Brewers ‘cautiously optimistic’ on FDA spent-grains rule as Hamburg indicates support
April 07, 2014 | 04:38 PM
Brewers are “cautiously optimistic” that the Food and Drug Administration will issue a rule that will be workable for “spent grains” that are used as animal feed under the Food Safety Modernization Act, Chris Thorne, a spokesman for the Beer Institute, told The Hagstrom Report.
Last week the Beer institute, the American Malting Barley Association and the National Milk Producers Federation all filed comments with the FDA asking for a revision of a proposed rule that would increase regulation of the post-brewing grains that brewers either sell or give to farmers to feed animals.
“Our conversations with FDA leave us cautiously optimistic,” Thorne said.
“There is absolute zero risk of any problem with this practice. We want to work with FDA that we can get to the point that this rule does not break that relationship that exists between these two industries.”
At a Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee hearing, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg noted that she had only recently become aware of the problem and said that FDA wants to support the continuation of the use of spent grains as animal feed because the agency wants to “support sustainable agricultural practices.”
Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt, R-Mo., noted to Hamburg that the issue is broader because there are other food wastes such as burnt potato chips and orange peels and leftover seeds that are fed to animals and come under the rule, and that if the regulations are too onerous they will “end up in a landfill.”
Hamburg said FDA would look at the issue more broadly.
▪ FDA — Proposed Rule to Establish Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals ▪ — Fact Sheet ▪ Beer Institute / American Malting Barley Association — Comments on proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals ▪ — Comments on proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food ▪ National Milk Producers Federation — Comments on proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals
Last week the Beer institute, the American Malting Barley Association and the National Milk Producers Federation all filed comments with the FDA asking for a revision of a proposed rule that would increase regulation of the post-brewing grains that brewers either sell or give to farmers to feed animals.
“Our conversations with FDA leave us cautiously optimistic,” Thorne said.
“There is absolute zero risk of any problem with this practice. We want to work with FDA that we can get to the point that this rule does not break that relationship that exists between these two industries.”
At a Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee hearing, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg noted that she had only recently become aware of the problem and said that FDA wants to support the continuation of the use of spent grains as animal feed because the agency wants to “support sustainable agricultural practices.”
Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt, R-Mo., noted to Hamburg that the issue is broader because there are other food wastes such as burnt potato chips and orange peels and leftover seeds that are fed to animals and come under the rule, and that if the regulations are too onerous they will “end up in a landfill.”
Hamburg said FDA would look at the issue more broadly.
▪ FDA — Proposed Rule to Establish Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals ▪ — Fact Sheet ▪ Beer Institute / American Malting Barley Association — Comments on proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals ▪ — Comments on proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food ▪ National Milk Producers Federation — Comments on proposed rule on Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals
