Feed assurance scheme (feed safety)

Last update: 2 June 2023

• Action: Control of hazards in feed along the chain to limit exposure of animals.
• Animal categories: All animals.
• Technique: Feed assurance schemes are meant to secure that at each step of the feed chain, operators implement feed safety management programmes in accordance with a minimum set of requirements and principles established in technical standards. 
• Mode of action: The feed safety management systems, including monitoring programmes, are implemented by feed business operators to include all relevant levels of the chain and are audited by certification bodies; this allows identifying and managing incidents at the earliest stage possible (“top-of-the-pyramid” principle), ideally before the feed is delivered.
• Mode of implementation: National or International Feed Safety schemes are developed by private organisations usually in accordance with Feed Hygiene Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 and technical specifications are based on the EU Feed Manufacturers Guide to Good Hygiene Practice (EFMC); mutual recognition procedures are established across many schemes, as well as early warning procedures in case of incident.
• Requirements/limitations: Feed Safety Assurance Schemes are not meant to replace official controls but Control authorities are expected to take into account adherence of a feed business operator to a scheme when ranking the risk of individual operators (article 9(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls).
• Economic consequences: Purchasing feed from an assured feed suppliers reduces potentially (but does not replace) the monitoring costs.
• Other considerations: The schemes do not only allow minimizing risks for animal health but secures also the safety of products of animal origin for final consumers.
• References:
  • Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products.
  • FEFAC (2016). Vision on feed safety management 2030
  • FEFAC (2014). European Feed Manufacturers Guide
  • Non exhaustive list of national feed safety assurance schemes for compound feed and premixtures production based on EFMC
  • Feed Safety Assurance schemes covering operations other or beyond compound feed and premixtures manufacturing
    • GMP+ International
    • FAMI-QS
    • OVOCOM
    • QS
    • UFAS/FEMAS
    • EFISC – GTP
  • FEFAC, COCERAL, FEDIOL (2010). A common set of principles for the management of the Salmonella risk in the feed chain