TITLE agriculture

Part III. Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service

Chapter 61. Commercial Feed Rules

Subchapter A. General Provisions

4 TAC §61.1

The Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist proposes an amendment to §61.1 of the Commercial Feed Rules which adds a definition of wildlife to the section. This definition is necessary so that the Service can comply with §141.002(e) and §141.007 of the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act (Law).

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture, has determined that of the first five-year period there will be no fiscal implications for state or local government as a result of enforcing or administering the amendment.

Dr. Latimer has also determined that for each year of the first five years the amendment is in effect the overall public benefit is to specify what types/kinds of animals are to be understood by the term wildlife. There is no anticipated cost.

Comments should be addressed to Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Office of the Texas State Chemist, P.O. Box 3160, College Station, TX 77841-3160.

The amendment is proposed under §141.004 which gives the Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist authority after to adopt rules as necessary for the enforcement of the Chapter.

The Texas Agriculture Code, Subchapter C, §141.051, is affected by the proposed amendment.

§61.1.Definitions.

Except where otherwise provided, the terms and definitions adopted by the Association of American Feed Control Officials in the last published edition of the annual Official Publication are hereby adopted by reference as the terms and definitions to control in this title. The publication is available from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. In addition, the following words and terms, when used in this title, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1)

Act - Texas Commercial Feed Control Act, Texas Agriculture Code, Chapter 141, 1981, as amended.

(2)

Additive - An ingredient or combination of ingredients added to the basic feed mix or parts thereof to fulfill a specific need which becomes a component of or affects the characteristics of a feed or food if such substance is not generally recognized as safe under the conditions of its intended use.

(3)

Ammoniated Corn - The product obtained by treating whole corn containing no more than 1000 parts per billion (ppb) aflatoxin with anhydrous ammonia under specified conditions of temperature and pressure approved by the Service. Ammoniated corn is not to be considered a single ingredient product. It is to be used solely in feeds for ruminants.

(4)

Ammoniated Cottonseed - The product obtained by treating whole cottonseed containing no more than 1000 parts per billion (ppb) aflatoxin under specified conditions of temperature and pressure approved by the Service. Ammoniated cottonseed is not to be considered a single ingredient product. It is to be used solely in feeds for ruminants.

(5)

Ammoniated Cottonseed Meal - The product obtained when cottonseed meal is treated with anhydrous ammonia until a pressure of 50 pounds per square inch gauge is reached. It is to be used in the feed of ruminants in an amount not to exceed 20% of the total ration. Ammoniated cottonseed meal is not to be considered a single ingredient product.

(6)

Annual Products - Commercial feed product packaged in individual containers of five pounds or less only.

(7)

Bagged - Enclosure of feed in any container.

(8)

Chemical Adulterant - Any compound - natural or synthetic - possessing little or no intrinsic nutritional value, avoidably present at levels inconsistent with its generally accepted use in a feed or unavoidably present at levels in a feed above those authorized by the Service.

(9)

Container - A bag, box, carton, bottle, object, barrel, package, apparatus, device, appliance, or other item of any capacity into which a feed is packed, poured, stored, or placed for handling, transporting, or distributing.

(10)

Person - Any individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental subdivision, or public or private organization of any character.

(11)

Pet Food - Any commercial feed prepared and distributed for consumption by a dog or cat or an animal normally maintained in a cage or tank in or near the household(s) of the owner such as, but not limited to, gerbils, hamsters, birds, fish, snakes and turtles.

(12)

Salvage - When applied to an ingredient or combination of ingredients, refers only to those products that have been damaged by natural causes, such as fire, water, hail, or windstorm, or by conveyance mishap. Does not apply to recovered production line products which are suitable for reprocessing.

(13)

Service - Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service.

(14)

Toxin - Any compound causing adverse biological effects including, but not limited to, poisons, carcinogens or mutagens, produced by an organism avoidably present at any level or unavoidably present at levels in a feed above those authorized by the Service.

(15)

Weed seeds - Those seeds declared prohibited or restricted noxious weed seeds by the Texas Agriculture Code, §61.008 (concerning Noxious Weed Seeds).

