LEFTOVERS FOR LIVESTOCK

MARYLAND
Maryland allows the feeding of animal-derived waste to swine provided that it has been properly heat-treated and
fed by a licensed facility. All other waste may be fed to swine without heat-treatment. Individuals may feed household
garbage to their own swine without heat-treating it and without a license.
MD Code Ann. Agric. § 3-404 (2015)
Animals covered
Definition of “garbage”
Prohibitions
Licensure
Enforcement
Treatment requirements
Relevant state regulatory
body
Swine
Any putrescible animal and fowl waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking,
and consumption of foods, including any animal and fowl carcass, part of it, and any
other substance that has been mixed with or been in contact with any animal or fowl
waste or carcass. § 3-404 (2015).
No feeding untreated garbage to animals. Exception for individuals feeding household
garbage. § 3-404 (2015).
An individual or facility may not feed garbage to swine without procuring an annual
license from the state. § 3-404 (2015).
The secretary of the department of agriculture enforces the garbage-feeding rule. If
any individual or facility violates the garbage-feeding rule, the swine may not be sold or
removed from its location within 30 days of having consumed the garbage or longer if
prescribed by the secretary. § 3-404 (2015).
“Garbage” does not include waste that has been heat-treated such that it either contains
less than ten percent moisture or has been deemed safe to feed animals by the secretary
of the department of agriculture. § 3-404 (2015).
Maryland Department of Agriculture (§ 3-404 (2015)),
http://mda.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
29| Leftovers for Livestock: A Legal Guide for Using Excess Food as Animal Feed August 2016