Cattle transport regulations in the European Union

The essential items of the relevant EU legislation are described and their effects are discussed. A brief survey of the four most important legal regulations in the EU relevant for cattle transport is given from the point of view of administration. These regulations are: The Directive 91/628/EEC 1991 (protection of animals during transport), Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 (criteria for staging points and route plan), Council Regulation (EC) No 411/98 (additional standards for road vehicles for long distance transport), Commission Regulation (EC) No 615/98 (export refund regulations). Some critical points of the objectives are pointed out.     

Consequences of the ban of by-products from terrestrial animals in livestock feeding in Germany and the European Union: alternatives, nutrient and energy cycles, plant production, and economic aspects.

Consequences of the ban of meat and bone meal (MBM) and animal fat with regard to livestock feeding, cropping, ecology and economy where investigated with an inter-disciplinary approach for Germany and the European Union. Calculations were made for different production systems with pigs and poultry on the basis of statistical data for the production and for the feed markets as well as from requirement data for the respective species and production system. (1.) The ban of MBM from feeding caused a need for alternative protein sources. If all the amount of protein from MBM is to be replaced by soybean meal, in Germany and the EU about 0.30 and 2.30 x 10(6) t would be needed each year (supplementary amino acids not considered). Alternatively, doubling the grain legume acreage in Germany to about 420,000 ha would supply a similar amount of protein. A wider application of phase feeding with adjusted dietary amino acid concentrations, however, would allow for saving protein to an extent which is similar to the amount of protein that was contributed by MBM in recent years. Thus, the ban is a minor problem in terms of ensuring amino acid supply. (2.) However, alternative plant ingredients cannot compensate for the gap in P supply that is caused by the ban. An additional demand for inorganic feed phosphates of about 14,000 and 110,000 t per year is given in Germany and the EU, respectively. So far, this gap is filled almost completely by increased mining of rock phosphates. Alternatively, a general application of microbial phytase to all diets would largely fill this gap. Until the ban, MBM contributed to 57% of the supplementation of P that was needed for pigs and poultry. The ban of MBM makes large amounts of P irreversibly disappearing from the food chain. (3.) Energy from slaughter offal and cadavers can be utilized in different technologies, in the course of which the efficiency of energy utilisation depends on the technology applied. It is efficient in the cement work or rotation furnace if heat is the main energy required. In contrast, the energetic efficiency of fermentation is low. (4.) Incineration or co-incineration of MBM and other by-products causes pollution gas emissions amounting to about 1.4 kg CO2 and 0.2 kg NOx per kg. The CO2 production as such is hardly disadvantageous, because heat and electrical energy can be generated by the combustion process. The prevention of dangerous gaseous emissions from MBM burning is current standard in the incineration plants in Germany and does not affect the environment inadmissibly. (5.) The effects of the MBM ban on the price for compound feed is not very significant. Obviously, substitution possibilities between different feed ingredients helped to exchange MBM without large price distortions. However, with each kg MBM not used in pig and poultry feeding economic losses of about 0.14 [symbol: see text] have to considered. In conclusion, the by far highest proportion of raw materials for MBM comes as by-products from the slaughter process. Coming this way, and assuring that further treatment is safe from the hygienic point of view, MBM and animal fat can be regarded as valuable sources of amino acids, minerals and energy in feeding pigs and poultry. Using them as feedstuffs could considerably contribute to the goal of keeping limited nutrients, phosphorus in particular, within the nutrient cycle and dealing responsible with limited resources.     

The "Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut": past, present and future of research in infectious diseases of animals

The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, founded in 1910 by Friedrich Loeffler, the discoverer of the first animal virus, foot-and-mouth disease virus, is the oldest virological research facility in the world. Beyond viruses, its area of competence has significantly expanded since its foundation and now also covers bacterial, parasitic and prion diseases of livestock, poultry and aquatic animals. Presently located at four sites within Germany (Insel Riems, Jena,Tübingen,Wusterhausen) the tasks of the institute as delineated in the Animal Disease Act encompass research on infectious animal diseases including zoonoses, import/export examinations, epidemiological studies in case of outbreaks of notifiable animal diseases, acting as reference laboratory for notifiable animal diseases and nationwide quality management of diagnosis of notifiable animal diseases. It is obliged to publish and maintain up-to-date diagnostic regimes for notifiable animal diseases, and it publishes a yearly report on animal health in Germany. With the increasing importance of infectious diseases of animals, in particular those potentially harmful to man (zoonoses), the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut will be moving into new facilities including laboratories and animal facilities up to the highest biosafety level at its main site Insel Riems on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.     

美国、欧盟和中国饲料管理法规现状及发展趋势

文章综述了美国、欧盟和中国的饲料管理的主要法律、法规、指令、指南等。美国、欧盟的饲料管理法规建设历史长、系统、完整、科学、可操作性强。我国饲料管理法规建设发展相对较晚,发展很快,需要借鉴美、欧的经验。饲料法规的发展趋势是更为科学、系统、操作简便、高效率,有利于保护食品安全、动物安全与福利、有利于建立公平、和谐的法制环境,促进饲料工业的可持续发展。     

Veterinary pharmacovigilance. Part 1. The legal basis in the European Union

Pharmacovigilance is a growing discipline and nowhere is this more true than in the context of the legislative requirements for veterinary pharmacovigilance within the European Union (EU), or more specifically, within the European Economic Area. Since 1995, the legislation governing the authorization of veterinary medicinal products in the EU has resulted in the older national procedures being replaced by the mutual recognition procedure and the centralized procedure. Also since 1995, the regulatory requirements for pharmacovigilance have developed and grown, as have the associated guidelines. The recent review of European veterinary medicines legislation, which concluded with the publication of an amending directive and a new regulation in March 2004, has introduced refinements to the pharmacovigilance system. This paper examines the EU legislation governing the authorization of veterinary medicinal products, including the elaboration of maximum residue limits, and the way in which this relates to the requirements of pharmacovigilance.     

