Fact sheet - Commercial feed mills

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

Commercial feed mills are businesses that manufacture mixed feeds for sale and distribution in the Canadian marketplace or for export. Commercial feed mills who manufacture single ingredient feeds should also refer to the single ingredient feed manufacturers fact sheet. Commercial feed mills who import or export feeds should also refer to the feed importers fact sheet and feed exporters fact sheet.

This fact sheet applies to you if:

• you manufacture mixed feeds for sale
• you store, label, package or sell mixed feeds that you manufacture

New regulatory requirements that apply to you

• Hazard analysis and preventive control plans
• Licences
• Traceability and record-keeping
• Product registration
• Product labelling

Hazard analysis and preventive control plans

You must prepare, keep, maintain and implement a written preventive control plan (PCP) which will include:

• the identification and analysis of hazards associated with your feed establishment, equipment used, incoming materials, feeds, manufacturing or other processes. This would include receiving, handling or storage, and measures to prevent cross contamination
• the control measures used to prevent, eliminate or reduce the hazards identified
• preventive controls you implement to meet other regulatory requirements such as general and safety standards, labelling, recalls, complaints, import and export provisions, record-keeping and traceability

This is a new requirement. Please refer to the preventive feed safety controls fact sheet and hazard identification and analysis fact sheet for additional information.

Licences

You will require a licence if the feeds you manufacture, store, label or package are sent or conveyed across provincial borders, are to be exported or if you import feed for sale. If your mixed feeds are being sold within the same province, a licence is not required.

This is a new requirement. Please refer to the licensing fact sheet for additional information.

Traceability and record-keeping

You will be required to keep records of the feeds you manufacture and sell. This includes the mixing sheet and formula for all mixed feeds that you manufacture as well as any copies of customer formulas and veterinary prescriptions. In addition, you will be required to keep records of the incoming ingredients and mixed feeds you use and where they came from, as well as who you ship or sell the feed to. The records must include the name of the feed, the lot number, the date, and contact information. This requirement is similar to the record-keeping requirements for animal foods in the Health of Animals Regulations.

This is a new requirement in the Feeds Regulations, 2022. Please refer to the traceability fact sheet for additional information.

Product registration

You may need to register feeds depending on the types of feeds you manufacture. You will still be required to register certain types of mixed feeds under the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022. However, the number of mixed feeds requiring mandatory product registration will be reduced.

This is an amended requirement. Please refer to feed approval and product registration guidance for the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 for additional information.

Product labelling

You will be required to properly label feeds that you offer for sale.

This is an amended requirement. Please refer to labelling guidance for the proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 for additional information.

Benefits

The proposed Feeds Regulations, 2022 will introduce an outcome-based and risk-based approach to feed safety and compliance through modernized regulatory requirements (hazard identification and analysis, preventive control plans, traceability and labelling requirements) and permissions (feed ingredient assessments and approvals, product registration and licences). The benefits that this new regulatory framework will provide are to:

• safeguard feed and the food production continuum
• attain the most effective and efficient balance between fair and competitive trade in the market; and
• minimize regulatory burden

More feeds will be exempt from registration which means you may have a greater number of feeds available to sell. For example, product registration will not be required for a mixed feed containing 2 approved single ingredient feeds, provided it does not have any claims. Improved labelling flexibilities will allow you to provide customers with more useful information on feed labels. Preventive control programs throughout the feed chain will provide your customers with greater confidence in the safety of the feeds they purchase.