GMP+ is a certification scheme related to the production, transport and marketing of feed based on the control of all the elements that define the quality of zootechnical feed.

Continuous monitoring is conducted on production processes, equipment, work environments and laboratories in which to perform self-control analyses, through respect for points defined by the Company, continuous inspections and corrective actions established.

The main features of the GMP + regulations are:

• requirements relating to the company’s internal quality system (based on ISO 9001)
• application of the HACCP methodology to guarantee safety
• generic measures and requirements for the production process, including traceability and products recall
• compliance with mandatory and voluntary regulations

GMP+ certification gives evidences and guarantees that animal feeds and feed ingredients meet legal requirements and agreements made with other players in the supply chain.

It therefore testifies to the company’s commitment to feed safety, as the feed industry, including suppliers of ingredients, is an integral part of the feed chain and is responsible for product safety.

GMP+ certification has multiple advantages:

• communicating trust to customers, demonstrating with a third party certification that feed or feed ingredients are produced with safe processes;
• demonstrating that all reasonable precautions have been taken;
• reducing the number of audits conducted by customers and, consequently, reduce management times;
• reduce waste and product recalls.

GMO FREE

The GMO FREE voluntary certification standard allows the certification of the production of products intended for livestock feed.

This certification concerns the control carried out by operators in order to guarantee compliance with the limit of 0.9%, to be understood as a technically unavoidable and/or accidental maximum limit in the preparation processes of zootechnical feed.

• In the case of animal derivatives (milk, meat, cured meats, cheeses, eggs etc.), the certification is aimed at ensuring that the products derive from animals fed with zootechnical feed compliant with the previous point.

The certification is issued in an Accredia accredited environment on the basis of the common rules defined by RT-11 Accredia.

The previous revision of the standard concerned only some raw materials at risk of GMOs (soybeans and corn), while with the new version of RT-11 the guarantee is extended to all GMO plant species admitted at EU level (currently soy, corn, rapeseed , cotton and beet).

This certification is required by large scale retain channels and/or large Italian and international animal supply chains.

The NO-GMO certification is also recognized in the case of voluntary labelling regulations for beef and poultry with particular reference to zootechnical foods.
 

KEY POINTS

The standard requires:

• careful mapping of raw materials at GMO risk and the processing procedures involved,
• the adoption of supplier qualification systems and analytical control of raw materials,
• the adoption of actions to ensure the use of NO-GMO raw materials,
• the adoption of actions aimed at reducing the risk of cross contamination,
• analytical checks on final products,
• communication to the consumer.

In the presence of certified products, in an accredited environment, for the NO-GMO requirement it is possible to recognize the certification through the institution of “mutual recognition of accredited certifications”.