New Zealand's livestock populations are free from Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (or TSE's). These include Scrapie in sheep and goats, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (or BSE) in cows and Chronic Wasting Disease (or CWD) in deer.

To ensure that New Zealand livestock remains free of TSE's, a range of biosecurity measures are currently in place. As such,

• All TSEs are notifiable in New Zealand and have been since 1993. BSE has been a notifiable disease since 1989, while Scrapie has been a notifiable disease since 1952
• Importation of live sheep and goats can only occur strict import regulations
• There have been no imports of live cattle from Europe for many years. This has largely been replaced by the importation of semen and embryos which is easier and safer
• A TSE surveillance programme is in place for cattle, sheep and farmed deer exhibiting signs of nervous disorder or other signs suggestive of a TSE. New Zealand meets the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) requirements for testing.
• As TSE's spread when cud-chewing animals like cattle, sheep, goat, deer, llamas and alpacas consume feed derived from TSE-infected animals, there is a ban on the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminant animals.

The Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 forbid the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminant animals. An amendment to these regulations was made in 2004.

More information on the practical implications of the regulations can be found on the Biosecurity New Zealand website.

One of the risks which must be managed under the Biosecurity (Ruminant Protein) Regulations 1999 is the risk of contamination by ruminant protein of feed intended for ruminants in feed mills that also produce feed for non-ruminant animals.

As such operators of "multi-species" mills will need to prepare ruminant protein control programmes that specify how they will manage and minimise the risk of contamination. These programmes must be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for registration and audited every year by an independent verification agency. Clauses 5 to 12 of the regulations set out the requirements and procedures relating to ruminant protein control programmes.

More information can be found on the Biosecurity New Zealand website.

• Who must have an Approved Programme under the Ruminant Protein Regulations
• The Template to Draft a Programme
• Checklist: Contents of Ruminant Protein Control Programme
• Registered Companies with a Ruminant Protein Control Programme
• News Release: Home Millers Must Comply with Ruminant Feeding Rules