Proposal for a New EU Feed Labeling Regulation

07/04/08 On March 4, 2008, the European Commission presented a proposal for a new framework regulation on the labeling and marketing of feed and pet food. Currently, feed marketing rules are scattered over several directives (according to the type of feed concerned) with cross references to many amending and implementing acts. If adopted, one single regulation would replace the old directives and implement feed marketing rules in a more uniform way.

The draft regulation sets out general rules for the labeling of feed and specific labeling requirements for feed materials, compound feed (including pet food) and medicated or dietetic feed. Under the proposed rules, pre-market authorizations for bio-proteins will be replaced by a market surveillance system to tackle safety risks. The current mandatory percentage declaration of raw materials in compound feed will be replaced by a requirement to indicate the materials in the exact descending order of weight. Only feed complying with the provisions laid down in the proposed regulation and with the provisions on feed additives laid down in Regulation 1831/2003 and Directive 90/167/EEC will be allowed on the EU market. The Commission will also establish and update a “negative list”, i.e.a list of materials that are prohibited in feed. The new rules will not only apply to on-pack labels but also to other means of communication (such as Internet) between the producer and the consumer. This proposal has to be adopted under the co-decision procedure and must be notified to the WTO under the TBT agreement.

The proposal can be downloaded from the Commissions’ website at http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0124:FIN:EN:PDF.

-type of feed: feed material, complete feed or complementary feed
-name or business name and address of the feed business operator
-establishment approval number if available
-batch or reference number
-net quantity
-list of feed additives
-moisture content

Sales in bulk, unsealed packages or containers must be accompanied by a document containing all mandatory labeling information.

Feed-related legislation such as the TSE regulation (999/2001), the Animal By-Products regulation (1774/2002), the GM Food & Feed regulation (1829/2003) and the Feed Hygiene regulation (183/2005) do not fall within the scope of the proposal.