Guidance For On-Farm Mixers Producing Complete Feeds For Their Own Use
Introduction
This guidance on on-farm mixing for farmers producing complete feeds for their own use aims to assist the farmer to produce high quality feeds, comply with the requirements of the law and, in turn, minimise the burden of enforcement. It offers advice to all on-farm mixers of animal feed.
Scope
The purpose of this guidance is to offer practical advice on current feedstuff legislation to the farmer carrying out on-farm mixing on his own holding.
Irrespective of the size of the holding, farmers who are mixing bought-in feeds containing additives with home grown crops for feeding must be registered with their local Trading Standards office.
Guidance Aims
The guidance is designed to help those involved in the mixing of complete feeds identify any hazard involved in the pre-mixing, mixing and post-mixing processes. It aims to help the person mixing the feed to fully understand the feed production process.
In order to identify the hazards involved, certain factors (i.e. 'critical points') must be taken into consideration. These include:
Personnel
Every person involved in mixing animal feed must be able to demonstrate competence in mixing animal feed. Those mixing animal feed must have appropriate skills to match the scale, risk and complexity of the mixing operation. Everyone involved must be suitably trained and any formal training undertaken by any individual should be recorded.
Note: training can also be demonstrated by length of experience and on-the-job training.
It is important that any form of training is evaluated and recorded.
If there are a considerable amount of individuals responsible for mixing feeding stuffs within the same company, the company must have in place a chart detailing all persons working in feed preparation and the tasks that they are authorised to perform.
Storage of Feed
Product stored must be easily identifiable and stored in such a manner to avoid contamination. Particular attention should be paid to medicated feeds (i.e. pre-mixes) and veterinary prescribed feed additives. These must be stored separately in a locked area.
All places of storage must be clean and water-tight. Raw materials and compound feeds should be stored in designated placed adapted and maintained to ensure good storage conditions thereby minimising the risk of contamination and infestation.
An appropriate pest control programme should be put in place. Steps should be taken to prevent bird and rodent infestation and contamination.
Stock rotation should be employed so that all feed materials are used before their best-before date.
Equipment
Feed equipment must be suitable for manufacturing animal feeding stuffs. It must be kept clean, and free of any accumulated material. It must also be able to achieve an even mix. Feed mixing equipment must be operated for minimum specified times which can be shown to achieve an even mix. Attention should also be paid to the storage of feed equipment. For example, mixing machines should be stored under cover when not in use. Visual checks should be carried out on a regular basis and maintenance and cleansing records should be kept.
If medicinal additives have been mixed into the feed, all equipment used should be cleaned between batches.
In the case of any farmer making use of a mobile mixing contractor, the contractor must be provided with a clean, safe working area and given clear written instructions regarding the following:
In return, the contractor should supply you with a record containing the following:
Note: All waste, etc. must be clearly identified and appropriately dealt with or disposed of by the farmer.
Quality Control
A competent person should be given the responsibility for production and quality control. Their designated responsibilities should be listed and recorded.
If there is no one to designate the responsibility to, the farmer himself is the responsible individual.
Whoever the responsibility lies with, this person must produce a written quality control plan which they must then implement and review. The following lists the main details which should be included in the plan:
Note: Spreadsheets have been annexed to this guidance for your personal use. Completing these will help you to comply with the requirements of the current law.
A record should be made of any departure from the procedures listed in the quality control plan. Feed recipe records should be made readily available upon request to the relevant enforcement authority. These records should be retained for at least 12 months.
Note: Records for medicated feeds must be maintained for three years.
Sampling
Samples of all bought-in raw materials are to be taken and retained if the supplier is not already doing so (i.e. suppliers producing feedstuffs to recognised assurance standards are required to take and retain samples of their product).
Samples of complete feeds should also be taken whenever the raw materials, the supplier or the origin of the raw material changes. For each feed produced a document identifying the ingredients used and their proportions/quantities must be filled out and kept.
Samples of finished feed should be retained for four weeks. Due to the likelihood of deterioration the above sampling requirements do not apply to moist or liquid feeds.
Record Keeping
For the purpose of traceability, record keeping is essential. Records of the following must be maintained and made available:
This checklist can be used to help draw up a control plan. The plan will assist towards the assurance that; ingredients used are wholesome, free from contamination, mixed/added in the correct proportions.
It should be used regularly and certainly when any changes are made to the mixing operation.
For further information on all aspects of Animal Health & Welfare in Fife, contact:
Fife Council, Environmental Services, Trading Standards Tel: 08451 55 55 56
Fife Council, Environmental Services, Trading Standards, Kingdom House, Kingdom Avenue, Glenrothes, KY7 5LY
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Contact Information
Kingdom House
Kingdom Avenue
Glenrothes
Fife KY7 5LY
Email: cds_TS@fife.gov.uk
Telephone: 08451 55 55 56.
Electronic Mail: cds_TS@fife.gov.uk
Internet World Wide Web: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/fife