Today, consumers are increasingly conscious of where their food comes from, its ingredients, and how it is produced. That’s why it’s especially important for food production to ensure the highest standards of production. Ensuring high standards of production is just as important in the ingredients we feed the species as the meat, milk and other food products that come from them.
In this article, we examine why quality animal feed is vital and how FeedSafe NZ supports its production throughout NZ’s agriculture industry.
Increased Feed Diversity Means Increased Risk
New Zealand feed manufacturers are increasingly sourcing non-grain ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and premixes from diverse places worldwide. This has brought some uncertainty about the accuracy of labelling and the quality of the raw materials added to feed. Non-grain ingredients can provide the greatest risk if they do not meet the required standards.
Some of the risks can include:
- contaminated feed with harmful bacteria
- yeast problems
- moulds, which can be hazardous for the animals
With consumers now looking hard at traceability – a trend that will only continue to increase – anyone who feeds ruminant species and other animals should be looking for our FeedSafeNZ logo.
FeedSafe NZ – An Emphasis on Quality
NZFMA places a huge emphasis on feed quality and upholding standards for feed manufacturing through our FeedSafeNZ programme. Our accreditation programme requires feed manufacturers and blenders to undergo stringent testing that involves on-site operations audits. These are carried out by independent auditors, AsureQuality, who provide food safety and biosecurity services to food and primary production sectors worldwide.
Only NZFMA members who pass the independent, audited standards on their manufacturing processes can use the FeedSafeNZ logo on their packaging and other materials. From 2021, FeedSafe NZ accreditation has also been mandatory for all NZFMA manufacturing and blender members.
NZFMA-member feed mills process a healthy chunk of New Zealand’s annual tonnages of domestic wheat, barley, oats, maize and other grains, making them a valuable and important customer for the arable sector.
Buying FeedSafeNZ-accredited products gives New Zealand farmers and consumers confidence that every ingredient that has gone into that animal feed has been checked and independently audited to the highest possible standards.
You will find our logo on some of the brands of bagged feed you buy at retailers like PGG Wrightson, Farmlands and Farm Source. If you buy bulk feed, ask your supplier about their auditing processes.
Don’t take a chance – buy quality animal feed with the FeedSafe stamp of approval. For more information about FeedSafeNZ, visit our page or look for regular updates and information on our media page.