欧盟兽药上市审批制度

介绍了欧盟兽药上市审批新制度:中央审批和相互认可.对这两种审批程序的法律依据、审评机构、适用范围以及具体审批过程等做一梗概说明,供我国从事兽药法规管理的相关人员参考.     

A comparison of the active surveillance of scrapie in the European Union

The abattoir and the fallen stock surveys constitute the active surveillance component aimed at improving the detection of scrapie across the European Union. Previous studies have suggested the occurrence of significant differences in the operation of the surveys across the EU. In the present study we assessed the standardisation of the surveys throughout time across the EU and identified clusters of countries with similar underlying characteristics allowing comparisons between them. In the absence of sufficient covariate information to explain the observed variability across countries, we modelled the unobserved heterogeneity by means of non-parametric distributions on the risk ratios of the fallen stock over the abattoir survey. More specifically, we used the profile likelihood method on 2003, 2004 and 2005 active surveillance data for 18 European countries on classical scrapie, and on 2004 and 2005 data for atypical scrapie separately. We extended our analyses to include the limited covariate information available, more specifically, the proportion of the adult sheep population sampled by the fallen stock survey every year. Our results show that the between-country heterogeneity dropped in 2004 and 2005 relative to that of 2003 for classical scrapie. As a consequence, the number of clusters in the last two years was also reduced indicating the gradual standardisation of the surveillance efforts across the EU. The crude analyses of the atypical data grouped all the countries in one cluster and showed non-significant gain in the detection of this type of scrapie by any of the two sources. The proportion of the population sampled by the fallen stock appeared significantly associated with our risk ratio for both types of scrapie, although in opposite directions: negative for classical and positive for atypical. The initial justification for the fallen stock, targeting a high-risk population to increase the likelihood of case finding, appears compromised for both types of scrapie in some countries.     

Brucellosis in the European Union and Norway at the turn of the twenty-first century

Control and eradication programs of brucellosis in cattle, sheep, goats and pigs have been more or less successfully implemented within the Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) and Norway after Word War II. As a result, the epidemiological situation of animal brucellosis is extremely diverse among different MS or regions within a MS and among the different animal species. Some MS, mainly North European countries, and Norway are declared “officially bovine brucellosis free” and/or “officially ovine and caprine (Brucella melitensis) free”. The situation is less favorable in Southern European countries, particularly as far as sheep and goat brucellosis are concerned. This situation has important zoonotic consequences as reflected in the number of human brucellosis cases due to B. melitensis that are still encountered in those countries. Brucellosis in swine has re-emerged as a result of spillover from the wild boar brucellosis (Brucella suis biovar 2) reservoir, particularly in outdoor reared pigs. Besides the actual challenge to eradicate brucellosis, further issues have to be addressed: (1) the management of false positive serological results that occur in the course of brucellosis testing, particularly in cattle; (2) the impact of wildlife brucellosis, particularly wild boar brucellosis in domestic animals; and (3) the importance of B. melitensis infection in cattle that are in contact with infected sheep.     

我国与欧盟蜂蜜标准比较分析

本文比较分析了我国与欧盟的蜂蜜质量安全、理化指标标准和有关标签规定,通过官方网站或权威机构获得有关欧盟和我国的蜂蜜标准,进行分析比较;我国与欧盟在农兽药残留、污染物和微生物标准方面存在较大差距。欧盟农兽药指标限量标准更多地考虑生产用药、蜜源污染、贸易等因素,指标涵盖范围广、数量多,指标值要求严;对于污染物和微生物则更注重生产过程控制;欧盟有专门的蜂蜜标签指令,理化指标要求更细。根据比较结果,建议我国进一步完善蜂蜜质量安全标准体系,加强蜂蜜生产质量控制,以提升我国蜂蜜产业,顺畅蜂蜜出口。     

能量饲料的现状与未来发展方向

1能量饲料的发展现状1.1能量饲料在全球饲料中的应用比例在全球,玉米在饲料中的用量超过65%,在中国,用量也高达75%。据悉,美国玉米在饲料中的用量在75%以上。同时,深加工玉米消费量在逐年增多,燃料乙醇、DDGS、DDS及玉米蛋白粉等玉米深加工产品消耗玉米约占15%。另外,美国有10%     

欧盟犊牛福利养殖措施及其效果分析

小白牛肉为高档肉品,深受欧美一些国家消费者青睐。本文介绍了在小白牛肉生产中,传统的犊牛养殖方式在动物福利方面的弊端,欧盟国家为保障犊牛的基本福利采取的措施及取得的成效。对于有效利用我国丰富的小公犊牛资源,发展小白牛肉产业具有一定的参考价值。     

欧盟国家兽药残留数据库介绍

比利时建立的兽药残留数据库中包括分析方法库,该库提供了1份经过评估的兽药残留分析方法清单,其中的方法经验证后可以考虑作为候选标准.根据这些方法与欧盟委员会决议93/256/EEC和93/257/EEC规范要求的符合程度,可将方法分为高可靠性和有限可靠性.另外,这个数据库还包括有关消费者健康的药物毒理数据,比利时肉类消费的估算数据,欧洲和比利时关于动物产品中残留的法规库,市场上可获得的检测试剂(抗血清、免疫诊断试剂盒、放射性及同位素示踪试剂等),有关比利时兽医检查所和农业部实施监控计划中的定量和定性数据,有关动物性食品中存在残留物质的理化参数,等等.这个数据库已在因特网上公开,可免费查询相关资料,互联网上的地址为:http://cemu10.fmv.ulg.ac.be/OSTC.