RIVM and Wageningen Food Safety Research have made five feed-food transfer models available to calculate how many harmful substances in animal feed end up in animal-based foods. The models are now available on the website www.feedfoodtransfer.nl. 

Animal feed can be contaminated with chemical substances that enter the feed via the environment or during the manufacturing process. These substances can end up in animal food products such as milk, eggs and meat. When humans are exposed to too much of these chemicals via the food, this can be hazardous to health. 

Health risk assessment

To assess the health risks, it is important to know how much of these substances end up from animal feed into animal food products. This can be estimated using transfer models. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) and Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) have made five transfer models available on the new website www.feedfoodtransfer.nl. Governments and the animal feed industry can use these models. 

Looking for international partners

For now, models are available to calculate the transfer of cadmium in pigs, aflatoxin in cows, and dioxins in pigs, cows and laying hens. RIVM and WFSR have developed these models on behalf of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority  (NVWA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. More models will be made available on the website soon. In addition, RIVM and WFSR are looking for international partners to collaborate to extend this website further.  Contact feedfoodtransfer@rivm.nl

With the feed-food transfer models website, RIVM and WFSR want to contribute to a more internationally standardised approach to assess the risks of substances in animal feed and animal food products.