SOURCING OF RAW MATERIALS
When sourcing all ingredients, individual member companies operate their own stringent in-house quality assurance policies. These include strict specifications for material supplies, routine testing of all incoming materials and the use of vendor assurance schemes to monitor supply sources.
Materials are sourced both at home and abroad. The UK is not self-sufficient and alternative sources include the USA, Canada, South America, Australasia and various European countries. All materials imported must comply with the strict legislation laid down in the UK
All raw materials have a propensity for the presence of foreign bodies and PFMA members use a variety of cleaning systems which may include such processes as screens, magnets, metal detectors and similar equipment in order to remove offending items.
Additionally, plant based substances are carefully monitored for the presence of contaminants such as mycotoxins and pesticide residues. Members specifically require the absence of these materials in raw materials specifications and implement due diligence strategies including supplier audits and a variety of inspection schemes to ensure product safety.
General provision regarding traceability and safe manufacture of pet food are also laid down in the EU Regulation.
Animal Based Materials
The animal based materials used by the industry are those parts that are surplus to human consumption or which are not normally consumed by people in the UK. The materials are from animals inspected and passed as fit for human consumption, and meet the very high safety and quality criteria as laid down in the EU Animal By-Products Regulations 2011. The legislation also requires that the materials used can be fully traced to source to ensure all materials come from registered plants.
Plant based ingredients used in pet food include:
- cereals
- cereal flours
- pulses
- root vegetables
- seeds.
