Packaged feed; what are the rules again?

GMP+ International has recently been asked by a number of companies and auditors whether the storage and transport of packaged GMP+ needs to be certified.

We have tried to provide a succinct explanation below:

• If you store and/or transport feed yourself (‘own transport/storage’), then the answer is yes.
• If you outsource storage and/or transport to a third party, they do not necessarily have to be certified.

Transporting packaged feed: the rules

• If you carry out the transportation of packaged feed yourself (in-house), it must be assured under the GMP+ certificate under the Transport scope. Only with the addition of the Transport scope does the packaged feed retain ‘GMP+ assured’ status.
• You can also outsource the transport of packaged feed. If you choose to do so, preferably outsource it to a transport company certified for the purpose. That way, assurance is taken care of.
• If you choose a non-certified transport company, you will need to make sure the safety of the transport of the packaged feed is assured. This is your responsibility. That means you need to make arrangements based on an HACCP risk analysis about, for example, labelling, traceability and what to do if the packaging is damaged, etc. In this scenario, you are the gatekeeper who guarantees that the product is safe and remains safe during transport. You can use TS 1.2 Purchasing, paragraph 4.5.1 as a guide.

Storing packaged feed: the rules

Virtually the same rules apply as for the transport of packaged feed:

• storage of packaged feed within your own company must be included in the certification under the Storage and Transhipment scope, so that the stored packaged feed retains ‘GMP+ assured’ status.
• You can outsource storage. As with transport, the easiest way to do so is to outsource to accompany that is certified for storage, ensuring correct and safe storage. That way, assurance is taken care of.
• In addition, as a producer or trader – as with the transportation of packaged feed – you may also act as gatekeeper. In this case, you need to make additional arrangements about hygiene, for example, and check that those arrangements are adhered to. You can find the precise conditions in the gatekeeper protocol for storage (TS 1.2 Purchasing, paragraph 4.4.3).

The decision tree

Not sure what the best choice is? We have provided two decision trees below. They will help you make the right choice.