Release of new Certified Reference Materials to identify the origin of animal proteins in feed
14 April 2016In 2001, a total feed ban for processed animal proteins (PAP) was introduced to tackle the mad cow disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic. Twelve years later, PAPs derived from non-ruminant farmed animals have been re-authorised in fish feed by Commission Regulation (EU) No 51/2013. Since these PAPs are a valuable source of proteins for feeding stuff, which are a scarce resource, the overall sustainability of farming and the aquaculture sector, in particular, is expected to be boosted.
The European Union Reference Laboratory for Animal Proteins (EURL-AP), hosted by the Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques in Gembloux, Belgium, validated two DNA-based methods for the detection of animal proteins of ruminant or porcine origin. As both methods require calibration, the JRC-Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) provided its expertise and facilities in the development and production of two PAP CRMs: ERM-AD482 for the detection of ruminant material and ERM-AD483 for the detection of porcine materials. These reference materials are certified for amounts of species-specific DNA fragments expressed in DNA copy number concentrations and will allow control laboratories to determine their individual cut-off values for presence/absence decisions.
Further details on the two CRMs ERM-AD482 and ERM-AD483 can be found in the certification reports: ERM-AD483 and ERM-AD482.
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