The long-awaited feed rule was published April 25 by the FDA and FACT has found glaring loopholes that must be addressed. The final rule is an expansion of the feed rule originally published in 1997 which first banned the practice of feeding cattle protein to cattle. This practice is known to spread mad cow disease. The updated rule now restricts the use certain cattle parts as feed for all animals but still allows cattle to be fed unacceptable cattle protein.

While the new rule removes some of the riskiest materials from all livestock feed, it does not prohibit feeding cattle meat and bone meal in the form of recycled poultry litter to other cows. Poultry litter consists of manure, feathers, spilled chicken feed, wood shavings, corn husks, straw, and other materials that accumulate on the floors of the buildings where broiler chickens are raised.

In 2004, the FDA acknowledged that feeding poultry litter to cattle could spread mad cow disease and proposed a ban on the practice, which was never implemented due to industry pressure. Mad Cow disease and its human form Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease are slowly progressive, fatal diseases affecting the central nervous system. The use of chicken waste as animal feed can also lead to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria and foodborne illness.

Enforcement of this new rule depends on the ability of slaughter houses and rendering plants to exclude high risk cattle and determine cattle age. There is the likelihood that the rule will not be followed as there is no regular inspection of rendering plants. Even with regular inspection, errors are common.

A perfect example of such errors was clearly illustrated at the Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. earlier this year, leading to the largest U.S. meat recall on record. If this happens at plants where inspectors are present, imagine what could happen in feed mills where there are no safeguards in place. FACT will continue to pressure the FDA to protect public and animal health by working to place stricter restrictions on what animals can be fed.

View the final feed rule for more information. Learn more about the use of chicken litter as feed for cows, an inhumane, unhealthy and disgusting practice that FACT wants to stop at http://www.foodanimalconcerns.org/humane4.htm

Summer is right around the corner and now is the time to support your local farmers! Farmers' markets continue to grow in popularity and are excellent venues for humane farmers to sell their products. Not only do the markets connect consumers with farmers, they also benefit the local farmers themselves who can cut out the middleman and sell directly to consumers - something that does not happen in grocery stores. Most importantly, farmers markets are fun!

FACT would like to offer some suggestions to help you make the most humane and sustainable choices when shopping at farmers' markets.

1. Not all farmers markets allow poultry or other meats to be sold. However, if yours does, chances are the market will require that the meat or poultry be frozen to comply with food safety or public health ordinances. In general, freezing is done immediately after butchering and will not compromise the quality of the meat.

2. When shopping for poultry (chicken or turkey), ask the farmer how the animals are raised. Do they roam on pasture or are they inside a barn most, or all, of the time? What do the hens eat? Are they ever given antibiotics, and if so, under what conditions? Antibiotic use is only acceptable when used to treat acute illness. Although most pastured poultry are fed grain, they should be raised on grass, free to peck and walk around. Hormones are not permitted in poultry production by law. Therefore, a "no added hormones" claim on chicken and turkey is unnecessary and misleading.

3. Are you looking for beef? Cattle should be raised without growth-promoting antibiotics or hormones. Although most cattle are raised on pasture, typical factory-farmed beef is "finished" for the last few months on a feedlot diet of corn. FACT does not consider this to be humane. Cattle should be raised, and finished, on pasture because grass is a more natural diet for cattle and will not upset their rumens (stomachs). Beef labeled as grass fed should come from cows that do not eat any grain, but consume only pasture grasses and forages. Grass fed beef is higher in conjugated linoleic acid (a good fatty acid), and lower in saturated fat, calories and cholesterol.

4. Pigs should be pasture-raised or raised in hoop houses with deep bedding. Sows should be free to nest and move about freely. Ask specifically if the farmer uses gestation or farrowing crates. If s/he says yes, then move on. Hormones are not permitted in pork production by law. Therefore, a "no added hormones" claim on pork is again unnecessary and misleading.

5. Is the farmer selling eggs? Ask how the hens are raised. Are they in a cage free environment? Do they have access to the outside and what kind of access is provided? Remember that the color of the eggs depends on the hen, so expect to see eggs in all shades of white and brown. Occasionally, you will see green or blue eggs. These come from Araucana or Americana chickens, breeds well suited to life outdoors.

6. Cheese is becoming more popular at farmers' markets. Some farmers raise the cows that provide the milk for their cheese, others do not. Make sure the dairy cows are free to roam on pasture and do not live in a confinement facility. Some farmers make their cheese entirely from grass fed milk. The cows that produce this milk graze on pasture and are not fed any grain. Like grass fed beef, grass fed cheese is higher in conjugated linoleic acid and lower in saturated fat.

To find a farmers' market near you visit Local Harvest or http ://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/. Call, write or visit FACT's website for more information on how to make humane choices.