Posted April 21, 2014
Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) recently wrote a letter to Margaret
Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urging
the FDA to exempt distillers grain, raw agricultural commodities and byproducts from a proposed rule on animal feed, according to an article by Ethanol Producer
Magazine, available here. KTIC Radio also reported on the story here.
The proposed rule, “Current
Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative
Controls for Food for Animals” was published in the Federal Register on
October 29.
Sen. Johanns wrote that the “rigid framework” proposed
by FDA would increase costs for industry participants with little benefit: “In
particular, I am concerned about FDA regulation of byproducts used in animal
food. Whether the byproducts are from
ethanol plants, breweries, or human food manufacturers, these are an important
part of the supply chain for animal food and help companies reduce waste and
create additional value. However, the
proposed rule included a number of new requirements that would have made the
distribution of byproducts cost-prohibitive.”
Johanns said, “The proposal would increase costs, and
create massive amounts of landfill waste – without any improvements in food
safety. I’m glad FDA has agreed to
revisit this rule and I will continue to advocate for food safety regulations
based on sound science and common sense.”
The full letter is available here.
For more information on food safety, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
