Quality Requirements for Feed

Animal feed quality is one of the most important exogenous factors influencing animal health and productivity.

There are two important regulations in the European Union regulating quality requirements for feed:

Regulation 178/2002 on the principles of food and feed defines ‘food law’ as including the production, processing and distribution of feed for food producing animals and defines a ‘feed business’ as any business carrying out any operation of production, manufacture, processing, storage, transport or distribution of feed. It sets out food safety requirements, traceability and responsibilities of feed business operators.

Regulation 183/2005 laying down requirements for feed hygiene requires businesses involved in the use, manufacture or marketing of feeds to be approved or registered with their competent authority. In particular, this regulation sets down standards relating to the transport and storage of feed, maintenance of equipment, the training of personnel and the keeping of records.

Feed producers must ensure systematic control at all stages of production, processing and distribution in accordance with EU legislation; in addition to good manufacturing practice and other quality management systems (e.g. HACCP, GMP+).

What we would like you to do

Please interact with your fellow learners throughout the course in the comments section below. Please share any thoughts on quality requirements in the feed sector. You may want to reflect on the following questions:

• Have you a role to play in the quality of animal feed?

• Do you think the quality of feed is important?