Our services and quality systems

OVOCOM FCA

Feed is an important link in the animal production chain: they have a direct influence on the quality and safety of food of animal origin. Consumers of meat, milk and eggs expect industry and retailers to deliver safe and high-quality products.

What is the Feed Chain Alliance?
After various food scandals, the animal feed sector took the initiative to develop a quality standard, the Feed Chain Alliance (FCA). This standard was intended to prevent such scandals in the future and to restore consumer confidence. In case problems still arise, the goal of the FCA standard is then to limit the consequences. This is achieved with good traceability and rapid responses to emergencies. Ovocom is the organisation that manages the scheme. It is also the consultation platform between many actors, including the Belgian government and the animal feed chain.

The entire Feed Chain Alliance Standard consists of a self-checking guide. The Self-checking Guide Animal Feed is the basis of the scheme and can be used by companies to shape their legally required self-checking system. The FCA not only meets the legal requirements, but also the extra-statutory requirements that the sector imposes on itself. This standard is intended for, among others, producers of and traders in compound feeds, feed materials, premixtures and additives, as well as for transport, storage and handling.

The added value of FCA certification for your company
The Feed Chain Alliance has a vertical chain approach. That means that each link has its own responsibility. In this way FCA offers an approach to guarantee the safety and quality of the animal feed production chain. By complying with the FCA standards, your company also meets the requirements of European and Belgian legislation. An FCA certificate is also a sales condition in more and more countries, which means that obtaining the certificate entails access to new markets. If all activities of your company fall under the certificate, you also immediately have a validated self-checking guide. This reduces your annual payment to the FAVV.

FCA with Schouten Advies
Since the founding of the FCA standard, then called GMP regulation animal feeds, Schouten Advies has helped companies obtain this certificate. We have a lot of experience with both the FCA standard and Belgian legislation. Through continuous training, our consultants are kept informed of what is going on in the sector, including changes in legislation and the FCA standard. To serve you even better, we have employed a Belgian consultant since 2016.

Our consultants can help you set up and maintain an FCA quality system. You can also call on our consultants for expert advice in the field of legislation and regulations, recognitions and registrations, conducting internal audits, setting up an HACCP plan, elaborating specifications, labelling or, for example, for implementing of supplier audits. We work tailor-made, focused on your demand and company. For everything from complete management of your quality system to occasional advice and everything in between, you can contact us.

Schouten Advies employs referenced consultants at FCA. Our consultants follow the training and participate in meetings of Ovocom when it comes to the FCA. They also take a biennial exam at Ovocom. If you want advice regarding the implementation of FCA, get to know our consultants. Your quality assurance is in professional hands with us.

FCA trainings, courses and secondment
We also have consultants who are detached at animal feed and food companies. In addition, we provide training to bring you the knowledge of you, your employees or your colleagues up to date. We provide these courses at our location in Giessen, but we also provide in-company training. You can read more about these training courses here.

We can help
Would you like our advice? We are known for our short lines of communication and will make sure that one of our consultants gets in touch with you quickly.