Collaboration creates FSMA, VFD ‘cheat sheets’ for small feed mills

NC State University, Zoetis partner to produce PoultryFeed Mill Insights series

NC State University, Zoetis partner to produce Poultry Feed Mill Insights series

Zoetis and North Carolina State University (NC State) have joined forces to prepare U.S. feed mills for the current – and impending – regulatory changes related to the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

After collaborating with the university on projects and research in the past, in late 2014 Zoetis approached NC State faculty to see if they’d be interested in partnering to produce an educational series to help livestock feed manufacturers better navigate the twists and turns of FDA regulations.

The outcome: The creation of the Poultry Feed Mill Insight series, a collection of fact sheets and videos outlining best practices for handling and utilizing medicated feed additives.

Though operations of any size can benefit from the series, they may be especially beneficial to small and mid-sized operations that may not have the resources to dedicate to the development of entire compliance divisions or staff.

“The series is beneficial to anybody as it’s not specific to Zoetis products,” explains Adam Fahrenholz, NC State assistant professor – feed manufacturing. “However, larger commercial manufacturers and integrators often have a better handle on [the regulations] while smaller producers, who may not have the same of amount of access to this type of content, could certainly benefit from having the ability to distribute materials internally for training purposes.”

While these brief, two-page fact sheets only begin to touch the surface on some of these complex and ever-changing regulatory issues, it sounds like the series may just be the start. After gauging the response on these efforts, the partnership may expand to include additional outreach and training programs.

“We’re trying to have an impact on the people we serve,” Fahrenholz says. “This is a good example of NC State’s extension and outreach mission. From my perspective, I’m hopeful it’s impactful and I hope they are able to use it for training and/or to provide information to their customers.”

Dr. Fahrenholz encourages feed manufacturers to reach out to him with ideas and comments on any other potential items of interest: [email protected].

To download/view sample of the Poultry Feed Insight series, please click on the links below:

VFD Impact on Poultry Feed Mills

Best Practices for MFA Mixing and Sampling

Sampling Technique for MFAs

Ensuring FSMA Compliance

Or you can view the Poultry Feed Insight video series on Zoetis’ YouTube page.

Page 1 of 49
Next Page