General Information
More Resources
- American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists
- Association of American Feed Control Officials
- Association of American Plant Food Control Officials
- CA Dept. of Health Services
- CA Dept. of Pesticide Regulation
- California Grain and Feed Association
- Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank
- National Grain and Feed Association
- National Egg Regulatory Officials
- U. S. Department of Agriculture
- U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Safe Animal Feed Education Program
What is the SAFE Program?
California's poultry, livestock and dairy industries utilize vast amounts of diverse commodities and feed additives. Animal feed must be of high quality to ensure adequate health and a wholesome supply of meat, milk and eggs.
The Safe Animal Feed Education (SAFE) program of California uses education and a comprehensive voluntary quality assurance program to lead the nation in ensuring a safe and wholesome supply of commercial feed. The program was developed in collaboration with the feed industry to promote a cooperative relationship between the department and the feed industry. Department staff provides outreach and education to industry and an audit-based comprehensive voluntary quality assurance approach for commercial feed manufacturers.
To ensure the safe manufacture and use of commercial feed in a changing livestock feed market, SAFE uses an approach that fosters voluntary compliance with the laws and regulations. This unique approach benefits both the agricultural community and the consumer.
The amount of animal feed commodities used in California has increased substantially over the past decade, making California the largest manufacturer of animal feed in the U.S. In addition, the number of livestock production operations and dairies that mix their own feed on-farm has risen significantly. The SAFE program provides outreach and education materials to promote good manufacturing practices for on-farm feed mixing.
How does the SAFE program work?
There are three major program elements in the SAFE program: outreach and education, comprehensive voluntary feed quality assurance, and research. The SAFE program has continued to fund research projects on feed safety issues that are of high priority to the feed industry.
Outreach and Education: On-farm education and organized workshops provide information on the proper use of medicated feeds, bio-security, proper handling and use of concentrated feed supplements, and compliance with a federal rule designed to protect against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) known as “Mad Cow Disease.”
A comprehensive voluntary feed quality assurance program: Department staff conducts comprehensive voluntary feed quality assurance audits in feed manufacturing facilities throughout California. The review of operations includes evaluation of manufacturing practices, quality assurance protocols, process controls, ingredient storage, record keeping, product labeling, and compliance with all laws and regulations. These inspections are designed to assist firms in evaluating their current standard operating procedures and to help implement quality assurance steps to ensure compliance with the California Commercial Feed Law and Regulations.
How is the SAFE program funded?
The Commercial Feed program is completely industry funded. Funds come from license fees and a tax paid on each ton of feed sold to livestock producers in the state.
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