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Legal clarifications on reformulation and animal feed production establishments

Advice on reformulations and labelling of animal feed.

The Food Standards Agency is giving the following legal clarification to animal feed businesses.

Advice on reformulations and labelling of animal feed

Where a business has to change their standard feed formulations alternatives may be used under the following criteria:

  • The substituted ingredients are permitted for use in GB or NI.
  • The substituted ingredients are used in accordance with any legislative criteria e.g. target species, maximum permitted limits, etc.
  • Any reformulation must ensure the feed is safe for the intended species or category of animal.
  • Accurate information for reformulated feeds to reflect the actual composition of the product, must be provided for the individual product unit(s). This may be achieved by correcting existing on-pack information, for example by the use of over-labelling. 
  • Where the reformulation invalidates any claims, the on-pack label must be amended, so as not to mislead the customer. Other advertising materials must also be amended accordingly.

In addition, prior to production and where appropriate the business may wish to notify the customer directly of any deviation from contracted standard formulations e.g. bulk deliveries to farm.

Animal feed products of non-animal origin made at different facilities

Feed business operators continue to have an obligation to provide the competent authority with up-to-date information on any establishments under their control. This includes notifying the competent authority of any significant change in activities and any closure of an existing establishment. Where a business re-locates its production to a different feed premises this takes effect as a new establishment and the following criteria must be followed:

  • Establishments must be appropriately registered and/or approved with their enforcement authority under the feed hygiene regulations.
  • For traceability purposes existing labels or packaging must be over-stickered with the relevant producer details.

Products of animal origin are the responsibility of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in England and Wales or within Northern Ireland contact the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Feed business operators must continue to maintain traceability, follow feed hygiene requirements and where applicable, their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.