(16)

Wildlife - Any feral animal, any animal not normally considered as domesticated in Texas or any animal living in a state of nature.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 26, 1999.

TRD-9904484

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr.

Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture

Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service

Proposed date of adoption: September 26, 1999

For further information, please call: (409) 845-1121 (ext. 124)


4 TAC §61.2

(Editor's note: The text of the following section proposed for repeal will not be published. The section may be examined in the offices of the Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service or in the Texas Register office, Room 245, James Earl Rudder Building, 1019 Brazos Street, Austin.)

The Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist proposes to repeal §61.2 of the Commercial Feed Rules.

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Asst. to the Assoc. Vice Chancellor of Agriculture, has determined that for the first five year period the repeal is in effect, there will be no fiscal implications for state or local government as a result of the repeal.

Dr. Latimer has also determined that the public benefit will be replacement of an outdated section with a revised section responsive to present conditions as a result of the repeal.

Comments should be addressed to Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Office of the Texas State Chemist, P.O. Box 3160, College Station, TX 77841-3160.

The repeal is proposed under the Texas Agriculture Code Chapter, 141, §141.004, which provides the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service with the authority to adopt rules relating to the distribution of commercial feeds.

The Texas Agriculture Code, Subchapter C, §141.051, is affected by the proposed repeal.

§61.2.Commercial Feed.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 26, 1999.

TRD-9904488

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr.

Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture

Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service

Proposed date of adoption: September 26, 1999

For further information, please call: (409) 845-1121 (ext. 124)


The Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist proposes new §61.2 of the Commercial Feed Rules which reflects the intent of the Legislature in enacting §141.002(e) of the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act (Law).

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture, has determined that of the first five-year period there will be no fiscal implications for state or local government as a result of enforcing or administering the new rule.

Dr. Latimer has also determined that for each year of the first five years the new rule is in effect the overall public benefit anticipated will be a decreased degree that wildlife will suffer the adverse consequences of consuming corn highly contaminated with aflatoxin. The specific benefit of populations which are productive and thriving accrue to ranchers who lease hunting rights and those reestablishing wildlife in depleted areas, e.g., turkeys in East Texas. There is an anticipated minimum cost of a one-time $75 licensing fee and an annual charge of 17¢ per ton sold; there are also testing and labeling fees which magnitude depends upon the amount sold.

Comments should be addressed to Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Office of the Texas State Chemist, P.O. Box 3160, College Station, TX 77841-3160.

The new rule is proposed under §141.004 which gives the Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist authority after to adopt rules as necessary for the enforcement of the Chapter.

The Texas Agriculture Code, Subchapter C, §141.051, is affected by the proposed new rule.

§61.2.Commercial Feed.

(a)

Whole grain and seeds distributed with labels which suggest - by word, by picture or by seller representation - that they may be fed to wildlife are commercial feeds under the Act, §141.002(e).

(b)

All feed materials are considered commercial feeds, except:

(1)

those exempted under the Act, §141.002(c) referring to commercial feed; and

(2)

salvage feed materials.

(c)

Commercial feeds may not contain:

(1)

any adulterants as listed in the Act, §141.148 referring to distribution of adulterated feed; or

(2)

salvage feed materials.

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 26, 1999.

TRD-9904485

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr.

Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture

Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service

Proposed date of adoption: September 26, 1999

For further information, please call: (409) 845-1121 (ext. 124)


Subchapter C. Labeling

4 TAC §61.22

The Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist proposes to amend §61.22 by adding subparagraph (M) under paragraph (4) which establishes how distributors of wildlife feed shall disclose the level of aflatoxin in such feed. The amendment is necessary to meet the requirements of §141.007 of the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act (Law).

Dr. George W. Latimer, Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture, has determined that for the first five year period the amendment is in effect, there will be no fiscal implications for state or local government as a result of administering the rule.

Dr. Latimer has also determined that the public benefit allows buyers to choose from among competing products that product most suitable for introduction into their environment. There is no anticipated economic cost of complying for distributors under this subparagraph since this is an explanation of requirements already laid out in the justification for the proposed amendment §61.2.

