On October 6, 2016, RASFF Notification No. 2016.1369 was published. This RASFF Notification mentions the contamination of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-type PCBs in compound feed (complimentary feed) on the basis of yeast.

The relooking of our documents is also accompanied by an update of the AT-01 documents relating to Legislation. Certain links to consolidated versions have been adapted and new texts have been added.

You may have already noticed,  but as of today,  there is something totally ‘new’ on our web site: the FCA documents have received a complete new look !

Following the amendment of the protocol, early September, and due to the new harvest (see  FCA-document ‘BT-16: Temporary monitoring’), a first evaluation took place in the beginning of this month, regarding the risk classification based on received Aflatoxine results.

September 2016 has been very quiet in terms of publications concerning our sector based Legislation.

However, in Belgium, there was the publication of the German version of several texts, including the amending provisions to the Royal Decree ‘self-checking, mandatory notification and traceability’.

Pour clôturer cette année , OVOCOM vous propose une dernière formation de base ayant pour sujet exclusif le Standard Feed Chain Alliance.

RASFF Notification No. 2016.1369 was published on October 6, 2016. This RASFF Notification mentions the contamination of dioxins and non dioxin-type PCBs in compound feed (complimentary feed) based on yeast.

For many years, three OVOCOM members (Apfaca, ARMB and Synagra) are working together towards a targeted monitoring with respect to the presence of mycotoxins in wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale and spelt.

Two texts published during the month of august have caught our attention. One is a Recommendation relating to the maximum mycotoxin levels, and the other is a circular letter informing Belgian sector operators on the modalities in terms of

declaration and control upon import of feedingstuffs not subject to veterinary control.

The risk classification linked to the presence of Aflatoxine in B1 maize originating from Brazil goes from a ‘Medium’ to a ‘High’ risk (see FCA-document ‘BT-16: Temporary monitoring’). This shall take immediate effect. Indeed, several exceedances of the applicable feed standard (20 ppb) have recently been communicated: on the one hand, it concerns the publication of the RASFF-notification 2016.1301, and on the other hand the recall, to the Netherlands, of contaminated maize detected in 3 barges.

The FCA Standard aims at limiting, within the Feed chain, any potential food safety risks, through proactive, preventive and sector-specific control measures. It is however, impossible to exclude for 100% all contamination.

This training course is only available in French and Dutch

Comme chaque année, le but de cette formation est de parcourir les principales modifications et publications relatives à la législation « alimentation animale » des 12 derniers mois.

The additional monitoring of Aflatoxin B1 in maize, laid down in FCA document ‘BT-16: Temporary monitoring’ has been, since September 2015, evaluated on a regular basis and updated based on RASFF notifications and on analytical results provided by companies as part of this Protocol. 

Despite the summer period, the month of July 2016 has yielded some very interesting texts. Among those, we will discuss the Recommendation ‘nickel’ published in June, but we will also discuss the 3 authorization decisions relating to the GMOs, and also the publication of a new European labeling code.

For many years, the three OVOCOM members [(Synagra (collection / trade), Bemefa (production and compound feed) and the Royal Association of Belgian Millers (ARMB) (milling)] are, together, performing controls in order to obtain a ‘pre-harvest’ view relating to the presence of mycotoxines (Fusarium) in winter wheat.

According to several sources, high paraquat (herbicide) levels may be observed in  Brazilian soybeans (> 0,03 mg/kg) and products derived therefore (e.g. cakes).

Given that the risk categories remained unchanged during several consecutive monthly assessments (see FCA document‘ BT-16: Temporary monitoring’), there is now a change in the risk category of a country.

From 26 – 30th of October 2015, the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) of the European Commission organized a study visit to Belgium. Within that context, OVOCOM had the honor of hosting the FVO.

With this newsletter we would like to provide you with an overview of the mandatory communication which is to be sent to OVOCOM upon purchase of animal feed:

• According to the Gatekeeper-principle;
• Via Specific Purchase Protocols; or
• Via Temporary monitoring.