Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 laying down requirements for feed hygiene is aimed at ensuring that controls throughout the feed chain are strengthened.
In particular, it contains:
- controls and provisions in relation to feed businesses' operational standards
- provisions to help ensure that feed is produced, transported and stored in hygienic conditions, and records are kept allowing full traceability of feed
The Regulation requires feed businesses to be approved by or registered with their local authority.
Who is covered?
With few exceptions the legislation applies to all feed businesses, which are defined in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, as "any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any operation of production, manufacture, processing, storage, transport or distribution of feed including any producer producing, processing or storing feed for feeding to animals on his own holding".
Examples of feed businesses include:
- feed manufacturers
- feed importers
- sellers of feed
- feed transporters
- storers of feed
Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 requires feed businesses to be approved or registered with their local authority, as appropriate, and they must not operate without such registration / approval. See below how to apply for approval or registration.
Exemptions
There are some farm-related activities that fall outside of the scope of the legislation:
- the private domestic production of feed for food-producing animals kept for private domestic consumption and for animals not kept for food production
- the feeding of food-producing animals kept for private domestic consumption
- the feeding of animals not kept for food production
- the direct supply of small quantities of primary production of feed* at local level by
- producer to local farms for use on those farms
- the direct supply, by the producer, of small quantities of primary production of feed* to local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer
- the retailing of pet food.
Exporting Animal Feed
Information on how to export animal feed is covered in How do I request an Export Certificate or Official Certificate for Animal Feed?