ANIMAL FEED SECTOR
Related links: FEMAS | FEMAS Register | TASCC | TASCC Register | UFAS | UCO | IFIS | Partnerships

FEMAS Scheme

Over the past two decades there have been a series of food-scares in Northern Europe. In many cases the root of these scares has been traced back to animal feed. Examples include: lead detected in milk (traced back to rice bran used in animal feed); salmonella in poultry and eggs (traced back to feed materials); BSE (Mad Cow Disease) (linked to meat and bone meal in animal feed); PCBs (traced back to contaminated feed fats); dioxin (traced back to the processing of citrus pulp for animal feed and bentonite clays used in animal feed). Recent concerns have also centered on the use of genetically modified (GM) products in animal feed (though whether this in fact presents a food hazard is unclear). As a result of pressure from regulatory bodies, food processors and food retailers, but also in an attempt to tidy up their own activities, the feed industry has responded with a number of assurance schemes designed to re-establish confidence in the trade.

The FEMAS Scheme provides the assurance of feed ingredients required by the compound feed industry and farm assurance schemes.

The scheme currently provides feed ingredient assurance to sites as varied as limestone quarries, flour mills, fishmeal producers, seaweed processors, distilleries, breweries and micro ingredient producers in places as far a field as North and South America, West Africa, Iceland, Europe and the UK.

The Dutch, Belgians and British have reached mutual recognition for each other's schemes. The Dutch Product Board Animal Feed (PDV), under the banner of Dutch GMP+ and Belgian Ovocom, Belgian GMP QC.

Non-GM
As part of the AIC FEMAS Standard, PAI also certifies non-GM animal feed ingredients. The non-GM module is implemented in all cases where the feed ingredients being assured are sourced from materials where commercially produced GM forms are available.

To view FEMAS Customer Feedback results, gathered by AIC, please click here.

For further details please contact Martin Jowett on 01423 878878 or 0845 226 5401 or Martin.Jowett@ThePAIGroup.com

AIC web site www.AGIndustries.org.uk

PAI is actively seeking international partners in this sector. more details