 03/12/08 10:25 PM

All in the name of the mighty dollar.