Medicated Feed Regulations Update
by Ryan Van Loon, National Coordinator, On Farm Food Safety (Canadian Sheep Federation)
On March 25th the CFIA hosted a meeting with industry stakeholders to discuss the decisions and action plans put forward on the making of medicated feeds. The proposed regulations will be introduced through a phased-in approach over three years:
These regulations will be applied to the use of all medicating ingredients in food producing animals regardless of whether withdrawal is required or not.
Testing to validate scales, mixing and clean out procedures will be a necessary component of these regulations. End Product Testing must be completed as the final indicator of a sound process—a minimum of four samples per year regardless of the number or type of medications used or the tonnage produced. Scale and metering device verification as well as mixer performance testing, will occur at the time of installation; and as frequently as necessary to ensure proper functioning, but not less than once a year.
January 2007
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Testing can be an involved process. For example, mixer testing is accomplished by testing the level of one or more substance in a pre-established number of feed samples from a batch of mixed product, and calculating the coefficient of variation (CV) for the batch. The CV is a calculation that is used to determine whether the mixer is capable of manufacturing uniform batches of feed. Documentation and record keeping will be an equally involved and necessary component of the new regulations to validate all actions and corrective procedures during the mixing and cleaning of medicated feeds. With respect to scale and metering device verification, for example, records of calibration must be maintained, as well as records of verification of accuracy of measuring devices, records of maintenance and repair and records of corrective actions when measuring devices are determined to be out of tolerance.
Similar requirements will be phased in for equipment cleaning procedures. The making of medicated feed by a licensed operator must be by sequential production accompanied with written procedures respecting sequential production, flushing and the cleaning of equipment. Medicated feed may be made by means other than by sequential production if, between lots of medicated feed or lots of medicated feed and other animal food, all equipment (including any equipment used for making, storing, processing, conveying or packing animal food that comes in contact with the medicated feed) is vacuumed, swept, washed, flushed or subject to other equally effective procedures in a manner that prevents contamination.
The target completion for the inspector training program is January 2005. Completion of the Laboratory Accreditation Program will have to be advanced to ensure that there are sufficient accredited laboratories to accommodate the commercial feed manufacturers by January 2005. Within three years, there will be enough accredited laboratories to service both commercial and farm-based operations.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will co-ordinate the licensing of Canadian facilities that manufacture medicated livestock at a centralized licensing office in Ottawa. The primary role will be to review license applications and keep track of which facilities are licensed on a database from this central location.
Producers are to be reminded that there is no cost recovery in the proposed regulations and no change in this approach is anticipated.