|
Brussels, |
|
Animal by-products
Animal by-products (ABPs) are materials of animal origin that are not intended for human consumption. The Commission page explains that these include parts of animals not marketed as food, dead farm animals and pets, manure and other animal-derived materials such as feathers, wool and beeswax, as well as former foodstuffs of animal origin like milk, eggs or meat that are no longer suitable for human consumption. In the EU, more than 20 million tonnes of ABPs arise each year from slaughterhouses, food plants, dairies and farms.
The central policy challenge is that these materials can carry risks for animal health, human health and the environment if they are not handled correctly. At the same time, they may also have significant nutritional or energetic value, which means EU policy seeks both to control risks and to promote safe valorisation and resource efficiency.
To manage these risks, EU law divides ABPs into three categories according to their level of danger. Category 1 covers the highest-risk materials, Category 2 intermediate-risk materials, and Category 3 the lowest-risk materials. The permitted uses depend on both the source of the material and its intended destination, with strict health rules applying throughout the chain.
The page also shows that the EU approach is based on matching different end uses to different risk levels. Low-risk Category 3 material may be used as feed for food-producing animals, subject to safeguards designed to prevent the spread of animal disease or the transmission of pathogens through the food chain. Category 2 and 3 materials may also be used in fertilisers and soil improvers, while incineration or the production of renewable fuel is mainly reserved for higher-risk material, especially Category 1, where destruction of pathogens is the priority.
The legal framework is built principally on Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, the core Animal By-products Regulation, and Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, which lays down implementing rules. The Commission page also refers to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1605 on end points in the manufacturing chain of certain organic fertilisers and soil improvers, showing that the ABP framework continues to evolve in technical areas linked to safety and circular use.
Overall, this section presents the EU ABP regime as a system of risk classification, strict health controls and controlled reuse. Its objective is not only to prevent disease transmission, but also to ensure that animal-derived materials that cannot enter the human food chain are managed in ways that are safe, efficient and consistent with broader resource and sustainability goals.
The central policy challenge is that these materials can carry risks for animal health, human health and the environment if they are not handled correctly. At the same time, they may also have significant nutritional or energetic value, which means EU policy seeks both to control risks and to promote safe valorisation and resource efficiency.
To manage these risks, EU law divides ABPs into three categories according to their level of danger. Category 1 covers the highest-risk materials, Category 2 intermediate-risk materials, and Category 3 the lowest-risk materials. The permitted uses depend on both the source of the material and its intended destination, with strict health rules applying throughout the chain.
The page also shows that the EU approach is based on matching different end uses to different risk levels. Low-risk Category 3 material may be used as feed for food-producing animals, subject to safeguards designed to prevent the spread of animal disease or the transmission of pathogens through the food chain. Category 2 and 3 materials may also be used in fertilisers and soil improvers, while incineration or the production of renewable fuel is mainly reserved for higher-risk material, especially Category 1, where destruction of pathogens is the priority.
The legal framework is built principally on Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, the core Animal By-products Regulation, and Commission Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, which lays down implementing rules. The Commission page also refers to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1605 on end points in the manufacturing chain of certain organic fertilisers and soil improvers, showing that the ABP framework continues to evolve in technical areas linked to safety and circular use.
Overall, this section presents the EU ABP regime as a system of risk classification, strict health controls and controlled reuse. Its objective is not only to prevent disease transmission, but also to ensure that animal-derived materials that cannot enter the human food chain are managed in ways that are safe, efficient and consistent with broader resource and sustainability goals.
