Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1493

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency expects to begin phasing in new rules governing the manufacture of medicated livestock feeds in January 2005.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is in the midst of a series of public information meetings to inform stakeholders of the implications of new medicated feed mixing regulations and gather input on the new rules.

The proposed regulations were initially published in early 2000 but the process was put on hold pending the allocation of federal funding for administration, delivery and enforcement. CFIA Feed Evaluation Coordinator Judy Thompson says the goal of the new licensing requirements is to improve food safety.

"The regulations that we're talking about are the regulations respecting the making of medicated feed. What we're looking at is a set of minimum manufacturing standards to enhance the protection of animal health and food safety.

We're looking at mixer performance testing, scale and metering device performance testing, equipment cleanout procedures, recall procedures, those kinds of things to make sure that medications are used properly and if there is, by some happenstance, an error made that appropriate steps are taken to limit the damage caused by that error.

We're trying to meet two basic objectives. One of them is that, when you make a medicated feed, that it contains the right levels and the second one is that any carryover during the manufacture of medicated feed is targeted to low risk feeds.

There is basically the scale and metering device testing on an annual basis, the mixer performance testing on an annual basis and a requirement to have cleanout procedures that target any carryover to the lower risk feeds".

The series of information meetings will conclude early next month and the new regulations are expected to be published in Canada Gazzette-1 in July followed by a 90 day comment period. Thompson says the goal is to publish the regulation in Canada Gazzette-2 in January 2005 at which point the three year phase in period will begin.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.