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Feeding Ruminant Protein to Ruminants is Banned

         Biosecurity invited the NZ Llama Assn to be part of its Ruminant Protein awareness programme. They asked to include our logo on the information that they produce, and also that we make our members aware of the programme and requirements of the Regulations.

The Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations, 1999 aim to preserve New Zealand’s BSE-free status and manage the risk of a BSE outbreak.  The regulations prohibit the feeding of ruminant protein (except dairy produce) in any form to ruminant animals.  The purpose of this feed ban is to minimize the risk of contamination by ruminant protein, of feed intended for ruminants in feed mills that also produce feed for non-ruminant animals.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease of cattle. The disease spreads when cud-chewing animals like cattle, sheep, goat, deer, llamas and alpacas consume feed derived from BSE-infected cattle. It takes less than one gram (the size of a peppercorn) of brain tissue from a BSE-infected animal to cause an infection. Therefore you must not feed cud-chewing animals anything that contains ruminant protein such as meat-and-bone-meal (MBM), blood meal, blood-and-bone meal and bone meal. Dairy produce is excluded from the definition of ruminant protein.

To ensure BSE doesn’t infect New Zealand ruminants, feed and fertiliser must be labelled correctly and conform to the requirements set out in the Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999.

The labelling requirements apply to anyone who produces, sells, or distributes feed or ruminant protein containing fertiliser.

The Regulations define feed as any food for animals produced in premises where ruminant protein is produced, rendered, or utilised.

Obligation to label Feed

All feed that contains ruminant protein must display the following label on the front of the feed bag.

NOTICE: NOT TO BE FED TO SHEEP, CATTLE, DEER, ALPACAS, GOATS, OR OTHER RUMINANT ANIMALS

Feed that does not contain ruminant protein must display one of the following notices on the feed bag. 

NOTICE: SUITABLE FOR FEEDING TO (insert ruminant species or type)

NOTICE: SUITABLE FOR INCLUSION IN FEED INTENDED FOR RUMINANT ANIMALS

There can be no variation to the words or phrases on the label.