Comments should be addressed to Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Office of the Texas State Chemist, P.O. Box 3160, College Station, TX 77841-3160.

The amendment is proposed under the Texas Agriculture Code, Chapter 141, §141.004, which provides the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service with the authority to adopt rules relating to the distribution of commercial feeds.

The Texas Agriculture Code, Subchapter C, §141.051, §141.053 and Subchapter G, §141.147 and §141.148, are affected by the proposed amendment.

§61.22. Labeling of Commercial Feed.

Commercial feed shall be labeled with the information prescribed in the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act (Act) and this chapter on the principal display panel of the product with the following general format, unless otherwise specifically provided.

(1)-(3)

(No change.)

(4)

Guarantees - Crude Protein, Non-Protein Nitrogen, Amino Acids, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber, Acid Detergent Fiber, Calcium, Phosphorus, Salt and Sodium shall be the sequence of nutritional guarantees when such guarantee is stated. Other required and voluntary guarantees should follow in a general format such that the units of measure used to express guarantees (percentage, parts per million, International Units, etc.) are listed in a sequence that provides a consistent grouping of the units of measure.

(A)-(L)

(No change.)

(M)

A commercial feed intended for wildlife must guarantee

(i)

Minimum percentage of crude protein;

(ii)

Minimum percentage of crude fat;

(iii)

Maximum percentage of crude fiber;

(iv)

Aflatoxin level as less than 50 ppb.

(5)-(9)

(No change.)

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on July 26, 1999.

TRD-9904486

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr.

Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture

Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service

Proposed date of adoption: September 26, 1999

For further information, please call: (409) 845-1121 (ext. 124)


Subchapter H. Adulterants

4 TAC §61.61

The Feed and Fertilizer Control Service/Office of the Texas State Chemist proposes to amend §61.61(a) to specify levels of mycotoxins in feeds which can safely be fed to animals. That portion of the amendment which deals with wildlife allows the Feed and Fertilizer Control Service to comply with §141.007 of the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act.

Dr. George W. Latimer, Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture, has determined that for the first five year period the amended rule is in effect, there will be no fiscal implications for state or local government as a result of administering the rule.

Dr. Latimer has also determined that the public benefit is to minimize the impact of those contaminants on animals. There is no anticipated economic cost since distributors have been complying with the limits for some six years.

Comments should be addressed to Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr., Office of the Texas State Chemist, P.O. Box 3160, College Station, TX 77841-3160.

The amendment is proposed under the Texas Agriculture Code, Chapter 141, §141.004, which provides the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service with the authority to adopt rules relating to the distribution of commercial feeds.

The Texas Agriculture Code, Subchapter G, §141.148, is affected by the proposed amendment.

§61.61. Poisonous or Deleterious Substances.

(a)

Poisonous or deleterious substances include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1)-(5)

(No change.)

(6)

aflatoxin B 1 , B2 , G 1 , G 2 above 20 parts per billion (ppb) individually or total except that with proper labeling as approved by the Service <0ppb may be distributed when destined for wildlife; <0ppb may be distributed when destined for breeding cattle and breeding goats not used in production of milk for human consumption, breeding swine, mature poultry, and sheep; <0ppb may be distributed when destined for finishing swine (more than 100 lbs. body weight); <0ppb may be distributed when destined for feedlot cattle;

(7)

fumonisin above 5 parts per million (ppm) except that with proper labeling as approved by the Service <5ppm may be distributed when destined for finishing swine (more than 100 lbs. body weight); <0ppm may be distributed when destined for feedlot cattle.

(b)-(d)

(No change.)

This agency hereby certifies that the proposal has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be within the agency's legal authority to adopt.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State, on July 26, 1999.

TRD-9904487

Dr. George W. Latimer, Jr.

Assistant to the Associate Vice Chancellor of Agriculture

Office of the Texas State Chemist/Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service

Proposed date of adoption: September 26, 1999

For further information, please call: (409) 845-1121 (ext. 124)