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Canada's Enhanced Animal Health Protection

Last update - July 14, 2010

In 1997 the Government of Canada banned the use of certain animal proteins, including ruminant meat-and-bone meal, (also known as prohibited material) in cattle feed.   This measure known as the 1997 Animal Health Protection from BSE was introduced to limit the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada.  The 1997 regulations did not apply to other animals, such as poultry and swine, as they are not at risk for BSE.

Canada introduced Enhanced Animal Health Safeguards on July 12, 2007.  As of that date, all livestock feed, pet food and fertilizers produced and sold in Canada are required to be free of Specified Risk Material (SRM) - those cattle tissues that are capable of transmitting BSE.  These changes are designed to provide additional controls against BSE by addressing the risks associated with cattle being exposed to SRM in feeds made for other animals.

The Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC) supports the Enhanced Animal Health Safeguards as the simplest and most workable solution to enhance Canada’s BSE controls. Banning SRM from all animal feed adds an additional level of protection against the spread of BSE and according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), will prevent more than 99% of potential BSE infectivity from entering the feed system. 

The Canadian feed industry has been a leader in its support for the Enhanced Animal Health Safeguards and we will continue to be leaders in our commitment to ensuring the Enhanced Safeguards are respected by the Canadian feed industry. 

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