CAC/RCP 54-2004 Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding
SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION
1. This Code is to establish a feed safety system for food producing animals which covers the whole food chain,taking into account relevant aspects of animal health and the environment in order to minimize risks to consumers’ health. This Code applies in addition to the principles of food hygiene already established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission1, taking into account the special aspects of animal feeding.
SECTION 2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
2. The objective of this Code is to help ensure the safety of food for human consumption through adherence to good animal feeding practice at the farm level and good manufacturing practices (GMPs) during the procurement, handling, storage, processing and distribution of animal feed and feed ingredients for food producing animals.
3. This Code of Practice applies to the production and use of all materials destined for animal feed and feed ingredients at all levels whether produced industrially or on farm. It also includes grazing or free-range feeding, forage crop production and aquaculture.
4. Those issues of animal welfare other than food safety related animal health are not covered. Environmental contaminants should be considered where the level of such substances in the feed and feed ingredients could present a risk to consumers’ health from the consumption of foods of animal origin.
5. While recognizing that, in its totality, a feed safety system would address animal health and environmental issues, in addition to consumers’ health, this Code of Practice, in fulfilling the Codex mandate of consumer protection, only addresses food safety. Notwithstanding this, best efforts have been made to ensure that the recommendations and practices in this Code of Practice will not be detrimental to the more general animal health and environmental aspects of animal feeding.
