PAS 222 – Prerequisite programmes for food safety in the manufacture of food and feed for animals – aims to ensure confidence in animal food and feed production by collecting good animal food, feed and ingredient practices from manufacturers around the world.

The new specification will potentially reduce production costs for those who adhere to the good practices it sets out and help manufacturers meet their clients' ever-more stringent requirements to demonstrate the quality of their food safety systems.

Sponsored by SSAFE (Safe Supply of Affordable Food Everywhere), the specification was developed with broad stakeholder representation through a steering group including leading organisations such as the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), Cargill, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Foundation for Food Safety Certification (FSSC), Land O'Lakes, Nestlé and Nutreco.

Developed in response to growing requests from the animal feed industry, the prerequisite programmes outlined in PAS 222 will be of particular interest to organisations involved in the manufacturing and supply of compound animal feed and ingredients used in the manufacture of animal feed, as well as to certification bodies and public authorities.

Mike Low, Director of British Standards, commented: "By working closely with leading animal food, feed and governmental organisations around the world, BSI has developed voluntary requirements that will help lower the risk of food safety hazards across the food supply chain. The specification outlines a set of clear, concise and uncomplicated requirements for animal food and feed producers to follow, enabling them to easily and rapidly implement good practices within their day-to-day operations. We believe adoption of these collective practices will facilitate the capture of supply-chain efficiencies within the animal food and feed industry while continuing to protect animal and public health."

Since many organisations are looking for ways to manage their food safety risks better, BSI and SSAFE have developed PAS 222 with the aim to support animal food and feed ingredient manufacturers by setting specific requirements for the development and implementation of prerequisite programmes in the manufacture of animal food and feed. The requirements can be used either in conjunction with ISO 22000, Food Safety management systems or as a stand-alone document.

A copy of PAS 222 can be downloaded for free from BSI's web site, courtesy of SSAFE [click here]. Alternatively, you can receive a free hard copy by contacting BSI's customer service team on +44-(0)208-996-9001.

For technical queries on the content of PAS 222, please contact Quincy Lissaur on +44-(0)208-996-7468 or via email [email protected].