Leading Chinese feed companies take steps to improve feed safety control

The first step will be improving the feed safety assurance in the pre-mixture and compound feed production. Then extending this control to the whole feed supply chain, covering feed ingredients and services like transport and storage. A joint programme will be defined in cooperation with GMP+ International. The feed companies want to comply with the new feed regulations which were established by China’s Minister of Agriculture and to contribute to better food safety for the domestic market and for export markets.

On 26 October 2011, the Dutch Embassy and GMP+ International organized the Round Table "Better Feed, Better Life" in Beijing. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture co-organized this Round Table and the management of the Top 10 feed companies* in China participated actively. Also the EU Representation in China and the China Feed Industry Association participated. Rabobank International sponsored this event. This round table was organized in response of sharpening of the Chinese feed safety regulations, which was established by Chinese government on the same day. The Chinese feed industry has to cope with the increasing attention for feed and food safety in China and in the export markets for meat, fish and egg products.

Mr. Wang Xiaohong of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture emphasized that future feed companies are obliged to apply HACCP and to implement strict traceability and sampling rules. A new important principle is that companies’ management will be fully responsible for the safety of the feed products they deliver to the market. The PR of China’s government supports also the chain oriented approach in order to keep control of the hazards and risks in the whole feed chain. This is a new requirement in the revised feed law.    

The Chinese feed industry is confronted with huge challenges at the moment. There is the unbelievable rapid scaling-up of the Chinese animal husbandry and as a consequence also of the feed industry. At the same time, it wants to upgrade the technical performance level. It also has to cope with sharpening environmental and feed safety conditions. The top management of the participating leading Chinese feed companies recognizes their responsibility to contribute to a better feed safety control in a convincing way.

Several arguments were raised. Firstly, the social responsibility of companies is becoming more important, Secondly, the GMP+ FSA scheme will provide more operational support instead of procedures initiated by general standards like ISO and HACCP. The operational support regards especially the feed safety assessment procedure and to move from feed safety control to feed safety assurance. Thirdly, getting linked to an international scheme covering the whole feed chain adds value, too. Finally, in response to the call of the Chinese government, the leading companies want to take their responsibility and to act proactive regarding feed safety. It was concluded that, in respect to these aspects, the GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance (FSA) scheme of GMP+ International is valuable and can be useful to make the intended substantial step forwards regarding feed safety assurance.

Furthermore, the GMP+ scheme offers Chinese feed companies to get involved in an international certification scheme with more than 11,700 participants in 65 countries. According the Chinese feed companies, this international character of the scheme can add value to Chinese feed companies because they are becoming more and more participant in the globalizing feed market.

The result of this round table is a commitment of all participating feed companies to develop a joint program in cooperation with GMP+ International. This effort will be strongly supported by the Chinese and Dutch Ministries of Agriculture and will be carried out in cooperation with the China Feed Industry Association. During the last high level meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture both countries last May, it was decided to cooperate and support each other in developing and improving food and feed safety control.