Past Issue
Vol. 7, No. 3
Supplement
Jun 2001
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Letter
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Read original article, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no1/brown.htm
Read author's reply, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no3_supp/brown.htm
To the Editor: The article by Brown et al. (1) contains the statement "it appears likely that changes in the rendering process that had taken place around
1980 allowed the etiologic agent in infected carcasses to survive." If that is the case, why not revert to the rendering methods used before 1980? That
measure would seem more cost-effective than trade embargoes and mass killing of cattle. Meal made from meat and bone was used as a livestock feed
additive in many countries without the apparent disastrous effect seen in the United Kingdom. Did the rendering methods remain unchanged in these other
countries? Historically, rendering was viewed somewhat differently in continental Europe; the primary purpose was not to make animal feed but to
destroy infectious agents, as indicated by the very name of the facility: destruction plant (Destruktionsanstalt). The plants were under governmental
inspection and there were mandatory time-temperature requirements for processing meat, bones, and other offal. Temperature requirements varied from
120°C to 140°C, which presumably would reduce if not eliminate prions. It would be of interest to see a description and objective analysis of rendering
methods and regulations in various countries before and after 1980. In these times when the concept of hazard analysis and critical control points
(HACCP) is gaining popularity, it would seem natural to extend the principle of process control to rendering. One might easily get the impression that
policies to control bovine spongiform encephalitis are dominated by some of the stakeholders: the researchers writing their next research grant proposals,
the public agencies eager to show prompt response, and those who would like to see their competitors' beef kept off the market.
Hans Riemann
Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
Reference
- Brown P, Will RG, Bradley R, Asher DM, Detwiler L. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: background,
evolution, and current concerns. Emerg Infect Dis 2001;7:6-16.
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