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Check what your farm animals are eating
Some animal feeds contain material from ruminant animals (such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer). Examples of this material (called ruminant protein) that could be included in animal feeds are meat, meat meal, bone meal, and blood meal.
Check what is and isn't considered ruminant protein
Feeds that contain ruminant protein must not be fed to ruminant animals. When they eat this material, they can develop brain diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). These diseases have serious consequences – not just for your animals but for the whole of New Zealand.
TSEs are progressive and fatal conditions
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of diseases that affect the brain and nervous system. The 3 most common ruminant TSEs are bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle (also known as “mad cow” disease), scrapie in sheep, and chronic wasting disease in deer. These diseases can be spread when a ruminant animal consumes protein from an infected ruminant.
New Zealand is free of all TSEs. A TSE outbreak here would have a severe impact on our economy. It would change our international trade status, potentially costing billions of dollars in lost exports, and affect many farmers' livelihoods.
Know the rules for feeding ruminant animals
Because of the serious consequences of a TSE outbreak, New Zealand has rules about what is allowed to be fed to ruminant animals.
It is illegal to allow ruminant animals to consume ruminant protein in any form.
The Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 set out the rules around ruminant protein to reduce the risk of TSEs.
You must not:
- give feed containing ruminant protein to any ruminant animal
- buy, import, or make feed for ruminants that contains ruminant protein.
To make sure you follow the rules:
- check for notice labels on animal feed packaging before feeding your farm animals
- keep all feed for your ruminant animals away from ruminant protein to prevent it from becoming contaminated.
Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 – NZ Legislation
Check for notice labels on feed packaging before feeding farm animals
Ruminant protein can sometimes be added to feed for animals that are not ruminants, like pigs or poultry.
Feed containing (or that could contain) ruminant protein will have a notice label with this wording:
- "Notice: Do not feed to sheep, cattle, deer, goats, buffaloes, or other ruminant animals. This product contains or may contain ruminant protein."
Always check for the notice label on feed packaging before feeding your farm animals. If you see the notice:
- do not feed the contents to ruminants.
- do not allow ruminants to have access to the feed.
Prevent contamination of feed with ruminant protein
Keep all feed for ruminant animals away from any ruminant protein.
You must:
- store ruminant feed away from sources of contamination
- make sure you don't add ruminant protein to silage.
If you don't follow the ruminant protein rules
Individuals that fail to comply with these regulations can be fined up to $5,000, and businesses can be fined up to $15,000.
What is and isn't considered ruminant protein
Ruminant animals include cattle, sheep, goats, and deer.
Ruminant protein is protein derived from the tissue (including blood) of a ruminant. This includes meat, meat meal, bone meal, and blood meal.
Substances not considered to be ruminant protein under the regulations are:
- milk, cream, butter, or cheese, or any other product of milk or cream
- tallow (or any derivative of tallow) – as long as the maximum level of insoluble impurities doesn't exceed 0.15% by weight
- rennet
- dicalcium phosphate – as long as it contains no trace of protein or fat
- peptides with a molecular weight of less than 10,000 daltons
- amino acids.
Who to contact
If you have questions about the ruminant protein rules, email feedban@mpi.govt.nz
If you notice unusual symptoms in your animals, report them either to:
- your veterinarian, or
- MPI's Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66
