Canada develops risk assessment model for feed mills


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has developed a risk assessment model to evaluate the risk of each regulated feed mill in regard to their feed safety risks. This tool will support risk-informed oversight and the agency’s safeguarding mission.


BY VIRGINIE LACHAPELLE, GENEVIÈVE COMEAU, ROMINA ZANABRIA, PHILIP SNELGROVE AND MANON RACICOT, CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY AND SYLVAIN QUESSY, UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL


T Inherent Risk Factors


• Annual distribution volume • Type of facility • Manufacturing practices • Feed ingredients at risk


he Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is a science-based regulatory agency dedicated to safeguarding food, animals, and plants, thereby enhancing the health and well-being of Canada’s


people, environment, and economy. In recent years, risks to food safety and the health of our animal and plant resources have changed considerably, alongside the rapid evolution of global trade patterns, innovation and new technologies. Therefore, the CFIA needs to adapt to be more efficient in protecting Canada’s resources while also supporting its industry’s ability to compete globally. In this context, the agency began developing a systematic risk- informed approach to better manage and prioritise its


Figure 1 - ERA-Feed Mill arrow illustrating the risk factor clusters (inherent, mitigation and compliance) and their respective risk factors.


Mitigation Factors


• Control of incoming supplies • Control of cross-contamination • Control procedures for the outgoing feed


• Control of the manufacturing area and equipment cleanliness


• Transportation controls for the outgoing feed


• Environmental microbial sampling


• Hazard sampling plan for outgoing feed


• Full time feed safety assurance related personnel


• Feed safety programme certifications


• 3rd party audit for feed safety Compliance Factors


• Inspection results of the facility's preventive control programmes: • Incoming products programme • Process controls programme • Product controls programme • Import controls programme • Sanitation, biosecurity and biocontainment programme


• Pest control programme • Chemicals programme • Hygiene & biosecurity programme • Employee training programme • Equipment design and maintenance programme


• Premises and surroundings programme


• Buildings programme • Water, ice, steam programme • Waste disposal programme • Transportation, receiving and storage programme


• Traceability & control programme • Complaints programme


• History of enforcement actions • Animal and human health confirmed complaints • Feed safety recalls


inspection resources and activities along the food supply continuum. This initiative prompted a streamlined approach to assess the health risks related to activities conducted in Canadian establishments under the CFIA’s jurisdiction: the Establishment-based Risk Assessment (ERA) models. From 2013-2016, the CFIA developed ERA models to quantify the food safety risk associated with products derived from domestic food establishments and hatcheries. This initiative was further extended in 2018 by introducing the development of the ERA model for livestock feed mills (ERA- Feed Mill model) to evaluate these establishments based on the level of risk they represent for the health of food animals in Canada (e.g. mycotoxins, drug carry-over). It also considers the risk to consumers that could derive from these animals (such as milk, meat, egg) (e.g. Salmonella spp., dioxins, prions). This is the first time that such a model considers both human and animal hazards in the evaluation of risk.


Risk Results (Level of Risk)


Development of the ERA- Feed Mill model Selection of feed safety risk factors The first step in developing the risk assessment model was to select animal health and food safety-related risk factors (i.e. feed safety risk factors), pertaining to Canadian feed mill practices. This work involved a review of the scientific literature followed by consultations with a panel of 11


6 ▶ FEED SAFETY | APRIL 2022


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


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