Inactivation of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent by rendering procedures

Bovine brain infected with the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent was used to spike material processed in pilot scale facsimiles of 12 rendering processes which are used within the European Union, and three which are not. The raw materials for experimental rendering represented those used in practice, and consisted of appropriate proportions of BSE-infected brain tissue, bovine or porcine intestine, and bovine bone. Meat and bone meal, and tallow were produced from the rendered tissues. Suspensions of all the meat and bone meal samples were assayed in inbred mice for BSE infectivity, and two of the tallow fractions were tested similarly. Four of the 15 processes produced meat and bone meal with detectable BSE infectivity. Neither of the tallow samples had detectable infectivity.