Fact sheet - Feed retail outlets

The proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 will impact a variety of stakeholders, including:

• single ingredient feed manufacturers and suppliers
• mixed feed manufacturers and suppliers (for example, commercial feed mills, specialty feed manufacturers, etc.)
• rendering facilities manufacturing livestock feed ingredients
• feed retail outlets
• livestock producers (on-farm feed mills)
• feed importers
• feed exporters

Feed retail outlets are businesses that sell feed in the Canadian marketplace. They may sell pre-packaged and labelled feeds or they may re-package and label feeds on site. Feed retail outlets who manufacture mixed feeds would be considered a commercial feed mill and should also refer to the commercial feed mills fact sheet. Feed retail outlets who manufacture single ingredient feeds would be considered a single ingredient feed manufacturer and should refer to the single ingredient feed manufacturers fact sheet. Feed retail outlets who export feed or import feed, should also refer to the feed exporters fact sheet or feed importers fact sheet, respectively.

This fact sheet applies to you if:

• you sell feed that you did not manufacture
• you re-package, label, and sell feed that you did not manufacture

New regulatory requirements that apply to you

• Hazard analysis and preventive control plans
• Licences
• Traceability and record-keeping
• Product registration
• Product labelling

Hazard analysis and preventive control plans

You must prepare, keep, maintain and implement a written preventive control plan (PCP) which will include:

• the identification and analysis of hazards associated with your feed establishment, equipment used, incoming materials, feeds or your processes. This would include receiving, re-packaging, handling, storage or distribution, and measures to prevent cross contamination
• the control measures used to prevent, eliminate or reduce the hazards identified
• preventive controls you implement to meet other regulatory requirements such as general and safety standards, labelling, recalls, complaints, and record-keeping and traceability

This is a new requirement. Please refer to the preventive feed safety controls fact sheet and hazard identification and analysis fact sheet for additional information.

Licences

You will require a licence if the feeds you re-package, label, or sell are sent or conveyed across provincial borders, are to be exported or if you import feeds for sale.

This is a new requirement. Please refer to the licensing fact sheet for additional information.

Traceability and record-keeping

You will be required to keep records of the feeds you receive and sell. The records for both feeds you receive and those you sell must include the name of the feed, the lot number, and the date. Records for feeds that you receive must indicate from whom they came and for feeds that are sold, to whom they were sold. This requirement is similar to the record-keeping requirements for animal foods in the Health of Animals Regulations.

This is a new requirement in the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022. Please refer to the traceability fact sheet for additional information.

Product registration

It is unlikely you will be required to register the feeds you sell. If you are re-packaging and rebranding a registered feed, you may also need to register it under your brand. This is not a change from current requirements.

The manufacturer is usually responsible for product registration, but you should ensure that any feeds you are offering for sale are appropriately registered. You should be aware that some mixed feeds will still require mandatory product registration.

This is an amended requirement. Please refer to the feed approval and product registration guidance for the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 for additional information.

Product labelling

You will be required to properly label the feed that you offer for sale. Although the manufacturer is usually responsible for labelling their feeds, you should ensure that any feeds you are offering for sale are appropriately labelled. If you are re-packaging or re-labelling feed you will be responsible for ensuring the feed is properly labelled.

This is an amended requirement. Please refer to the labelling guidance for the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 for additional information.

Benefits

The proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 will introduce an outcome-based and risk-based approach to feed safety and compliance through modernized regulatory requirements (hazard identification and analysis, preventive control plans, traceability and labelling requirements) and permissions (feed ingredient assessments and approvals, product registration and licences). The benefits that this new regulatory framework will provide are to:

• safeguard feed and the food production continuum
• attain the most effective and efficient balance between fair and competitive trade in the market; and
• minimize regulatory burden

The updates to the regulatory requirements will provide more flexibility to you. More feeds will be exempt from registration which means you may have a greater number of feeds available to sell. Improved labelling flexibilities will allow you to provide customers with more useful information on feed labels. Preventive control programs throughout the feed chain will provide your customers with greater confidence in the safety of the feeds they purchase.