EurepGAP recognizes first compound feed manufacturer schemes

The following CFM schemes have received recognition by EurepGAP against
the EurepGAP CFM standard and producers that source from suppliers who are in
compliance with these schemes, are in compliance with the requirements as set
out in the EurepGAP IFA and IAA standards.

• GMP+ Certification Scheme Animal Feed Sector (The
  Netherlands)

• Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (United Kingdom)
• Programme Feed & Food Safety Gestao do Alimento
  Seguro (Brazil)

As a
result of the EurepGAP requirement in IFA and IAA standards that states that
Compound Feed used on farms have to be obtained from a EurepGAP approved source,
the EurepGAP Compound Feed Manufacturer Reference Module (CFM) has been
developed.

It is now available for download in the form of Control Points and Compliance
Criteria (CPCC), Checklist (CL), and Benchmark Checklist (BMCL), from the
EurepGAP
website

This Module serves as a basis for use by Compound Feed
Manufacturers and Compound Feed Manufacturer Assurance Schemes to demonstrate
that they follow the EurepGAP requirements.

The way in which the process
for demonstrating compliance is twofold (choice depends on whether the feed mill
is already working with a scheme or not), as described in the introduction of
the CFM CPCC document:

1. For Compound Feed Manufacturers that are
working within an existing Compound Feed Manufacturer Assurance scheme that
applies for EurepGAP recognition (Such as CESFAC and Sindiraçoes), the scheme is
responsible for filling in the BMCL document provided and sending it to
EurepGAP.
This will lead to an immediate announcement of start of the
procedure, and recognition, after a period of at least 2 months of peer review,
of “Preliminary Approval based on a completed cross reference checklist &
member peer review” which will be communicated by EurepGAP.
The Compound Feed
Manufacturers who are in compliance with those schemes that obtain this status
will also be in compliance of the EurepGAP requirement that Compound Feed used
on farms are obtained from a EurepGAP approved source.

2. For Compound
Feed Manufacturers that are not working within an existing Compound Feed
Manufacturer Assurance scheme (i.e. in countries which do not have any Compound
Feed Manufacturer Assurance Schemes), and who are therefore seeking
certification to the EurepGAP Compound Feed Manufacturer Reference Module
directly, the first step of the process for demonstrating compliance is the
Registration of the Manufacturer in the EurepGAP Data Base.

The second
step is the electronic Submission of a completed self-assessment against the
EurepGAP Checklist (CL). This second step will ensure compliance with the
specific EurepGAP control point. Certification of the individual Compound Feed
Manufacturer in this case is not yet required.

All Compound Feed
Manufacturer Assurance Schemes interested in applying for equivalence
recognition and all Compound Feed Manufacturers interested in registering and
completing online their self-assessment should contact EurepGAP at
info@foodplus.org to get more information.

EurepGAP certification of an IFA (livestock) or IAA
producer
At this stage, for verification of the farmer’s compliance to
points in the IFA and IAA standard referring to Approved EurepGAP Sources of
Compound Feed, the CB must check with EurepGAP whether a Compound Feed
Manufacturer is either assured by an Assurance Scheme that has obtained
“Preliminary Approval based on a completed cross reference checklist &
member peer review” or has successfully registered and completed the
self-assessment.

In due course the farmer and CB will be able to check
the conformance of the Compound Feed supplier through the use of an identifier
code (IKEY) that gives access to the data on approved Feed Manufacturers and
Schemes in the EurepGAP database.

Certification Bodies who wish to become
approved for certifying the EurepGAP CFM reference module will be able to do so
through the EurepGAP extranet at a later date (to be announced in early
2006).

Once there are CBs that are approved by EurepGAP for certifying
the CFM code, the Compound Feed Manufacturers will be required to have external
audits and obtain EurepGAP/equivalent-recognised-scheme certification.