Revised US feed safety standard fully FSMA compliant, says AFIA
The changes to the requirements to obtain accreditation under the Safe Feed/Safe Food platform are minimal; however, the process for completing the certification has been streamlined to make it more user-friendly, says Dr Henry Turlington, director of quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs at the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA).
In 2013, the AFIA partnered with Safe Quality Foods Institute (SQFI) to administer the Safe Feed/Safe Food program.
Turlington told FeedNavigator today: “The AFIA has developed a feed safety program that mirrors the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) approach — requiring hazard analysis and development of preventive controls - enabling those who are FSC36 certified to also be in compliance with the new animal food rule. The Safe Feed/Safe Food program can be utilized for feed and feeding ingredients.”
Continuous improvement
He said the revised version will help ensure continuous improvement at a feed facility: “The new audit process will identify areas that need additional support or improvement in order to meet the desired expectations. Facilities will now be scored based on the auditor’s assessment. Previously, suppliers were required to comply with the list of requirements.”
The updated program also means the former ‘self-audit’ will be replaced by a ‘surveillance audit’ for certification.
“FSC36 Safe Feed/Safe Food is a two-year certification. Previously, the feed facility completed a ‘self-audit’ during the year following the on-site audit for certification. Beginning March 1, the certifying body will complete a ‘surveillance audit’ to ensure the facilities continue to maintain compliance with the program,” said Turlington.
The Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification Program is available to both members and non-members of AFIA.
“Safe Feed/Safe Food is a well-rounded program that is applicable to all types of companies within the feed industry. FSC36, our most popular certification, was created for feed manufacturers,” said the AIFA quality and manufacturing regulatory affairs expert.
Harmonization with global standards
He said the platform is designed to support a ‘proactive’ approach to quality and food safety within the animal feed industry, which is comparable to other global certification programs.
“The International Safe Feed/Safe Food certification (FAMI-QS) is a separate program for export to the EU. We support two certifications through SQFI that are GFSI benchmarked for pet food and pet food ingredients. These programs are based on either the EU HACCP approach or the global food safety initiative approach, which is also a HACCP program,” added Turlington.
