The European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) has welcomed the proposal for a EU Regulation on animal feed hygiene, which has been adopted by the EU Commission. This text aims at reinforcing health and safety standards throughout the animal feed chain and in
particular provides for the mandatory registration of all the suppliers of the animal feed sector, obliging most of them to implement HACCP-based (identification of critical control points) Quality Assurance systems.
FEFAC President Mr Yves Montecot stated: “We support this text because – although we know our direct suppliers – we not necessarily know the suppliers of the suppliers of our suppliers. This Regulation should therefore allow for a better traceability in our sector”.
As regards the obligation to provide financial guarantees to cover the risks in case of a health crisis, the FEFAC President “declared himself in favor of such a measure, provided the public authorities in return apply an equivalent system whereby they will compensate the
companies if goods have been blocked by the authorities for unjustified reasons”.
Mr Montecot also said that the compound feed manufacturers had not waited for this proposal to implement an HACCP-based Quality Assurance system: “From the year 2000, FEFAC introduced HACCP in the framework of its guidelines for the implementation of a national Code of
Practice for the manufacture of animal feedstuffs. Early in 2003, FEFAC entrusted an independent certification organization with the task of comparing existing national Codes for the manufacturing of compound feed. The results of this benchmarking exercise show that our sector has made
considerable progress by introducing Quality Assurance systems based on risk analysis, thus anticipating the new EU legislation.
The EU Commission proposal that provides for the mandatory implementation of good hygiene practices and HACCP is of key importance to our industry as it backs our efforts in providing a clear signal to all animal feed businesses, from the cereal grower to the livestock producer on the way forward with regard to Quality Assurance in the animal feed sector. FEFAC will pursue its efforts with its partners in this direction, notably through the harmonization of its requirements in terms of feed material and additive supplies”.
FEFAC, the European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation, represents 15 national Associations in 14 EU Member States as well as Associations from the Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland, Norway and Cyprus with observer/associate member status.