Plans to allow pig and poultry protein back into animal feed have edged closer, but farmers now face further delay as changes are tied to a future UK-EU agreement.
Defra and the Welsh Government have confirmed their intention to permit the feeding of pig protein to poultry and poultry protein to pigs, ending a ban that has been in place since the 1990s due to BSE controls.
However, ministers said the regulatory changes will not be introduced independently and will instead be paused until the UK implements a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU. No timescale has been set for when such an agreement could come into force.
Defra has published a summary of responses to its February 2025 consultation on changes to livestock feed controls, alongside its position on the proposals.
The plans would allow pig and poultry processed animal protein (PAP) to be used in feed for the first time in decades. They would also permit insect protein in pig and poultry feed, and allow ruminant collagen and gelatine in non-ruminant feed.
Safeguards would remain central to the proposals. These include measures to prevent cross-contamination in the feed chain, such as physical separation of production processes throughout the supply chain.
The changes would align the UK with EU rules introduced in 2021. Defra noted that pigs and poultry imported from the EU can already be fed PAP under existing arrangements.
In a joint response, the departments said that, having considered all consultation responses, they intended to proceed with the proposals.
“However, the government recently announced its intention to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU and pursue an SPS agreement to dynamically align with EU rules,” the response said.
“Therefore, we will now not be making these changes independently and will do so instead in a future process where the UK implements an SPS agreement with the EU.”
Defra said the proposals reflect the reduced incidence of BSE and increased scientific understanding of the disease.
“A risk assessment of the proposed changes concluded that these maintain the same level of protection of human and animal health as afforded by current controls,” it said.
It added that key protections would remain in place if the changes were introduced. These include the continued ban on feeding ruminant PAP to ruminants, as required by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and existing animal by-product rules that prohibit intra-species recycling.
The consultation attracted 736 responses, with 84% submitted by members of the public. Many opposed the proposals, while industry organisations and businesses generally expressed qualified support.
Industry groups warned the delay could prolong uncertainty for producers.
National Pig Association chief executive Lizzie Wilson said she was not surprised by the decision but raised concerns that it reflects a growing trend of Defra policies being placed on hold until an EU-SPS agreement is implemented, despite the lack of a clear timetable.
She said the NPA has long supported, in principle, the return of pig and poultry PAP, but only if strict conditions are met.
“The industry would need to be convinced the practice is safe and well-regulated and accepted across the supply chain and by the public. There are also various practical issues to address to make it a cost-effective solution,” she said.
In its consultation response, the NPA said any move to permit pig and poultry PAP in England would need to address acceptance across the food value chain, the ability of operators to meet compliance costs, market competitiveness, and the robustness of analytical control tools.
For pig and poultry producers, the decision leaves potential feed innovations on hold, pending clarity on the UK’s future regulatory alignment with the EU.
Until those issues are resolved, the use of pig and poultry PAP is unlikely to move beyond principle into practice.
