Why is waste cooking oil from catering establishments being banned from use in animal feed but used cooking oils from manufacturing premises is still permitted?
The Animal By-Products Regulation bans the feeding to livestock of catering waste. The European Commission interprets catering waste to include used cooking oils from restaurants and catering facilities but does not include used cooking oils from manufacturing premises. Oils from manufacturing premises are felt to be identifiable, traceable and to contain no specified deleterious or prohibited contaminants. A scheme, audited by the Product Authentication International Ltd. (PAI), allowed their use in animal feed until 31 October 2004. The scheme, which involved collaboration between feed industry sectors and introduced Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles to the collection and processing of used cooking oils to be incorporated in feed, will continue for oils from food manufacturing premises. Further information on the work of the PAI can be found at the PAI website.
