Guidance for farmers on the new feed hygiene regulation

Farmers, as primary producers, have to follow basic hygiene procedures in relation to the feed they use or grow and ensure that hazards are properly controlled. It is expected that many of these conditions were already observed by farmers and, to a large extent, reflect the conditions that had to be complied with under the Feeding Stuffs (Establishments and Intermediaries) Regulations 1999. These include measures on:

• contamination and spoilage of feed
• equipment for mixing, storing or transporting feed clean
• maintaining records of feed used or sold

There is also a code on feeding food producing animals that livestock farmers have to follow.

All of this is designed to help ensure that feed provided to animals is safe and that feeds can be traced in the event of a safety incident. It complements the requirements that apply to the production of food as set out in the new Food Hygiene Regulations.

Farms that were already registered with their local authority under the Feedingstuffs (Establishments and Intermediaries) Regulations 1999 were required to notify their local authority by 1 January 2006 if they wished to continue their feed mixing activities. A copy of a document that farms could use for this purpose is attached at Annexe A. These farms also had to comply from 1 January 2006 with the requirements set out in the regulations mentioned above.

Other livestock farms, fish farms and arable farms that grow, use or sell feed did not need to notify their local authority in order to continue their activities – as long as they were registered under another official scheme.

Most farms are registered under one official scheme or another (e.g. for grant purposes) but examples of such schemes can be found on the list attached at Annexe B. These farms had until 1 January 2008 to bring themselves into compliance with the requirements of the Feed Hygiene Regulations.

Activities not covered
There are a number of activities outside the scope of the Feed Hygiene Regulation. These include:

• the private domestic production of feed for food-producing animals kept for private domestic production and for animals not kept for food production
• the feeding of food-producing animals kept for private domestic consumption
• the feeding of animals not kept for food production
• the direct supply of small quantities of primary production of feed at local level by a producer to local farms for use on those farms
• the direct supply, by the producer, of small quantities of primary products to local establishments directly supplying the final consumer (e.g. farms)
• the retailing and wholesaling of pet food

(EC Regulation 183/2005 does not define 'small quantities'. However, the Agriculture Act 1970, section 68(2)(b) provides for an exemption of 25kg.)

The conditions of the Feed Hygiene Regulation do not apply to these activities and there is no requirement for farms to be approved or registered for carrying out these activities.

A copy of the regulation can be found on the European Union website at the link below. The standards that apply to primary producers are set out in Annexe I A of the regulation and the Code on feeding food producing animals is set out in Annexe III. Only farms buying in and using feed additives and premixtures as such will have to apply the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points system). During the course of 2007, the Food Standards Agency intends to provide further guidance to farmers on how to comply with these conditions.

If you have further questions please contact:
Stewart Herd
Food Standards Agency Scotland
6th Floor St. Magnus House
25 Guild Street
Aberdeen, AB11 6NJ

Or by e-mail to: stewart.herd@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Direct line: 01224 285138
Fax: 01224 285168