[Beewyched]

Has the time arrived to change the legislation regarding feeding "kitchen waste" to pigs?
Breeders/rearers are facing crippling increases in feed costs.
At the same time, we in the UK have complied with the regulations to better welfare standards for our animals, when other countries have not.
Surely if food classified as "fit for human consumption" is "fit for porcine consumption"!  If not, then why not?  What are we feeding our children 
We are supposed to be decreasing landfill - a high percentage of this is "kitchen waste".
So, what's the problem ...?

[SallyintNorth]

Surely if food classified as "fit for human consumption" is "fit for porcine consumption"!  If not, then why not? 

Because humans don't get foot and mouth.


However, I absolutely do think it's time for a reassessment and for certain sources to be licensed as safe for pigs.  Ideally supermarkets, large-scale kitchens, etc, should be able to apply for a license to supply waste food for pig feed.  Part of the license would be training in what is and is not suitable, and handling facilities to ensure no contamination. 

To an extent, this is the case now, but I think in practise it doesn't happen very much as the rules are too draconian. 

Not only does this proposal make sense in terms of pigkeepers, it makes sense for the planet to use waste food to grow more food rather than sending it to landfill or burning it.

But as long as we have no import restrictions on meat and meat-derivatives from countries where foot and mouth could be found, we will have to accept restrictions on what waste food can be used for pigs. 

[robert waddell]

sorry Lynne   the whole point of not feeding kitchen waste is to prevent the cross contamination of food for pigs being tainted by or with cooked meats or gravy or from sources where it could happen   Britain allows the importation of meat from country's that have a foot and mouth problem
 
there is and has been work going on to incorporate this source of food for several years maybe just to many commites to go through before it can be reintroduced
 
Mr pig might have more insight to this  than i have

[Tamsaddle]

If all kitchen or supermarket veg was washed thoroughly first before giving it to the pigs, would this get rid of any possible contamination from gravy and suchlike?   Tamsaddle

[robert waddell]

they don't want every man and his dog feeding essentially swill   they had that before and licenced swill feeders and that was the door that they hung the responsibility for the outbreak on

[Beewyched]

But ... surely with the regs & tests (scientific progress) this can be done safely now 
 

[robert waddell]

there has to be somebody there checking to see if there is any contaminated food going up the elevator to the storage bins     and they will be on the minimum wage
 
have you seen waste veg that has sat for a day or two                      what starts as cheap or a no cost supply ends up costing money      then you are just as well feeding proper food with no hastle 

[Beewyched]

Ok - well what about stuff that's collected on a daily basis?
I certainly don't give my pigs anything that's gone mouldy & I can't imagine that anyone else on here would - just thinking of a daily run to local schools/hospitals etc. 
But then judging on what my OH was given to eat in hospital    - I wouldn't give that to my KKs either 
 

[rispainfarm]

No tamsaddle, there is a protein in meat that is the cause of many diseases such as BSE, this protein can't be got rid of by those antibacterial sprays or washing down surfaces. It can then transmit to other foods,. It hangs around for ages on surfaces, I am not too sure if scrubbing with bleach gets rid of it, but in any case, how many people scrub down the surfaces with bleach after cutting meat. I don't.

[Sylvia]

I used to collect boxes of waste fruit and veg from a greengrocer. Lovely, only a couple of miles away and tons of the stuff .
One day, going through it for plastic bags, flowers, paper etc. I found a half-eaten sausage and bacon roll. I discarded that box and told the people why things like that shouldn't go in the boxes. Fine, no problem, it wouldn't happen again. The following week I found exactly the same so now my pigs go fruit and veg-less. Too big a risk   I'd be willing to bet that bacon and sausage didn't come from British reared pigs either!

[SallyintNorth]

If all kitchen or supermarket veg was washed thoroughly first before giving it to the pigs, would this get rid of any possible contamination from gravy and suchlike?   Tamsaddle

Sadly not.  FMD is a virus, viruses are notoriously difficult to kill.  Industrial strength disinfectant helps - but we don't want to be feeding our pigs veges covered in a film of disinfectant!

[Bumblebear]

What about food home produced food? I can see why the powers that be would want to close any loopholes which may allow feeding swill but I am struggling to understand some of the risk.....eg homemade pancakes using home produced eggs, home produced milk, not flour but presumably that isn't a huge foot mouth carrier...; and what about if you are a veggie and keep pet pigs?  Aren't humans susceptible to foot and mouth? (hand foot mouth?).

[Berkshire Boy]

But who is to say your eggs and milk haven't come into contact with contaminated meat.

[SallyintNorth]

What about food home produced food? I can see why the powers that be would want to close any loopholes which may allow feeding swill but I am struggling to understand some of the risk.....eg homemade pancakes using home produced eggs, home produced milk, not flour but presumably that isn't a huge foot mouth carrier...;

As I understand it, you can apply for approval to feed waste from your house.  But in order to get that approval, your setup would have to be approved as safe from contamination. 

You can feed vegetable waste straight from your veg plot.  So, top and tail your carrots where you lift them, take the tops and tails straight round to the pigs - that's ok.  But if you take the carrots into the kitchen to top and tail them, now you may not feed the carrot tops to the pigs.

and what about if you are a veggie and keep pet pigs? 

I guess if you are a total veggie and only eat home-produced food you would be able to get that approval.

But as soon as food produced elsewhere has come into your kitchen, then there is the risk that it has been contaminated.

I don't know if anyone who is a vegan has ever tried to get approval?  In theory, if you only eat home-produced food and only bring in certified vegan foodstuffs, then there should be no risk of contamination.

Aren't humans susceptible to foot and mouth? (hand foot mouth?).

It's incredibly rare and not at all serious in humans.

[rispainfarm]

Trouble is, they have to treat us all as idiots and enforce a blanket rule otherwise unfortunately this is a classic case of give an inch and a yard will be taken. If you say kitchen waste can be used, where will it stop, there are some idiots who will then give kitchen waste that has been on a roast dinner plate. The problem I see though, even a blanket ban does not stop people giving illegal food, I can guarantee that a very high percentage of pet pigs owners that think pet pigs can live in houses will be giving them food from the kitchen. This law as it stands or any law involving food and what not to give is unenforceable the way i see it in any case