Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the use of bovine blood cells and plasma is permitted in milk replacement for calves; and, if so, why.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Donoughue)Bovine blood cells and plasma can be incorporated in milk replacers for calves. Commission Decision 94/381, a BSE protection measure, introduced the ban on feeding mammalian protein to ruminants. Article 1.3 of that decision specifies certain products which are exempt from the ban. These include dried plasma and other blood products.
We are advised that porcine blood plasma may be used in some pig feed (although this is not common), but we are not aware of any use of blood cells and blood products in calf milk replacers.