The consumers of meat, milk and eggs expect the industry and the retail trade to supply safe and good products. Animal feeds are crucial to this, because they are an important link in the process of animal production. They have a direct influence on the quality and safety of foodstuffs of animal origin.
Product Board Animal Feed does not exist any more
The Product Board Animal Feed (Productschap Diervoeder, PDV) is an important organisation for the whole animal feed sector. It functions as a co-operative organisation for the various branches in the animal feed chain. The sector includes not only the growers of feed crops and the producers and distributors of animal feeds and raw materials for feeds, but also the farmers who use the animal feeds.
The Product Board Animal Feed can also draw up regulation on animal feeds, which then applies to the whole sector. This is done with the approval of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries. Moreover the Product Board translates the European Union’s animal feeds regulation in the form of national regulation.
Developing overall quality policy
The Product Board Animal Feed has been given a lot of attention to developing an overall quality policy for the sector. In 1991 the Product Board laid down the Quality Plan for Animal Feed. The plan contains a coherent vision of the quality policy of the animal feed sector. In addition to safety for people, animals and the environment, the policy focuses on promoting fair trade, improving the quality image of the animal feed sector, and the integrated and co-ordinated implementation of sectoral, national and European quality policies.
Yearly report achieved results
Every year the Product Board reports on the quality policy and the results achieved. In 1997 the sector has reconsidered the use of antibiotics, veterinary drugs and growth stimulants in animal feeds, among other things.