CVM Announces the Availability of the 4th Edition of the Animal Feed Safety System Framework Document

The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has issued a newly revised Framework Document about its Animal Feed Safety System (AFSS) Initiative work.  The new Document indicates the Team’s progress in addressing the feed system gaps and provides greater insight about the risks from the presence of feed hazards, such as when such hazards can become a concern for animal or human health.  This is the fourth edition of the Document and replaces the previous one issued in April 2008.

In August 2003, FDA announced its intention to create a more risk-based and comprehensive animal feed safety program.  To accomplish those goals, CVM organized the AFSS Team, which included CVM animal feed regulatory and enforcement specialists, representatives from the Office of the Commissioner, and State regulatory officials.

The Team reviewed the current major processes, guidance, regulations, and policy documents that address feed safety, and it identified “gaps” in the current system that needed to be addressed to improve feed safety.  As it conducts its review, the Team has been using the AFSS Framework Document to describe the gaps in the current system and present the Team’s plan to address them.

One of the developments described in the revised Framework Document is the pending interim policy announcement about a pilot program concerning Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notifications for feed ingredients.  The new Framework Document also discusses the Reportable Food Registry rule, which includes reportable animal feed.  And it presents information about the Web-based system containing the most recently approved “Blue Bird” labels that feed mills manufacturing medicated feed can use to model their own labels, so that only the most current and correct labels are used.

Download the draft of the 4th Edition of the Animal Feed Safety System Framework Document