Quick reference guide – Feed exporters

The Feeds Regulations, 2024 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

Feed exporters are businesses that sell single ingredient feeds (SIFs) and mixed feeds outside of Canada. The Feeds Regulations, 2024 apply to those who manufacture, sell, import, export, or conduct interprovincial trade of feed. Depending on the nature of their business, a feed exporter may be involved in more than 1 of these activities.

SIFs and mixed feeds intended for export may not need to meet a number of the requirements in the Feeds Regulations, 2024. For example, livestock feeds intended for export do not require product registration, nor do they need to meet any of the standards or labelling requirements as for domestic feeds. However, feeds intended for export need to clearly indicate on the label that the feed is for export.

SIFs and mixed feeds intended for export need to meet the requirements of the importing country.

Feed exporters who also manufacture mixed feeds should refer to the quick reference guide – commercial feed mills. Feed exporters who manufacture single ingredient feeds should refer to the quick reference guide – single ingredient feed manufacturers.

This quick reference guide applies to you if you export feed outside of Canada.

Regulatory requirements that apply to you

Hazard analysis and preventive control plans

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

  • the identification and analysis of hazards associated with your livestock feed establishment, equipment used, incoming materials, livestock 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 the regulatory requirements of the importing country

The hazards identified may not be the same as those for a livestock feed intended for the domestic market. In cases where feeds intended for export do not meet Canadian standards, the hazard analysis and PCP should indicate the reason, the reference to the standard being used, and any information that supports that the foreign country requirements have been met. If the foreign country has no requirement for a particular standard, information that sets out the specifications for the standard, as indicated by the person in the foreign country for whom the exported feed is intended, must be included.

This is a new regulatory requirement that will come into effect on June 17, 2025. Please refer to the preventive control plans – general overview and hazard analysis – general overview for additional information.

Licences

You require a licence if you are involved in the manufacturing, storing, processing, packaging, labelling or selling of a livestock feed intended for export.

This is a new regulatory requirement that will come into effect on December 17, 2025. Please refer to the licensing – general overview for additional information.

Record-keeping requirements

You are required to keep records of the livestock feeds you export. This includes details of when you exported your feed.

These updated requirements came into effect on July 3, 2024. Any livestock feed manufactured and intended to be exported on or after July 3, 2024 must follow the updated record-keeping requirements and retain the records for 2 years.

Traceability

You are required to keep records related to traceability, which include records of the incoming ingredients, SIFs, and mixed feeds you use and where they came from, for the feeds you intend to export. The records must include the name of the feed, the lot number, the date, and contact information.

This is a new regulatory requirement that will come into effect on June 17, 2025. Please refer to the quick reference guide – traceability for additional information.

Product registration

You do not need to register livestock feeds that are to be exported. In other words, livestock feeds manufactured for export do not require product registration.

Product labelling

You are required to label your livestock feed that is to be exported. Feeds manufactured for export need to be labelled to clearly indicate that they are for export. No other label information is required, and labels should meet the requirements of the importing country.

Refer to Labelling of livestock feeds for detailed information of the labelling requirements under the Feeds Regulations, 2024.

Benefits

The Feeds Regulations, 2024 are outcome-based and risk-based regulations with the focus on feed safety and compliance through modernized regulatory requirements (for example, hazard analysis, preventive control plans, traceability, and labelling requirements) and permissions (for example, livestock feed approval and registration and licences). The benefits of the Feeds Regulations, 2024 include:

  • safeguarding the livestock feed and the food production continuum
  • attaining the most effective and efficient balance between fair and competitive trade in the market; and
  • minimizing regulatory burden

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of requests received by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to certify livestock feeds for export. The Feeds Regulations, 2024 better align with internationally recognized feed regulatory frameworks and may provide you with easier access to international markets.

The regulations for livestock feed intended for export require them to be made under preventive control plans. This may provide additional evidence to foreign countries that the CFIA has greater oversight for these feeds. In addition, licences give the CFIA the type of oversight that provides greater ability to negotiate feed import requirements with foreign countries while allowing the exporter to formulate and label the livestock feed for the market it is intended for. The improvements provided by the Feeds Regulations, 2024 give the CFIA the ability to assure foreign countries that Canadian feeds meet quality and safety standards which maintains Canada's reputation as a supplier of safe and quality feeds.

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