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Livestock Feeds
PD-001
FEED SECTION POLICY DOCUMENT
ON THE ADDITION OF PET FOOD AS AN INGREDIENT
FOR USE IN LIVESTOCK FEEDS
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has received several
inquiries regarding the use of pet food, including salvaged and distressed pet
food, as an ingredient or component of livestock feeds. The Feed Section has
been asked for an opinion on the acceptability of this practice and has taken
the following information into account in formulating a decision.
The labelling and advertising of pet food sold in Canada is governed by the
Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and by the Competition Act as administered
by Industry Canada. This oversees that pet food labels and advertising are
truthful and verifiable. The manufacture and sale of pet food, however, is not
regulated in Canada by the CFIA nor by any other governmental
department. There are voluntary quality assurance programs in place which deal
with the quality, safety and nutritional value of pet food for pets.
Because livestock animals are grown as food for humans, and pets are not,
the pet food industry is able to make use of ingredients which may be unsuited
for use in livestock feeds. Thus it is not acceptable to subsequently
reintroduce these ingredients back into livestock feeds as waste pet food
material. Examples of these ingredients include those that:
| a. |
are not approved for use in livestock feeds as listed in
Schedule IV or V of the Feeds
Regulations, |
| b. |
have been deemed not fit for consumption by livestock (i.e., do not meet feed standards), |
| c. |
may be added for therapeutic purposes or have drug-like claims
and cannot be considered feed ingredients, and |
| d. |
are produced from rendering and may contain animal proteins
and/or specified risk materials (SRM) which may be prohibited for feeding
to ruminants and may lack the appropriate label warning statements. |
After consultation within the Feed Section and with legal consul, it has
been decided to take the following position on this issue. Pet food, including
salvaged and distressed pet food, is not an approved ingredient for use in
livestock feed and as such its inclusion is not considered safe and will not be
allowed at this time. Applications for approval/registration of pet food
products for use in livestock feed will not be accepted.
Questions regarding this policy should be forwarded to:
Feed Section
Animal Health and Production Division
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Nepean, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Phone: 613-225-2342
Fax: 613-228-6614
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