Quick reference guide – Commercial feed mills

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

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 (SIFs) should also refer to the quick reference guide – single ingredient feed manufacturers. Commercial feed mills who import or export feeds should also refer to the quick reference guide – feed importers or quick reference guide – feed exporters.

This quick reference guide applies to you if:

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

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 other regulatory requirements such as general and safety standards, labelling, recalls, complaints, import and export provisions, record-keeping and traceability

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 the livestock 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 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 manufacture and sell. This includes the mix sheet and mix formula for all mixed feeds that you manufacture as well as any copies of customer formulas and veterinary prescriptions.

These updated requirements came into effect on July 3, 2024. Any livestock feed manufactured 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 and mixed feeds you use and where they came from, as well as who you ship or sold the feed to. 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 may need to register feeds depending on the types of feeds you manufacture. You are still required to register certain types of mixed feeds under the Feeds Regulations, 2024. However, the number of mixed feeds requiring mandatory product registration has been reduced.

These updated requirements came into effect on July 3, 2024. Please refer to RG-1 Regulatory Guidance for additional information.

Product labelling

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

The labelling requirements are updated in the Feeds Regulations, 2024, and came into effect on July 3, 2024. However, there is a 12-month transition period (until June 17, 2025) in which you can label a feed with the old labelling requirements under the Feeds Regulations, 1983 or you can label a feed with the new labelling requirements under the Feeds Regulations, 2024.

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 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
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