Fact sheet - Preventive feed safety controls

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

Under the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022, most feed establishments will be required to conduct a hazard analysis, put in place preventive controls and a preventive control plan (PCP). This is a new regulatory requirement.

This fact sheet applies to you if you conduct any of the following feed-related activities:

• manufacturing
• storing
• packaging
• labelling
• selling
• exporting

These regulations do not apply for feeds made on-farm by livestock producers as long as the feed is not sold off the farm, is not medicated and does not contain any substance that presents a risk of harm.

Preventive controls

Preventive controls are a regulatory requirement designed to prevent potential risks to feed and food-producing animals. Preventive controls provide a science-based, objective and auditable system, supporting manufacture, distribution and trade of livestock feed. Preventive controls are based on the principles described in the Codex Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding (CAC/RCP 54-2004) - PDF (165 kb).

Preventive controls must address the hazards and risks in the following areas:

• product and process controls (for example, manufacturing controls, treatment processes)
• sanitation, biosecurity, pest control and chemicals
• employee hygiene, and training
• equipment design and maintenance
• physical structure, surroundings and maintenance of the feed establishment
• receiving, storage, and transportation of feed
• traceability, investigations, recalls, and complaints

Preventive control plan

A preventive control plan (PCP) is a written document that describes how a feed establishment's hazards are identified and controlled as well as how other regulatory requirements will be achieved. In addition to the preventive control elements described above, a PCP shall include:

• outcomes from the feed establishment's hazard identification and analysis
• control measures implemented and verified to be effective, including critical control points if applicable, to address the hazards identified in the analysis
• preventive controls implemented by the feed establishment to meet other regulatory requirements such as general and safety standards, labelling, investigations, recalls, complaints, export provisions, record-keeping and traceability

Determining the items to be addressed in the PCP will depend on the feed-related activities conducted by the feed establishment. For example, the PCP developed and implemented by a retail outlet would contain less detail when compared to a PCP developed and implemented by a commercial feed mill. A PCP developed and implemented for a feed destined for export would need to consider the requirements of the importing country.

Benefits of preventive control plans

Industry is responsible for manufacturing, selling, exporting and importing safe feed. A PCP contributes to the production of safe and compliant feed by allowing feed establishments to identify and correct issues early in the production process.

PCPs are recognized internationally as the best way for regulated parties to demonstrate that hazards and risks are controlled or eliminated, through the use of a systems-based examination of their operations. PCPs address feed safety and other requirements such as animal, human, and environmental risks and labelling.

In addition, PCPs help to maintain market access with countries that require similar feed safety measures and mandatory control systems.