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Animal Feeding
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding (Host Government – Denmark)
An Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding was established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1999 to ensure safety and quality of foods of animal origin by developing guidelines or standards on Good Animal Feeding Practices. The taskforce has now completed work on the Code of Practice for Good Animal Feeding. The Code was adopted by the Commission in 2004.Future work
The 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission recalled that the purpose of the work on animal feeding was to ensure food safety at the consumer level by covering the entire food chain, including primary production. Due to time constraints the Commission could not identify areas for new work, if any.
The Commission agreed to postpone the decision of possible new work on animal feeding until its 32nd Session. The Commission agreed to establish an electronic working group, hosted by Denmark and co-chaired by Mexico, in order to facilitate discussion and decision at its 32nd Session.
Existing Codex Standards
A number of standards relating to animal feeding* have been endorsed and adopted into the international food code. They include standards on:
- Reduction of Aflatoxin B1 in Raw Materials and Supplemental Feeding stuffs for Milk-Producing Animals
- Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds
- Code of Practice for Good Animal Feeding
* This is an indicative list only. For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, please consult its Official List of Standards.
Last meeting
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Codex Task Force on Animal Feeding held its 5th and last Session in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 17 - 19 May 2004.
At this meeting the remaining unresolved sections of the Draft Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding relating to the definition of feed additives, labelling of feed containing genetically modified organisms and traceability/product tracing of feed were considered. Agreement was reached on all these outstanding issues and the proposed text was considered by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at its 27th Session in July 2004. The Commission adopted the proposed text including the remainder of the Code, which had been held at Step 8 in July 2003.
As a consequence, the Ad Hoc Task Force has now been disbanded. The Commission however, agreed to seek comments by Circular Letter on country views on the need for future work on animal feeds and subject areas where such work should be carried out.
Next meeting
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding has now been disbanded.