FAMI-QS in close co-operation with Sindirações (the Brazilian Feed Industry Association) organized a five day training course for the Feed Regulators responsible for Animal Feed Inspection in Brazil. The training focused on the auditing of Feed Safety Management System based on the requirements of the FAMI-QS code: The Quality and Safety for Specialty Feed Ingredients (Feed Additives, Functional Feed Ingredients, Premixtures, Specialty Complementary Feed, Specialty Complementary Dietetic Feed). FAMI-QS certification is based on the approved European Commission Community Guide to Good Practice (OJ 2007/C64/04)1.
The training was undertaken as part of the agreement for close co-operation signed in March 2010 between Sindirações and FAMI-QS. As such, the training was aligned closer to of the aims of the agreement – ‘incorporate the knowledge obtained by FAMI-QS at world level at local level and boost the quality and safety management in the Brazilian feed industry’.
The purpose of the training was to present to the Brazilian Feed Regulators the usefulness of third party certification for official controls. As the FAMI-QS Code complies with the hygienic requirements of the EU Feed Hygiene Regulation (EC 183/2005), certified companies meet state-of-the-art hygiene practices, invaluable tool for ensuring compliance with legislative requirements, be it in Europe where the system started; but also elsewhere in the world where feed safety is considered of utmost importance.
“The global population reached 7 billion last year and it is estimated to reach over 9 billion people in 2050, probably in response to increasing longevity and improved standard of living, mainly due to the excellence in food safety measures and health care. This demographic jump is expected to be concentrated in developing countries thanks to the growth of household income that certainly will determine quantitative and qualitative increase in the consumption of animal protein. Brazil as an emergent country is already considered one of the 21st century leading global suppliers of food and in 2020 it might produce 11.4 million tons of beef, 3.7 million tons of pork and 16.5 million tons of poultry, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/OECD”, stated Dr. Ariovaldo Zani, CEO of the Brazilian Feed Industry Association/Sindirações, who considers this FAMI-QS partnership a must for safe feed and food safety.
“Feed safety is a shared responsibility with the public and private stakeholders participating equally. One can see in several parts of the world a progressive shift from the traditional command-and-control approach to a new paradigm where official control and high-standard voluntary certification systems seek complementarity and synergy. We were not only honoured to bring FAMI-QS know-how to the Brazilian Feed Regulators, but also believe that this experience places Brazil amongst those forward-looking countries with progressive positioning with regards to official controls.”, says Didier Jans, FAMI-QS Secretary General.
The Coordination of Animal Feed Inspection in Brazil, especially with pivotal focus on the future, is exploring the best practices around the world in order to optimize and improve their already demanding tasks. FAMI-QS (Mr. Emmanuel Geneiatakis – FAMI-QS Quality Manager) and Sindirações (Mrs Angela Pellegrino Missaglia – Quality Consultant of Sindirações) thus shared their experience of the implementation of the FAMI-QS quality and safety management systems in the feed sector. During the five days, the inspectors were guided through the EU Feed legislation, the requirements of FAMI-QS code as well as ISO 19011:2011 Guidelines for auditing management systems. Taking a practical teaching approach and to imbed the key take-homes, an on-site activity took place at M. CASSAB premix plant located in the countryside of São Paulo Estate.
1. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:064:0017:0017:EN:PDF
About FAMI-QS
FAMI-QS Asbl is the management and co-ordination center for the FAMI-QS code of practice.It is the only certifiable code specifically aimed at Specialty Feed Ingredient and Their Mixtures (feed additives, functional feed ingredients, premixtures, specialty complementary feed, specialty complementary dietetic feed) The code addresses safety, quality and regulatory compliance in order to minimize the risk that unsafe specialty feed ingredients enter the food and feed chain. It offers independent certification for all operators placing these products on the market and includes more than 750 certified sites spread across more than 45 countries. The current FAMI-QS President is Dr. Dieter Greissinger of Evonik Industries AG.
About Sindirações
The Brazilian Feed Industry Association/Sindirações was founded in 1953 and since then has been recognized as the voice of the Brazilian feed entrepreneurs, including feedstuff and additive suppliers, premixtures and mineral supplement makers, livestock feed and pet food manufacturers. Its headquarter is established in Sao Paulo downtown and the organization joins 140 affiliated private companies, which represent more than 90% of the overall commercial feed produced in Brazil.
Sindirações is a board member of the International Feed Industry Federation and co-founder of the Latin America and Caribbean Feed Industry Association.
