A year on from the European Commission allowing processed animal protein (PAP) to be used in fish feed again, no UK feed manufacturer has so far opted to do so, according to the FSA.

All use of PAP was banned in the wake of the BSE crisis, but the EC has allowed poultry and pig PAP to be fed to farmed fish since 1 June 2013.

However, to date no UK feed supplier had applied to take advantage of this, a paper to be presented to the FSA board next week said. “The feed industry have expressed their support for this measure but are unlikely to utilise this measure because most pig and poultry PAP produced in the UK is used in petfood, and for commercial reasons that is expected to remain the case,” it added. “However, if anyone wishes to avail themselves of this derogation, all arrangements are in place for them to do so, on condition that they can demonstrate to our satisfaction that they can satisfy the EU’s key requirements.”

The EC also continued to pursue plans to allow poultry PAP to be fed to pigs and pig PAP to be fed to poultry, but these had been delayed “by the lack of a validated analytical technique to determine the species origin of PAP,” the FSA report said. No legislative changes were likely to happen before 2015, it added

“In addition, the Commission are considering the use of PAP derived from insects for feeding to non-ruminant farm animals, and are expected to request independent scientific advice from the European Food Safety Authority. The UK Government does not yet have an agreed position on any of these proposals.” 

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