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Definitions
- Distributing
- the process of moving feeds from the manufacturer or supplier to other feed mills, retail outlets, wholesalers or directly to consumers. It includes logistics, transportation and supply chain management.
- Export
- the act of sending or distributing feeds from Canada to another country for sale or trade.
- Import for sale
- the act of bringing feeds into Canada from another country with the intention of selling or distributing them domestically.
- Inter-provincial trade
- the trade of feed from one province or territory to another. In the Feeds Regulations, 2024, this is referred to as "send or convey from one province to another".
- Intra-provincial trade
- trade of feed that occurs within the same province or territory
- Label
- any legend, word, mark, symbol or design applied or attached to, included in, belonging to or accompanying any feed or package. Labels typically include the feed name, list of ingredients, usage instructions/directions for use, warning statements and legal information.
- Labelling
- the process of attaching a label to a feed or its packaging in the case of packaged feeds or to its documentation in the case of a bulk feeds.
- Manufacturing
- the process of producing feeds from raw materials using labour, machinery, tools and chemical or biological processing. It typically involves mass production of standardized products.
- Packaging
- the activity of enclosing or protecting feeds for distribution, storage, sale and use. Packaging serves both functional (for example, protection, preservation) and marketing (for example, branding, information) purposes. Package includes totes, sacks, bags, barrels, tubs, drums or any other container in which feeds are placed or packed.
- Processing
- the series of actions or steps taken to transform raw materials or intermediate products into finished feeds or more refined forms. This can include mixing, heating, refining or assembling. This includes the use of a feed for the purpose of manufacturing another feed or the mixing of a feed with another feed.
- Selling
- the act of agreeing to sell, offering for sale, exposing for sale or having in possession for sale or distributing to one or more persons.
- Storing
- the act of keeping feeds in a designated space (such as a warehouse or storage facility) until they are needed for use, sale or further processing. It ensures inventory is preserved and protected.
Introduction
The Feeds Regulations, 2024 were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II (CGII) on July 3, 2024. To provide stakeholders time to adjust to the new and amended regulatory requirements, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has chosen a staggered coming into force for the Feeds Regulations, 2024 over a period of 18 months.
Licensing, which is a new feed regulatory requirement, will come into effect on December 17, 2025. Under the Feeds Regulations, 2024, many livestock feed (feed) businesses will need a livestock feeds licence (licence) based on the feed-related activities they conduct.
A licence will be required for feed businesses that conduct a prescribed activity with a prescribed feed that is to be:
- exported
- imported for sale or
- sent or conveyed across provincial/territorial boundaries
A licence is not required for feed businesses that conduct a prescribed activity with a prescribed feed within the same province or territory. In addition, if the feed is registered, a licence is not required. Even though a licence may not be required, a feed business can choose to voluntarily apply for a licence.
Purpose
This document provides a general overview and is intended to guide feed businesses in understanding the new licensing requirements in the Feeds Regulations, 2024.
What is included
This document provides information on:
- roles and responsibilities
- what type of businesses are required to obtain a licence
- what type of activities requires businesses to obtain a licence
- how to get a licence and its period of validity
- benefits of licensing
Roles and responsibilities
Feed businesses that conduct livestock feed-related activities are responsible for complying with the applicable requirements in the Feeds Regulations, 2024. They must demonstrate compliance by ensuring that feeds and processes employed at the establishment meet all regulatory requirements.
The CFIA verifies the compliance of a feed business by conducting activities that include inspection and surveillance. When non-compliance is identified, the CFIA takes appropriate compliance and enforcement actions.
Licensing
Businesses that may need a licence
Businesses that the Feeds Regulations, 2024 apply to and therefore may need a licence based on their activities, include the following:
- feed ingredient manufacturers and suppliers
- mixed feed manufacturers and suppliers (for example, commercial feed mills, specialty feed manufacturers, etc.)
- feed retail outlets
- livestock producers (on-farm feed mills)
- feed importers
- feed exporters
Activities that need a licence
Under the Feeds Regulations, 2024, you will need a licence if you conduct any or all of these prescribed activities alone or in combination:
- manufacturing, storing, processing, packaging, labelling or selling a livestock feed that is to be sent or conveyed from one province/territory to another
- manufacturing, storing, processing, packaging, labelling or selling a livestock feed that is to be exported
- storing, processing, packaging, labelling or distributing a livestock feed that has been imported for sale
Exemptions
A licence is not required if all the feeds you handle are one or more of the following:
- registered under the Feeds Regulations 2024
- made by a livestock producer for their own animals
- manufactured and sold within the same province or territory
- made on-farm and then is sold off-farm but stays within the same province or territory
A licence is also not needed if:
- the prescribed activities take place at a rendering facility that has a permit to operate under the Health of Animals Regulations or
- the prescribed activities take place at a grain elevator
It is important to note that:
-
a facility may handle some feeds or conduct some activities that require a license, as well as others that do not
Only the feeds and activities falling under the licensing requirements described above need to be covered under a license.
- if a livestock producer has a farm that is located in more than 1 province or territory they will not require a licence to convey or send feeds to their own animals
Examples
The following example scenarios are provided to help you determine if a feed licence is required and do not represent an exhaustive list of all potential business situations.
Example 1: a feed business is conducting a prescribed activity (for example, selling a feed from Alberta to Nova Scotia) with a registered feed
- a licence is not required
- a feed business will not need a licence to conduct prescribed activities with a registered feed, domestic or imported
Example 2: a feed business is conducting prescribed activities with a registered feed and would also like to apply for a licence
- a licence is not required since the feed is registered, however, a feed business can choose to voluntarily apply for a licence
Example 3: a feed business purchases and then repackages and relabels a feed for sale within the same province
- a feed business will not require a licence to relabel or repackage a feed made in Canada that will be sold only within the same province
- feed businesses will require a licence to relabel or repackage an imported feed, even if it will be sold only within the same province, unless the imported feed is registered
How to get a licence
Additional guidance on how to obtain a licence and how to set up a My CFIA account can be found on the livestock feeds licence page.
To obtain a licence, the applicant will need to determine which prescribed feeds and activities they conduct. A feed business may choose to apply for 1 licence that covers all of its feed establishments, prescribed activities and types of feed or multiple licences that would cover different combinations of feed establishments, prescribed activities and types of feed. An inspection prior to the issuance, renewal or amendment of a licence may be required depending on the risk of the feed type and compliance history of the establishment.
Fee and period of validity of a licence
Feed licences will be valid for 2 years from the day of issuance. The licensing fee will be reflected in the CFIA Fees Notice and further consultation will occur before that fee is set.
Benefits
Licensing will enhance the oversight of feeds being imported, exported and traded inter-provincially and will align better with other regulations administered by the CFIA (for example, licensing requirements under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations). Licensing requirements will provide the CFIA with the level of oversight requested by foreign competent authorities when feeds are imported into their countries. This may result in greater access of Canadian feeds to international markets. In addition, licensing will help to identify feed establishments in Canada and assist in better identifying feed safety risks. Enforcement actions such as suspending or cancelling a licence could be taken to help control feed safety risks when regulatory requirements are not met. The suspension or cancellation of a licence will only take place if there is a significant non-compliance and after following an established process which will align closely with the Food Program.
Licensing will reduce the number of mixed feeds requiring mandatory registration. Feed establishments that have been issued a licence will no longer have to register imported mixed feeds that otherwise meet the exemption from registration criteria.
Note: once the licensing requirements come into effect on December 17, 2025, imported feeds (both single ingredient feeds and mixed feeds) must be imported by a licence holder, if not registered.