Introduction
The 1986 emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE) in ruminants has highlighted the danger associated with meat or bone material from diseased cattle. This has naturally led to an increased awareness of the risk of BSE or other transmissible spongiform encephalopathy(TSE) when using animal-derived products in the manufacturing of human and veterinary products such as pharmaceuticals and vaccines.Regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) both recommend that manufacturers take action to minimize the risk of TSE transmission through their processes.