Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LX (1)
Written by Magdalena TRANDAFIR, Horia ALBU, Rodica TĂNĂSUICĂ
Entry into force of the ban on the use of the processed animal proteins (PAP) in feed for farmed animals and especially in ruminants is considered an important measure of prophylaxis to prevent BSE so the identification and the microscopic estimation of the constituents of animal origin became the official method and mandatory in all Member States. The method allows the identification of bone fragments, muscle tissue, hair, feathers, shell fragments and plant and mineral components. The microscopic analysis depends upon the identification of the hsitological characters macro-and microscopic structural of the processed animal tissue added in feed mixtures. To identify the microscopic animal constituents, some technical conditions are essential: optical microscope, stereo microscope, high-density solvent clarifying agents, microscope with digital visual images support as decision support. Between 2009-2012 were analysed to verify compliance 480 feed samples. Of the total samples analysed , 426 were compound feed (for ruminants, poultry, pigs) and 54 were raw materials (fish meal, premixes, animal fats). The incidence of processed animal proteins in this matrix was on average 0.46%, compared to 99.54% average of samples compliant. Nowadays four different approaches are applied to control the compliance on the prohibition of feeding with PAP: microscopic analysis, immunological analysis, infrared spectroscopy and microscopy (NIR), polymerization chain reaction (PCR). In this stage, the microscopic method is the only method validated and able to identify the nature of the animal in feed components with detection limit of <0.1%, but it cannot accurately detect the species of origin.
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Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
