The recent decision by the European Union (EU) to allow the inclusion of certain animal protein sources in livestock diets has ‘madness’ written all over it.
The principle works as follows: Specific forms of pork protein can be included in poultry diets and vice versa.
Ruminant protein sources are completely excluded from the new measures.
The European Commission says that the science associated with this measure is totally solid.
Moreover, it is not paving the way for any form of cannibalism taking place within the pig and poultry industries.
Processed Animal Protein – PAP
According to Brussels, the decision to allow Processed Animal Protein (PAP) sources has been taken because other livestock industries around the world are allowed to use these materials.
So, it’s all about putting EU farmers on a level playing field from a cost of production point of view.
Significantly COPA, the organisation that represents the interests of farming organisations around the EU, has been pushing for this measure to be taken.
Personally, I don’t care about the science. In my eyes, this decision has the potential to devastate Europe’s meat industry, if consumers are made aware of what’s going on. With them, it’s all about perception.
The average man or woman in the street does not have a doctorate in science and may well view this decision as allowing some form of cannibalism to take place within the EU’s livestock farming industries.
Memories of BSE crisis
Those old enough will also have very fresh memories of the madness caused by the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis, the impact of which can still be discerned within many consumers’ attitudes towards red meat.
Europe does not need another food scare, particularly one ‘manufactured’ by the very people who are supposed to be looking after the interests of the EU’s farmers and consumers.
If Brussels has concerns with these matters on competition grounds, then surely the way to tackle the problem is to ban the import of poultry and pork from countries where these feeding strategies are implemented.
Actually, this is the way the matter should have been dealt with from the get-go.
European farmers and consumers could have been very easily ‘protected’ from these imports on the back of the commission declaring that they do not meet EU production standards.
European Commission
There is something very hypocritical in the way the European Commission goes about its business, in my view.
This is the same organisation that has fought tooth and nail to prevent the feeding of genetically modified (GM) maize to livestock, in full knowledge that the corn flakes we all eat for breakfast are full of the stuff.
As I understand it, Ireland and France abstained when it came to the vote to allow PAP in EU animal diets.
In my opinion, this has a ‘Pontius Pilate approach’ to decision-making written all over it.
I also feel strongly that every Irish MEP should call out the PAP decision for what it is – absolute madness.