Certifications are a shorthand for "this supplier has an audited system for doing things properly". They do not guarantee a product suits your animals, but they tell a buyer that feed safety and quality are managed to a recognised standard and independently checked. This guide explains the ones you will meet most often.

A certificate is only meaningful if it is current and covers the relevant site and scope, so always ask to see it and check the expiry and the certified activities.

Feed safety and quality schemes

  • GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance. A widely used international scheme, strong in Europe, covering feed production, trade, storage, and transport. GMP+ certification signals HACCP-based feed safety management across the chain.
  • FAMI-QS. The specialist scheme for the safety and quality of speciality feed ingredients and mixtures, such as additives and premixtures. If you buy additives, this is the one to look for.
  • FSSC 22000 and ISO 22000. General food and feed safety management standards built on HACCP. FSSC 22000 is GFSI-recognised, which matters to buyers who standardise on GFSI benchmarks.
  • HACCP. Not a certification in itself so much as the hazard-analysis method underpinning the schemes above. Most credible feed operations run a HACCP plan.

Market and provenance claims

  • Certified organic. Feed made to an organic standard (for example USDA Organic or EU organic rules), which restricts inputs and requires certified handling. Relevant if you produce organic meat, milk, or eggs.
  • Non-GMO. Verifies feed is produced without genetically modified ingredients to a defined threshold. Distinct from organic, though the two often travel together.

What certifications do and do not tell you

They tell you a supplier has audited systems for safety, traceability, and consistency. They do not tell you the feed is formulated for your animals, priced competitively, or backed by good technical support. Treat certification as a threshold filter, then evaluate the supplier on the wider checklist.

Finding certified suppliers

Many listings in the directory record certifications as a trust signal. Browse feed manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and additive makers, and ask any shortlisted supplier to confirm current certificates before you buy.