If you work with animals for your research – you need to adhere to the rules of disposal of animal by-products after the death of the animals used for testing
Please read through these guidelines and the legislation below to make sure that you are in compliance with the legal requirements.
Animal by-products bear the risk of transmitting diseases to humans or animals, if not processed properly. On the other hand, they are mainly of a high nutritional and energetic value and should be used in the best possible way to preserve resources.
You can find the overview of updated information about ABPs in Denmark on the website of The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) - Disposal of Culled Animals, Food Waste and Risk Material.
Terms and definitions
and in Chapter 1.3 of the Aquatic Animal Health Code, 2010 edition,
shall be regarded as serious transmissible diseases for the purposes of general animal health restrictions, as provided for in Article 6(1)(b)(ii) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009
Derived products shall be subject to the rules for the specific category of animal by-products from which they have been derived, unless otherwise specified in this Regulation, or other rules.
In order to know how to dispose of the animal by-products after testing – you need to follow the four main steps:
- Identify if the animal by-products bear the danger of STDs according to the Lists.
- Identify the category that the by-products fall under (C1, C2 or C3).
- Find the facility in the List of approved facilities according to the type of the by-products.
- Contact the facility and dispose of the by-products, respectively.
Step 1. Identify if the animal by-products bear the danger of STDs according to the Lists
The following lists of diseases are potentially linked with animal by-products of terrestial or aquatic origin
Step 2: Identify the category that the by-products fall under (C1, C2 or C3)
Based on the assessment for STDs within the Step 1 – see which of the categories do your ABPs fall under.
According to the Regulation, animal by-products are sorted into three categories:
- the highest risk material is Category 1 (Cat 1),
- intermediate risk material is Category 2 (Cat 2) and
- material with a low risk is Category 3 (Cat 3).
Terms and definitions
and in Chapter 1.3 of the Aquatic Animal Health Code, 2010 edition,
shall be regarded as serious transmissible diseases for the purposes of general animal health restrictions, as provided for in Article 6(1)(b)(ii) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009
Derived products shall be subject to the rules for the specific category of animal by-products from which they have been derived, unless otherwise specified in this Regulation, or other rules.
Step 3: Find the facility in the List of approved facilities according to the type of the by-products
Depending on the presence or absence of STDs and on the Category of your ABPs – choose the most suitable ABP-plant or operator from the list below.
List of approved facilities
Link to Approved or registrered ABP-plants and operators
Section X
Registered users of animal by-products and derived product for specific purposes (p. 31-41) – Includes institutions dealing with by-products for research and teaching.
Section IX
Establishments or plants handling animal by-products or derived products for purposes outside the feed chain (p. 29-30).
This may include (according to the European Food Safety Authority):
1. Blood and blood products
2. Blood and blood products from equidae
3. Hides and skins and products thereof, tanning activities
4. Game trophies, trophies for taxidermy purposes and other preparation
5. Wool, hair, pig bristles, feathers, parts of feathers and down,
6. Apiculture by-products
7. Bone, bone products, horns, horn products, hooves, hoof products not used as organic fertilisers or soil improvers
8. Milk, milk-based products, milk-derived products, colostrum, colostrum-based products
Link to Application guidelines for registration and operation of an animal burial place
In case SDU plans to dispose of the ABPs on its own – it needs to adhere to the rules of registration and operation of an animal burial place.
Step 4: Contact the facility and dispose of the by-products respectively
Once you assess the ABPs and see which of the facilities for disposition fits your purpose, - contact the respective facility and dispose of your ABPs adhering to the following special rules of the Regulation for research samples.
The most basic type of disposal of ABPs is incineration and co-incineration (Article 6 of Regulation). Disposal by incineration and co-incineration may only take place in approved plants (facilities), listed in the document above.
Article 11 of Regulation contains special rules on research and diagnostic samples:
1. The competent authority may authorise the transport, use and disposal of research and diagnostic samples under conditions which ensure the control of the risks to public and animal health.
The competent authority shall in particular ensure that operators comply with the requirements of Chapter I of Annex VI.
2. Operators shall comply with the special rules on research and diagnostic samples set out in Chapter I of Annex VI.
3. Operators may dispatch research and diagnostic samples which consist of the following animal by-products and derived products to another Member State without informing the competent authority of the Member State of origin in accordance with Article 48(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 and without the competent authority of the Member State of destination being informed by means of the TRACES system and agreeing to accept the consignment in accordance with Article 48(1) and (3) of that Regulation:
(a) Category 1 and 2 materials and meat-and-bone meal or animal fat derived from Category 1 and 2 materials;
(b) processed animal protein.
Article 17 of Regulation contains requirements regarding commercial documents and health certificates, identification, the collection and transport of animal by-products and traceability:
According to this article, it is an Operator’s of respective facilities obligation to ensure that animal by-products and derived products:
(a) comply with the requirements for collection, transport and identification set out in Chapters I and II of Annex VIII;
(b) are accompanied during transport by commercial documents or health certificates in accordance with the requirements set out in Chapter III of Annex VIII.
Also, Operators consigning, transporting or receiving animal by-products or derived products shall keep records of consignments and related commercial documents or health certificates in accordance with the requirements set out in Chapter IV of Annex VIII.
See the extract of Regulation with Annex VIII: Collection, Transport and Traceability with detailed requirements for Collection and Transport (chapter 1), Identification (chapter 2) and Commercial documents and health certificates – with templates (chapter 3).
Legislation
(ABP Regulation).
Information and link
Consolidated version with last changes - linkThis Regulation lays down public health and animal health rules for animal by-products and derived products, in order to prevent and minimise risks to public and animal health arising from those products, and in particular to protect the safety of the food and feed chain.
(Implementing Regulation)
Information and link
This Directive establishes measures for the protection of animals used for scientific or educational purposes.
To that end, it lays down rules on the following:
(a) the replacement and reduction of the use of animals in procedures and the refinement of the breeding, accommodation, care and use of animals in procedures;
(b) the origin, breeding, marking, care and accommodation and killing of animals;
(c) the operations of breeders, suppliers and users;
(d) the evaluation and authorisation of projects involving the use of animals in procedures.
Information and link
Article 17
End of the procedure
1. A procedure shall be deemed to end when no further observations are to be made for that procedure or, as regards new genetically modified animal lines, when the progeny are no longer observed or expected to experience pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to, or higher than, that caused by the introduction of a needle.
2. At the end of a procedure, a decision to keep an animal alive shall be taken by a veterinarian or by another competent person. An animal shall be killed when it is likely to remain in moderate or severe pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm.
In case the reference to the respective edition of Terrestrial Code is changed – you can access other editions of it.
Information and link
In accordance with the Animal By-products Regulation (EC) No 1069/20091 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715(the IMSOC Regulation)2 , Member States shall make available lists of approved or registered establishments, plants or operators which are handling animal by-products ("ABP").
The objective of this document is to provide for a format for the presentation of lists.
Information and link
Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 and Commission Regulation (EU) 142/2011 are the framework within all handling, collecting, processing and trading of animal by-products take place. The main principles are safe sourcing, safe treatment and safe end uses.
Information and link
Institutions in EU and Denmark
Represented organisations: National Food Institute
Resources
Link: MembersLink: Declaration
Notes
Focal Point websiteEmail: FocalPoint.EFSA@food.dtu.dk
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark
Head Office
Stationsparken 31-33
DK 2600 Glostrup
Tel. +45 72 27 69 00
Link