From: Mark_McMahon@cargill.com
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 8:57 AM
To: FDAdockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: RE: Docket #2004N-0264






Dear FDA Administrators,

Please immediately enact regulation that requires the removal of the 
brain and spinal cord from all cattle over 30 months of age.  This will 
result in a 99.8% risk reduction of all infectivity.  Please do not 
require the removal of all SRMs, because this only improves the risk 
reduction by 0.1% but will cost more than $157,000,000 per year and 
cause a huge environmental problem.

On another subject, ruminant derived blood meal:  I understand you are 
considering removing ruminant blood meal from ruminant feed.  I 
understand there is no scientific justification for this, and even 
Europe with its huge BSE problem doesn't do this.  Further, it would 
cost the industry, cattlemen and dairymen at least $150,000,000 per 
year.

I urge you to thoroughly consider my request.

Sincerely,  Mark E. McMahon 
Rendered Solutions Manager  
Cargill Meat Solutions