Brussels - The French government admitted at the weekend that some of its animal-feed processing plants have been using untreated sewage, residues from septic tanks and effluent from animal carcasses in the preparation of feed for pigs and poultry.
The admission has left consumer organisations wondering what ingredients farmers and feed-processing plants would consider inappropriate to feed to livestock. It has also challenged the European Commission to consider whether loopholes in hygiene legislation need to be tightened.
Although the use of effluent has been banned in EU animal feed since 1991, some other substances, including motor oil, appear to have slipped through the regulations.