Current status: Closed
This consultation ran from November 28, 2024 to December 28, 2024.
About the consultation
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) was seeking comments on the following amended single ingredient feed (SIF) descriptions for corn gluten meal and corn gluten with bran.
Background
The Feeds Regulations, 2024 require a proponent to submit a pre-market application for new feed ingredients or SIFs that have been modified such that they differ from an approved SIF, or SIFs that are for a new purpose. The CFIA evaluates the information in the application to establish that the SIF is safe, effective, and labelled correctly.
Approved SIFs are listed and described in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT), which is incorporated by reference (IBR) into the Feeds Regulations, 2024. The CFIA's Incorporation by Reference Policy requires that a consultation be conducted before changes to IBR documents are made. Refer to Documents incorporated by reference under the Feeds Regulations, 2024 for additional information.
About the evaluation
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) in the U.S. has revised the ingredient names for some of the gluten-based ingredient definitions found in Chapter 6 of the AAFCO Official Publication (OP). Feed labels within the U.S. that contain these gluten-based ingredients will be required to have the revised ingredient names on their feed labels by early 2025.
AAFCO has revised the following ingredient names:
- Corn gluten meal has been changed to corn protein meal
- Corn gluten feed has been changed to corn protein feed
- Grain sorghum gluten meal has been changed to grain sorghum protein meal
- Grain sorghum gluten feed has been changes to grain sorghum protein feed
Grain sorghum gluten meal and grain sorghum gluten feed are not approved feed ingredients for use in livestock feeds in Canada. In other words, these ingredients are not listed in the CFIT. However, corn gluten meal and corn gluten with bran (corn gluten feed) are approved feed ingredients and are listed and described in the CFIT.
The Animal Feed Program (AFP) of the CFIA is recommending that corn protein meal and corn protein feed be added as alternative ingredient names to their descriptions in the CFIT. These changes would algin with the revised ingredient names for these ingredients in the U.S. and prevent any barriers in trade and market access when importing or exporting these feed ingredients between the U.S. and Canada.
Therefore, the CFIA recommends the descriptions for corn gluten meal and corn gluten with bran be amended, and the amended SIF descriptions replace the current SIF descriptions in the CFIT, accordingly.
Amended SIF descriptions
The CFIA intends to amend the existing SIF descriptions for corn gluten meal (1-302-045) and corn gluten with bran (1-302-046) under Subclass 3.2.2 (Protein products and by-products of plant origin – Cereals, pulses and legumes) of Class 3 (Protein feeds) in part 1 of the CFIT to include the alternative ingredient names of corn protein meal and corn protein feed. In addition, corn gluten with bran was moved to be an alternative ingredient name and corn gluten feed was moved to be the common name for this ingredient in the CFIT. Only the names have been updated, no changes will be made to the description of the SIF or any labelling requirements.
The amended descriptions are:
- 1-302-045 Corn gluten meal (or corn protein meal)
is the meal that consists of the dried residue from corn after the separation of the bran and the removal of the majority of the starch and germ either by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm. It may contain fermented corn extractives or corn germ meal. - If the product bears a name descriptive of the form (for example, pelleted), it shall correspond thereto and it may be indicated on the label.
- If a pelleting aid is used, it must be approved for use in livestock feeds, it shall be used at the approved rate, and the common name or names shall be indicated on the label.
- If a mould inhibitor is used, it must be approved for use in livestock feeds, it shall be used at the approved rate, and the common name or names shall be indicated on the label.
- If an anticaking or flow agent is used, it must be approved for use in livestock feeds, it shall be used in an amount not to exceed 0.5% by weight, and the common name or names shall be indicated on the label.
- It shall be labelled with guarantees for minimum percent crude protein, and maximum percent moisture.
- 1-302-046 Corn gluten feed (or corn protein feed or corn gluten with bran)
- is the product that consists of that part of commercially shelled corn that remains after extraction of the majority of the starch, gluten, and germ by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup. It may contain fermented corn extractives or corn germ meal.
- If a mould inhibitor is used, it must be approved for use in livestock feeds, it shall be used at the approved rate, and the common name or names shall be indicated on the label.
- If an anticaking or flow agent is used, it must be approved for use in livestock feeds, it shall be used in an amount not to exceed 0.5% by weight, and the common name or names shall be indicated on the label.
- It shall be labelled with guarantees for minimum percent crude protein, and maximum percent moisture.
Additional information
Since the ingredient names for some of the gluten-based feed ingredients are being revised in the U.S. and the transition period for U.S. feed labels to comply with the revised ingredient names will end in January 2025, the CFIA's AFP is recommending that these revised ingredient names (that is, corn protein meal and corn protein feed) be added an alternative ingredient names to the corn gluten meal and corn gluten feed descriptions in the CFIT.
The addition of these alternative names to these descriptions in the CFIT will allow for alignment with the revised ingredient names being made in the U.S. (and the ending of the transition period) and will prevent any disruption in trade and market access of these ingredients and the labelling of livestock feeds that contain these ingredients between the U.S. and Canada.
Who was the focus of this consultation
Animal feed stakeholders, including:
- suppliers of feed ingredients
- commercial feed manufacturers
- feed importers, distributors and retailers
- industry associations
- other government departments
- international trading partners
- veterinarians
All comments are welcome from industry, governments, the public, or other organizations or individuals.
How to participate
The CFIA was seeking feedback on the amended descriptions for corn gluten meal and corn gluten with bran.
Stakeholders were encouraged to share comments if there was:
- concerns about the accuracy of the SIF descriptions
- any scientific data that should be considered before these SIFs are amended
The CFIA evaluators will review scientific questions or information for consideration in the evaluation. They will also evaluate non-scientific input and explore appropriate ways of addressing it.
Comments can be sent by email to the Animal Feed Program (AFP) at cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca. Please use "corn gluten meal and corn gluten with bran" in the subject line of the email. The CFIA is asking for comments and feedback by December 28, 2024, 30 days from the date of this posting.
Next steps
The CFIA will review all of the comments received. If no significant scientifically valid concerns are raised, the CFIA will finalize the amended descriptions for corn gluten meal and corn gluten with bran.
If significant concerns are raised, the CFIA will evaluate the additional information. A what we heard report that summarizes the feedback received will be published.
These amended SIF descriptions will be added to the CFIT at the next update.
Related information
Contact us
Animal Feed Program (AFP)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca