Summary for Farmers

Feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants is banned

The Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 ban the feeding of ruminant protein in any form to ruminant animals to protect New Zealand’s BSE free status.

Ruminant animals are cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, deer, alpacas, llamas and all other cud-chewing animals. The regulations do not ban the feeding of ruminant protein to monogastric animals such as pigs and poultry.

Ruminant protein includes meat & bone meal, meat meal, bone meal, blood meal, and blood & bone meal. It does not include milk and milk products.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, is a brain disease of cattle that results in the loss of control of the legs, trembling, wide-eyed staring, swaying of the head and erratic behaviour – hence the term ‘mad cow disease’, which is BSE’s common name. This disease is spread by the consumption of feed ingredients derived from BSE-infected cattle. The brain of a single BSE-infected cow can potentially spread the disease to 5000 other cows.

BSE would have significant impact on New Zealand’s economy because of market restrictions other countries would likely impose on our animal product exports. Even though we are free from BSE, excluding ruminant protein in the feed of ruminant animals is an important requirement for exporting our dairy and meat products.

The Regulations require that:

  • You do not feed ruminant protein to cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goat, deer, alpaca, llama, or any other ruminant animals. All feed sold will display the following label if it contains ruminant protein: NOTICE: NOT TO BE FED TO SHEEP, CATTLE, DEER, ALPACAS, GOATS, OR OTHER RUMINANT ANIMALS.
  • You do not add anything containing ruminant protein in your silage.
  • You may allow your ruminant animals to graze on pasture or crops from land where waste water from plants processing or rendering ruminant material has been irrigated if:
    • The waste water has been screened prior to its release; and
    • There is no visible evidence of the waste water on the crop or pasture.
  • You have a registered Ruminant Protein Control Programme if you mix feed for ruminant animals and also store or use ruminant protein on your property for other purposes, such as for preparing feed for monogastric animals. Additionally, equipment used for making feed for ruminant animals must not be shared for mixing feed that contains ruminant protein. For more information about Ruminant Protein Control Programme please contact Biosecurity New Zealand.

Feeding ruminant protein to cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, deer, alpacas, llamas, and other ruminant animals is punishable by a fine of up to $5000 for individuals and $15,000 for corporations.

Page last updated: 30 April 2008