Hi: The following might be helpful to you.
BSE regulations
· Additional regulations have been developed to prevent the introduction of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United States. Effective
October 12, 2001, all processed animal proteins from countries not affected
by BSE must be accompanied by an original certificate signed by a
veterinarian of the agency responsible for animal health in the exporting
region. Shipments not accompanied by the correct documentation are to be
refused entry into the US as of the October 12 deadline. Brokers/importers
will be given the option of destroying the shipment or re-exportation. Some
of the items that will require this certificate include:
· Meat meal
· Bone meal
· Meat and bone meal
· Blood meal
· Dried plasma and other blood products
· Poultry meal
· Feather meal
· Offal
· Tankage
· Fish meal
· Fish oil
This list is not all-inclusive. For questions regarding whether a shipment
requires this certification, contact Veterinary Services, National Center
for Import and Export at +1.301.734.3277 or the Plant Protection and
Quarantine's Veterinary Medical Office at +1.301.734.7633.
_____________________________
As far as analysis goes, it is still in the development stage but the
following might be of interest.
i) Feed microscopy
ii) Near infra-red spectroscopy (NIR)
iii) ELISA
iv) PCR
i) Feed Microscopy (UK DEFRA, Luddington)
A project to detect levels of two types of mammalian meat and bonemeal
(MMBM), one with high and the other with low bone content, at levels of 2%,
1%, 0.5% and 0.1% in various background feeds was carried out by the UK
Government Veterinary Laboratory at Luddington. A trained technician
succeeded in detecting down to 0.1% of both MMBM materials in fishmeal,
rapeseed meal and sunflower. However, more time was needed with fish meal,
(30 minutes per sample), making the method more time consuming than in
rapeseed meal (2 minutes), and limited by the need for specialist trained
personnel.
ii) NIR (Scottish Agricultural College, Aberdeen)
Using NIR calibrated with 67 samples of contaminated (with MMBM) and
non-contaminated fishmeal, 69 'blind' samples were tested with 0, 3%, 6% and
9% MMBM. All contaminated samples were detected, but one pure sample was
reported as contaminated - a false positive. It is believed this method,
with further calibration, could detect down to 1%. Because it is so rapid,
it could be used for widespread screening for fraudulent adulteration -
likely to be over 3% for fraud to be justified, rather than contamination.
iii) ELISA (Immunolex/State Serum Institute, Copenhagen
This test is based on an antibody reaction (antibodies produced in rabbits)
to different proteins. They cross-react with new sites created on the
heated (133o, 140o and 156o) proteins from different species, but can be
made species-specific. Immunolex are confident that the method is already
very species specific and sensitive even to products subjected to the
highest temperature (156o). They claim it will detect as little as 0.1%
MMBM, but require a further six months to fully develop the test. They
believe it could be developed to allow material to be tested by a 'dip-stick
' which changes colour.
iv) PCR Atlangene Laboratory, France
This laboratory has developed a method of DNA identification by polymerase
chain reaction (PCR). They amplify and identify regions of mitochondrial
DNA that are species-specific. They have been successful with material
heated to 114oC and are confident the method will work for material heated
up to 140oC.
Whilst the above ELISA and PCR tests identify animal meals by species, the
PCR method would not differentiate milk protein from MMBM. The ELISA method
needs testing in this respect, but could in theory be adapted either to
detect or not to detect milk proteins.
Regards
Tony Bimbo
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lorena Noriega Orozco" <lnoriega@cascabel.ciad.mx>
To: <seafood@ucdavis.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 6:33 PM
Subject: BSE analysis for fish soluble
> Does any of you know the reason that a BSE analysis is
> necesary to import fish soluble (to use as fertilizer) to
> USA, and who can carry out the anlaysis?.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help,
>
> Lorena Noriega
> CIAD Unidad Guaymas
>
>
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