Responsible Animal Feed: Certification and MI within GMP+ FRA

GMP+ International has established several market initiatives within the GMP+ FRA module related to responsible animal feed. Over the past years, these market initiatives have been regularly updated and expanded. At Schouten Advies, we notice that companies sometimes struggle to determine which market initiatives are relevant to them.

Responsible Animal Feed

The use of responsible animal feed primarily focuses on soy sourced from a certified supply chain, ensuring sufficient attention to the following aspects:

• Compliance with laws and good business practices
• Responsible working conditions
• Responsible relationships with the community
• Environmental responsibility
• Good agricultural practices

A well-known and widely used certification is RTRS (Round Table on Responsible Soy Association). Other standards that can be used include Donau Soja, Proterra, and ISCC. The required certification often depends on the specific demands of buyers.

Market Initiatives within GMP+ FRA

Within the FRA module of GMP+ International, companies that want to place responsible compound feed on the market can choose one or more of the following market initiatives:

• MI5.2 Responsible pig and poultry feed
• MI5.3 Responsible dairy feed
• MI5.6 Responsible animal feed

There is significant overlap between the requirements of these documents. While MI5.2 and MI5.3 differentiate between animal groups, MI5.6 does not. MI5.6 allows animal feed for all animal groups to be included under a single certification.

MI5.6 is not always an alternative to MI5.2 and MI5.3

Our consultants are often asked whether MI5.2 and MI5.3 can be replaced by MI5.6. While this may seem like a logical choice due to the broader applicability of MI5.6, there are some key considerations.

For animal feed companies supplying dairy farmers, the requirements of the NZO (Dutch Dairy Organization) often apply. One of these requirements is that animal feed must be supplied under GMP+ FRA MI5.3 or an equivalent system.

A crucial difference is that MI5.3 only allows RTRS-certified soy, whereas MI5.6 also permits soy certified under other standards. As a result, MI5.6 cannot automatically be considered equivalent to MI5.3.

Until the NZO confirms that MI5.6 is accepted as an equivalent certification, it is not advisable to cancel an MI5.3 certification.

Would you like help or advice?

The different market initiatives (MI) within GMP+ FRA provide companies with various certification options for responsible animal feed. But which choice best suits your situation? Our experts offer insight and advice.

Contact us at info@schoutenadvies.nl for more information.