French Agri-Food Minister Guillaume Garot expressed clear disapproval, on 15 February, of the EU decision to authorise a return to the use of animal meal as feed for farmed fish and other aquaculture animals. This «comes at the wrong time» in the midst of the scandal over the discovery of horsemeat in prepared foods labelled as containing «pure beef,» he said. Speaking on French radio, he called for the industry to be «responsible». Approved in July 2012 by member state experts, the return to the use of pig and poultry meal as feed for farmed fish will be authorised from 1 June, announced the European Commission on 14 February (see Europolitics4587). «France opposed this EU measure,» said the minister, who noted that, «fortunately,» the provision does not make the use of animal meal mandatory. Germany also voted against the measure and the United Kingdom abstained. The use of animal meal for ruminants has been banned since 1997 due to the risk of contamination by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease. The ban was extended in 2001 to feed for all food-producing animals.