The first step in writing a food safety plan is to conduct a hazard analysis. Hazards are divided into biological, chemical (including radiological), or physical categories known to be, or have the potential to be, associated with the facility or the animal food. A thorough hazard analysis should identify potential hazards and their frequency and severity to determine the prevention methods. A facility’s compliance with written cattle feed manufacturers and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can prevent hazards in many cases.

However, some hazards require more robust preventive controls. The determination of whether a risk requires preventive control depends on the hazard’s frequency and severity, which vary based on the facility and species being fed. This document provides a list of common threats to consider in cattle feed supplements. This is not a comprehensive list. A thorough hazard analysis performed by a preventive controls qualified individual (PCQI) must identify hazards for each facility.

Why is it essential to limit hazards from transpiring in animal feed?
The Federal Food requires that “all animal food, including human food, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.” The animal and pet food industry is a multibillion-dollar industry that experiences recall every year due to food safety hazards.

The average cost of a recall to a food company is 10 million and includes losses directly associated with the affected food and lost sales and brand damage. In some cases, the recall may be such a financial burden that companies cannot recover from it.

However, the implication of food safety hazards goes beyond economics. Food safety hazards in animal feed can also cause risks to humans. For example, aflatoxins can be consumed by dairy cattle, released into the milk, and cause damage to the urinary, digestive, nervous, and reproductive systems in humans.

What are the current physical hazards to consider?
Physical hazards incorporate stones, glass, metal, wood, plastic, or any physical object to penetrate the feed and produce harm. The process of harvesting and processing cattle feed requires machinery, equipment, and methods to introduce physical hazards accidentally. Could mix broken parts and shards of metal into cattle feed ingredients? A poorly located and unprotected light bulb has a risk of shattering. Tools, cell phones, glasses, and other objects may be misplaced or fall into processing equipment and become physical hazards in the feed.

The frequency and severity of a physical hazard depend on each facility and cattle feed manufacturers in India. A facility might choose to utilize a magnet or a screen to remove contaminants as part of their SOPs to reduce the hazard's frequency. Also, shatterproof bulbs can be strategically located to minimize the risk of glass contamination. Standard Operating Procedures for handling tools and personal effects can mitigate those objects' risk of becoming physical hazards. Each facility should consider the source of ingredients, product flow, equipment, storage, and packaging to determine the points where physical hazards could enter the product and the appropriate measures to prevent them.