The Universal Feed Assurance Scheme (UFAS) was launched in 1998 and now accounts for well in excess of 95% of the commercially produced compound feed in the UK and Ireland. A merchants’ standard was added later to the scheme, and in total UFAS now has in excess of 700 participants in the UK and Ireland.
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UFAS is based on HACCP principles, a system originally pioneered by space agency NASA, but now forming the bedrock of EU Food and Feed legislation. The scheme is audited and certified by an independent certification body, in accordance with the internationally recognised standard EN45011 (also known as ISO Guide 65). This means that the certification body is itself independently assessed every year to ensure that the standard is implemented and administered consistently and fairly. Partly as a result of this independence of inspection, local authorities now include participation in UFAS in their risk assessments of Feed businesses.
The scheme dovetails with the UK livestock assurance (Red Tractor Farm Assurance, Quality Meat Scotland) schemes which the major supermarkets make a requirement for the home-produced livestock products they buy.
The UFAS Standard
Other key documents
Simon Williams
Simon Williams is Technical Manager for AIC Services. He is based at AIC Head Office, Peterborough and is responsible for the management and coordination of the FEMAS, FIAS and UFAS assurance schemes as well as being the key contact for International mutual recognition issues and liaison with European scheme owners.