Netherlands-based PDV announces new requirement for GMP+ certification

Product Board Animal Feed (PDV) announces requirements for GMP+ companies to use GMP+-certified additives only

September 26, 2005

As of 1 January 2006, GMP+-certified companies will be required to use exclusively GMP+-certified additives. The requirement also applies to participants in the quality schemes for Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The decision, which was made in February 2005, was announced recently by The Product Board Animal Feed (PDV), the Netherlands-based regulatory organization for businesses and employees in the feed production chain

For the GMP+ assurance of additives, dealers and producers can apply GMP standard GMP09 1. Furthermore, additives are accepted that are guaranteed under the certificate from Ovocom and FEMAS.

GMP09 establishes requirements for the quality assurance of additive production. Producers can become certified for this. The certification of the additives can, however, also be carried out by the purchaser of the additives via the so-called gatekeeper principle. The purchaser, a premix producer or dealer for example, guarantees the production quality of the additive. This guarantee is part of their quality system and as such is GMP+ certified.

The extra conditions required to function as a gatekeeper are included in appendix 1 of the GMP09 standard. An important condition is the compilation of an HACCP dossier. This, too, in principle must be complete as of 1-1-2006 and have been assessed by the certification body. If this assessment is not carried out in time, the company must prepare a step-by-step plan and have it approved by its certification body before 1 January 2006. In this step-by-step plan he must indicate which dossiers will be compiled and when. In addition, additives must be ranked according to their risk profiles. The dossiers of the most 'risky' additives must be compiled first. Execution of the step-by-step plan must be completed before the end of 2006.

In the new 2006 GMP+ certification scheme for the animal feed sector that becomes effective January 1, 2006, the production of additives falls under GMP B1.