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Pigswill ban 'should be reassessed', scientists say
pigs eating
Feeding swill - or food waste - to pigs was banned in 2002 as there was evidence to suggest it was to blame for the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth.
BVA raises concerns about new study
 
A team of Cambridge scientists has said the EU ban on pig swill feeding should be reconsidered.

Feeding swill - or food waste - to pigs was banned in 2002 as there was evidence to suggest it was to blame for the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth.

But researchers from the University of Cambridge say that 1.8 million hectares of land could be saved by lifting the ban and creating pig feed using 'heat treated' food waste.

Heat treating techniques are used in East Asian countries such as Japan to recycle food waste as animal feed.

In a new study published in the journal Food Policy, the research team argue that lifting the ban would not only reduce the amount of land needed by the pork industry, but could also cut feed costs by 50 per cent and provide a use for over 100 million tonnes of food that is wasted in the EU every year.

Lead author Erasmus zu Ermgassen said: "It is time to reassess whether the EU’s blanket ban on the use of food waste as feed is the right thing for the pig industry."

Responding to the study, BVA's senior vice-president John Blackwell told MRCVSonline: "The cost and carbon footprint that would be made in sourcing, transporting and effectively heat treating pigswill for the five million production pigs in the UK would likely be phenomenal, and so could tip the balance against any potential gains this paper says could be made in tackling our food waste problem."

Mr Blackwell also raised concerns about the difficulty of enforcing a heat treating system to the extent that no traces of meat, including pork products, made their way into the feed.

"The commercial pig industry in the UK/EU strives to produce top quality products that are safe for consumers, and the variable nutritional quality of pigswill would not assist this," he said.

Prof zu Ermgassen also quotes concerning figures from a survey that found 25 per cent of smallholder farmers in the UK admit to illegally feeding uncooked food waste to their pigs. Mr Blackwell called the statistic "very worrying" and said this must be addressed.

"The fact they've managed to do this and get away with it so far is not a reason for reversing a well thought-through ban," he added.

Read the full study: Reducing the land use of EU pork production: where there’s swill, there’s a way - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919215001256

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RUMA CA&E extends survey deadline

News Story 1
 RUMA CA&E has extended the deadline for its online survey into vaccine availability.

Vets, SQPs, retailers and wholesalers will now have until Friday, 26 September at 5pm to submit their response.

The survey aims to further understanding into the vaccine supply challenges faced by the sector. It will also consider the short and long term impacts of disruption issues.

Insights are anonymous, and will be shared with industry stakeholders and government bodies.

The survey can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA publishes Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice

The BSAVA has added a small animal nutrition advice booklet to its series of BSAVA guides.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice offers a resource for veterinary professionals to provide appropriate nutrition for animals. As well as maintaining the wellbeing of healthy pets, the guide explores how nutritional requirements change in times of illness and disease.

The guide is divided into five sections, which explore the importance of nutritional assessment; diet types; feeding at different life stages; feeding for specific situations; and feeding for specific diseases. Online resources are also in the BSAVA Library including client handouts and videos.

It is designed to be suitable for referencing, in-depth case planning and team training sessions.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice can be purchased online from the BSAVA store.