Meat and bonemeal (MBM), banned from all animal and poultry feed by the EU, is to be used again in dried pet food.
Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan has announced she is also lifting the restrictions on the use of certain animal byproducts in composting/biogas plants and fertilisers, paving the way for the disposal of animal swill as a land fertiliser banned since 2000 because of foot-and-mouth restrictions.
The easing of restrictions on the use of certain categories of meat and bonemeal in dried pet food is another sign of growing confidence that BSE infection appears to be under control.
A department spokesman explained that only Category 3 MBM will be incorporated into pet food, as this is the rendered down material from the leftover pieces of animals which go into the food for human consumption.
He said this was at the other end of the scale from Specified Risk Material (SRM) - the organs from animals which might harbour BSE. It is also turned into meat and bonemeal, which is exported and destroyed in Germany.
However, the other non-edible but safe material from animals being slaughtered for food has also to be rendered into meat and bonemeal, and this too is exported and used for heat and power generation in the rest of Europe.
The rendering industry here has been seeking permission for the use of MBM in power plants, and Offaly County Council has given permission for its use at the plant in Edenderry.
Ms Coughlan said she was pleased to be in a position to provide for the productive use of certain categories of meat and bonemeal in pet feed, and to provide outlets for animal byproducts in the composting, biogas and fertiliser sectors.
She said she was satisfied this could be done without any diminution in existing food safety and animal health measures. Obviously, strict conditions would have to apply to the use of the product and these would now be addressed with representatives of the pet-feed industry and other interests.