Brewers Grains & other Food Waste Safe from FSMA Rule

The past few weeks we have had some issues with the Food Safety Modernization Act outlining what brewers of beer can do with their used grain. They had been selling it to the livestock industry, but the new rule was trying to stop that.

North Carolina Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler.

“This is what happens when a rule is not fully researched. They wanted to establish processes and standards to lessen the risk associated with production of animal food. Unfortunately their broad definition of animal food meant the regulation would cover finished products, raw materials and ingredients such as the spent grains from brewing; but it went even further than that. It also went into things like broken crackers and bread. We have folks here in NC who have been using fruit products to feed livestock. It would have covered that too. It was way too broad.

The Act will be revised so it doesn’t negatively impact the industry. We will see. There are a lot of changes in the rules that would have to take effect if it does not do harm to the feed industry. There were several commissioners from the south that went to Georgia and met with the Southeast Feed Association and made them aware of what these proposed rules could mean and they did heed our advice.

The current system had worked just fine. It’s a system where there is a lot of byproduct that is high in protein and it’s a good supplement for livestock feed so why mess with it if its not a problem? And there had been no scientific data to justify the extra regulations. Its just one of the things that happens when the Feds get involved in rule making and there will be more and more that comes out of this Act that could negatively impact our agriculture. Together with other commissioners we are preaching to FDA about this state/federal partnership and how states will need to have responsibility for their farms and farm products.”