Animal proteins back on the menu for pigs and poultry

The use of processed insect protein in pig and poultry feed would also be possible under the proposed changes. Keystone / Yoshiko Kusano

More than 20 years after the outbreak of mad cow disease and the ban on meat-and-bone meal, certain animal proteins could once again be allowed, subject to strict conditions. On Monday, the Federal Department of Home Affairs sent out for consultation proposed amendments to the legislation.

The proposed amendments include the possibility of feeding processed-poultry proteins to pigs and vice versa. This would enable better use of high-quality slaughter by-products that are not used in human food: processed proteins are in fact well suited to feeding omnivorous livestock, the home affairs ministry said on Monday.

The legislative amendment had been requested in several parliamentary interventions. It is in line with the desire to promote sustainable agriculture and the agri-food industry, and maintains equivalence with European law.

+ Is mad cow disease making a comeback?

On the basis of the latest scientific knowledge, the European Union has authorised the use of certain animal proteins in animal feed since September 2021. In Switzerland, the home affairs department intends to amend one ordinance and issue a new ordinance on animal by-products and on the use of animal by-products, as animal feed or fertiliser, respectively.

Insects too

According to these texts, which are out for consultation until December 15, feed for poultry and pigs could contain processed proteins from pigs and poultry, respectively, subject to well-defined conditions. The use of processed insect protein in pig and poultry feed would also be possible.

+ Eating insects is still a lot to ask

To guarantee the safety of animal foodstuffs and avoid any contamination, businesses in the food, processing, animal-feed manufacturing and storage sectors will be subject to strict hygiene rules, said the home affairs ministry.

In the early 2000s, meat-and-bone meal was banned after it was established that it was involved in bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, which decimated livestock and reduced consumer confidence in certain cuts of meat and offal.

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