Global Feed Safety Platform

The role of animal feed in the production of safe food is recognized worldwide, and several critical incidents have underlined its impact on public and animal health, feed and food trade, and food security. For instance, the following are all related to animal feeding: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Foot-and-Mouth Disease; dioxin, mycotoxin, E.coli O157:H7 contaminations; and the development of antimicrobial resistance. Work on the application of the risk analysis framework provided by Codex Alimentarius in the field of animal feeding has facilitated the further understanding of the role of animal feed safety on public health and of the importance of risk-based measures to prevent and control hazards. Hazards may be introduced with source materials or via carryover or contamination of products during handling, storage and transportation. Feed safety is a prerequisite for food safety and human health, as well as a necessity for animal health and welfare. It is a component of access to trade, income generation and economic sustainability. In addition, it contributes to feed and food security and decreases feed losses. In fact, feed is an integral part of the food chain and its safety has been recognized as a shared value and a shared responsibility. Feed production must thus be subject, in a similar manner as food production, to the quality assurance of integrated food safety systems.