Feed labelling: Europe vs USA, the 5 key differences

Which type of animal feed does this regulation apply to?

The USA recognises three types of animal feed:

1. commercial feed: all materials or combinations of materials that are distributed or intended for distribution for use as animal feed or for mixing into animal feed. These are made up of feed* ingredients.
2. customer-formula feed*: products manufactured for a specific customer.
3. a single ingredient product or single feed ingredient: a product containing only one ingredient or raw material.

*When talking about "feed" in the USA, this can refer to:

Europe <> USA

• Complete feed <> Complete
• Complementary feed <> Supplement
• Mineral feed <> Mineral

The five differences

1. Naming

The text above already reveals the first difference, namely naming. Some notable differences are:

Europe <> USA

• Feed materials, additives, compound feed <> Feed ingredients
• Analytical constituents <> Guarantied analyses statement
• Composition and additives <> Ingredient statement

2. Contact details

In Europe, it is compulsory to include a link to the producer concerned on the label. In the USA, you can choose which name and address appear on the label: this can be the details of the producer or the distributor.

Exception in the USA: for customer formula feed, the details of both the producer and the buyer must be stated.

3. Net weight declaration

The USA does not always use the metric system as known in Europe. The net weight must therefore be stated in avoirdupois units (2) as well as in metric units (1).

• Metric units: gram, kilogram...
• Avoirdupois units: pound, ounce, quart...

4. Sales purpose

In the USA, the sales purpose must be stated on single ingredient feed labels. This is not compulsory in Europe. Possible statements on the label include:

• Sold as a "single feed ingredient".
• Sold as a "feed ingredient".
• Sold for "further manufacture of animal feed".

5. Customer formula feed

Customer formula feed refers to products manufactured for a specific customer, where the customer determines the formulation. In the USA, the customer must be able to have 100% control over the feed, for example by stating the full name and net quantity of each ingredient used on the label.

Important: labelling requirements can also be communicated in other ways, for example via an invoice or delivery document.

General tips for feed labelling in the USA

• Certain words cannot simply be used in the product and/or brand name. For example, be careful when using the term "protein". If non-protein nitrogen is also added to the formulation, the term "protein" cannot be used in the product and/or brand name.
• The guaranteed analysis statement, which contains important information about the nutritional value of the feed, is complex and depends on the intended purpose (animal and class).
  • In addition to the general requirements, requirements also apply per animal species, further divided within that species. For example: cattle vs. dairy cattle.
  • If the purpose is not known, the different states can impose their own requirements individually and independently of each other.
  • The way values are expressed depends on the parameter: minimum % by weight, maximum % by weight, ppm, IU, ICU, and so on.
• In Europe, we have the feed materials catalogue, the feed materials register and the feed additives register. These documents contain, among other things, definitions, procedures, names and descriptions relating to animal feed.
• In the USA, everything is grouped together in the AAFCO OP, chapter 6. Here you will find, for example, Ingredients Definitions, Collective Terms and Process Terminology. For additives, the term used is Animal Food Additives, which must be approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) before use.

We are happy to help

Want to know more about feed labelling in the USA? We offer a comprehensive USA Feed Labelling training course, which we can deliver in-house at your premises.

For more information, contact joke.bouckaert@amnorman.be.