The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering implementing new food safety measures for US animal feed manufacturers. The move is designed to ensure that mad cow disease (BSE) is prevented from spreading.

"We are exploring risk-based, preventative measures to detect problems prior to distribution and sale of feed products," said the FDA in a Federal Register notice.

Since Canada reported a case of mad cow disease on 20 May 2003, the US meat processing industry has remained in a state of high alert. The disease has been linked to the deaths of more than 100 people in Europe, and is believed to have been initially spread by livestock feed made from infected animals.

The proposed FDA measures are similar to the US Agriculture Department's food safety programme. The USDA's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system, better known as HACCP, was adopted in the late 1990s and requires meat companies to install government-approved food safety checkpoints throughout their plants.

The FDA believes that this kind of system could also help prevent unsafe drug residues in meat products.

Public meetings on the issue will be held on 23 and 24 September to allow agricultural and consumer groups to air their views.