WASHINGTON — On April 6 the Food and Drug Administration announced a 60-day delay in implementing the final rule titled "Substances Prohibited from Use in Animal Food or Feed", otherwise known as the 2008 B.S.E. final rule. The final rule, which would have gone into effect on April 27, 2009, is postponed until June 26.

F.D.A. issued the delay in response to comments from affected parties expressing concerns about their ability to fully comply with the rule by the April 27 deadline. In addition, some affected parties are finding it difficult to identify appropriate alternate ways of disposing of material that may no longer be rendered for animal feed use once the rule takes effect.

Seven days is also being provided for public comment only on the question of whether to delay the effective date. Comments must be submitted within seven days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of proposed delay of effective date.

For additional information, please see http://www.fda.gov/cvm/bsetoc.html.

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