It took them over four years, but in November the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) at last published their report about the expert meeting on feed safety that took place in May of 2015. Our patience was rewarded as the conclusions and recommendations gave a boost to GMP+ International’s mission.
Johan den Hartog
Managing Director, GMP+ International
From May 12-15, 2015, experts from all over the world gathered in Rome, Italy, to review the current state of knowledge on hazards associated with feed. Among the topics discussed were chemical hazards, biological hazards, physical hazards, and methods of analysis and sampling.
Four and a half years later, the FAO and WHO released the outcome of this meeting, a 263-page report titled ‘Hazards associated with animal feed; Report of the Joint FAO/WHO expert meeting’. According to the experts, the challenge is not only to meet the growing need for feed ‘but also to ensure its safety and thus contributing to the safety of the entire food chain’ (emphasis added).
The report states contaminations and other hazards may occur ‘during feed production, processing, handling, storage, transportation, and use’. I was encouraged by this recognition of the importance of a chain approach, since this has been at the core of our feed safety scheme since 2000. Our chain approach provides safety measures from start to finish, from collection all the way to production. It is important that risks are controlled where they occur in order to avoid issues downstream.
The growing demand for foods of animal origin demands an international strategy to combat the risks associated with increased production output, especially in an age in which climate change can lead to more mycotoxin contaminations. The report thus recommends FAO and WHO to develop guidelines for the prevention and control of hazards identified in feed.
With almost three decades of experience in the feed safety business, and over 18,000 GMP+ FSA certified companies worldwide, GMP+ International is willing and able to contribute to this battle. We will continue supporting all parties in our community to take up their own responsibility and do their part in keeping feed safe. Can we count on all of you again in 2020?
On behalf of our entire team at GMP+ International, I wish you a Happy Holiday Season.
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