Amidst the scandal over the presence of horse meat in prepared dishes labelled as beef, Gaston Franco is concerned about the return of animal meal in the diet of farmed fish. Following the “mad cow” crisis (bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic), animal meal was banned in ruminants’ diets in 1997 and then in other animals’ diets in 2001.
Is animal meal making Europe mad?
The European Commission is backtracking, arguing for the improvement of the “long-term sustainability of the aquaculture sector, as these PAP (processed animal proteins) could be a valuable substitute for fish meal, which is a scarce resource.” Indeed, on June 1, 2013, these processed animal proteins (PAP) will be permitted again for aquaculture. The decision was approved in July 2012 by experts of the European Commission, considering the health risk as “negligible.”
Recalling France’s opposition to this measure, Gaston FRANCO wished to respond: “The health risks associated with the return of animal meal cannot be ignored, nor can the current context of consumer uncertainty.”
“Citizens rightly demand guarantees on the traceability of their food. Offering them fish fed with pork proteins, of which they now doubt the origin and quality, will only increase their distrust of the agri-food industry, not to mention the fear of a new ‘mad cow’ case.”
“In the long run, I am also concerned about the economic consequences of this loss of trust on the industry,” he adds.
For Gaston FRANCO, the decision to extend, by 2014, the authorization of animal meal for the feeding of pigs and poultry should be revisited by involving more consumers and industrialists.
