Why Certification Matters in the Feed Sector: From Protecting Day-Old Livestock to Export Standards ISO 22000, EFISC-GTP, and QS

The “Farm to Fork” principle has long been established in modern agribusiness. For many years, the market focused only on the final stage — the processing of meat, milk, and eggs. Today, however, experts and agricultural holdings understand that herd health, livestock preservation, and food safety are established long before products reach a meat-processing or dairy plant — during the cultivation of raw materials and the production of feed and feed ingredients.

Feed sector certification is not merely a formal document for regulatory authorities. It is a comprehensive quality and risk management system that guarantees the biological safety of products, business transparency, and access to international markets.

1. Biosecurity and the Protection of Day-Old Livestock
The primary and most critical reason for certification is the biological and chemical safety of feed rations, especially during the early stages of animal and poultry rearing.
Protecting day-old livestock — poultry, cattle, and pigs. The organism of a chick, calf, or piglet is extremely vulnerable during the first days of life. An undeveloped gut microbiota and a weak immune system are unable to neutralize toxins. Any deviation in the quality of pre-starter or compound feed — trace mycotoxin contamination, pathogenic Salmonella, or oxidized fats — can immediately lead to mass mortality and developmental delays.
Preserving genetic potential. A high-quality, certified starter feed determines an animal’s future productivity. Feeding errors during the early stages of life cannot be compensated for during the fattening stage.
Human safety. Animals act as natural accumulators. Heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics from poor-quality feed can pass into meat, milk, and eggs, creating direct risks to consumer health.

2. Key Safety Standards: HACCP, ISO 22000, and EFISC-GTP
Globally recognized standards and certification schemes form the foundation of feed safety management systems.
HACCP and ISO 22000
HACCP — Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points — is the fundamental international approach to risk analysis and the control of critical points. The international ISO 22000 standard is built on this foundation, combining HACCP principles with prerequisite programs (PRPs).
ISO 22000 certification is universal and is suitable for manufacturers of compound feed and feed additives, as well as grain elevators, logistics operators, and processing companies.
EFISC-GTP — European Standard for Processors and Traders
The EFISC-GTP scheme was specifically developed for the European grain and oilseed processing industry, as well as for companies trading in feed materials such as meals, oil cakes, vegetable oils, bran, and starch products.
The standard combines feed safety requirements and Good Trading Practice (GTP) with production hygiene requirements, ensuring the highest level of trust among European buyers.

3. Mutual Recognition of Standards — GMP+, FAMI-QS, QS, and Other Regional Feed Standards — and End-to-End Control
The feed market is characterized by a high degree of globalization. To facilitate unrestricted trade between participants in different international certification systems, the principle of mutual recognition is applied.
GMP+ and FAMI-QS
Western European schemes such as GMP+ FSA for compound feed production and trading and FAMI-QS for specialty feed ingredients and additives recognize the equivalence of many safety requirements. This enables companies with certified management systems to integrate more easily into global supply chains.
The QS Scheme — Quality Scheme for Food
The distinguishing feature of the German QS system is its control over the longest possible supply chain — from the feed producer, farm, and slaughterhouse to the supermarket shelf.
Holding a certificate recognized within the QS system opens direct supply channels to major European meat processors and retailers.

4. Field-Level Control (GAP) and Environmental Requirements (ISCC and EUDR)
Feed safety does not begin at the factory — it begins in the field. That is why modern certification systems are closely integrated with related standards.
GAP — Good Agricultural Practice
Good Agricultural Practice regulates the use of pesticides and fertilizers and includes controls over soil and water quality. This helps prevent mycotoxins and agrochemicals from entering harvested crops.
ISCC and EUDR
Environmental requirements and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) require precise geolocation-based traceability of raw materials, including soy, palm-derived products, and grains.
These requirements guarantee that raw materials have been cultivated without causing harm to the environment or forests.

5. Guaranteeing Traceability and Protecting the Business
A certified company knows the complete history of every batch:

• the field on which the raw material was grown in accordance with GAP and EUDR requirements;
• the testing and processing it underwent at the grain elevator or production facility in accordance with HACCP, ISO 22000, and EFISC-GTP;
• the customers to whom the finished product was shipped and the quantities supplied.

In the event of an incident, the traceability system makes it possible to identify and recall a specific batch within hours, protecting the company’s financial stability and reputation.
Feed sector certification is a comprehensive ecosystem that combines primary agricultural practices (GAP), technological safety at the production level (HACCP, ISO 22000, and EFISC-GTP), and integration into global supply chains through mutual recognition systems (GMP+, QS, and FAMI-QS).
Implementing and certifying these systems transforms a feed business into a transparent, well-managed, and highly competitive organization capable of supplying products to any national or international partner.