GMP+ Feed Safety Certification

The GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance is a certification scheme developed to guarantee feed safety and reassure consumers about the responsible way animal feed products are produced, processed, traded, stored and transported around the world.

The GMP+ FSA scheme was initiated and developed in 1992 by the Dutch feed industry with response to various incidents involving contamination in feed materials.

The GMP+ FSA scheme incorporates the concepts of HACCP that are predominantly based on criteria laid down in the Codex Alimentarius, with some additional changes based on new insights from the ISO 22000 standard. These along with the unique “chain approach” used by the GMP+ FSA scheme lays a solid and important foundation for safe feed by largely guaranteeing that all links in the chain play an integral part in ensuring the quality assurance for feed and services in a uniform and transparent manner.

Where GMP+ certification is required

“License to operate in the International Feeds Sector.”

Setting up a feed safety system basically means implementing the necessary rules and procedures aimed at controlling feed safety. For example, this includes defining tasks and responsibilities, instructions for production and cleaning, maintaining a register of records, setting up and updating a quality manual, and controlling records.

A feed safety system enables companies to trace any batch of feed put on the market as well as its production history. In case of unsafe feed this information is required to detect the source and to eliminate further contamination.

Thus, GMP+ certification is required:

• When a company is responsible for physical handling (processing, packing, storage, distribution and transport) of the feed products.
• When there is change of legal ownership for the feed produced by one company to the next in the feed chain.
• When the process involves various traders/ brokers/ agents handling feed and food products.
• When you involve third party storage locations.
• By test laboratories.

Benefits of GMP+ Certification

• Gain new sales opportunities and maintain existing customers;
• Ensure continuity in business operation as the company structure is set up more efficiently and costs and financial risks are reduced;
• Focus on quality management (ISO 9001) and risk control (HACCP);
• Improve corporate image and reliability;
• Become part of a global operating feed assurance system (the GMP+ certificate is internationally accepted by approximately 17,200 companies certified in 72 countries);
• Are accepted by other schemes;
• Have access to supporting information (fact sheets, risk assessments, newsletters, Early Warning messages etc.);
• Easily combine multiple certifications (e.g. feed safety and responsibility);
• Contribute to uniformity in the feed chain.