As compliance standards from the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) increase in both severity and inspection frequency, Rock River Laboratory has launched the Mill Quality Assurance (QA) Program to proactively assist feed mills and feed manufacturers in meeting the new criteria. This new feedstuff management program guides mill management teams to enact and maintain Best Manufacturing Practices.
"Developing a program that would satisfy the FSMA compliance requirements, without demanding additional time from the mill manager was our main goal," says Lauren Meyer, Rock River Laboratory's Quality Control and Product Development Director. "We believe that proactive FSMA programming control shouldn't have to stack on top of this already lengthy manager to-do list – not without a trusted partner to help carry the load."
The Mill QA program utilizes organizational scaffolding that automatically facilitates everything except gathering actual feed samples, and incorporates management tools that are simple, easily incorporated into the mill and manufacturing schedule, and help virtually eliminate paperwork. Built with help from feed mill managers and agriculture industry experts, the program provides participants with peace of mind from consistently scheduled sampling, while saving time through checks and reminders. Rock River Laboratory's accurate analysis combined with logical reporting also ensures that any outliers or failed feedstuffs are quickly identified so quality corrections can be made.
"The Mill QA Program's reporting, monitoring and recording system for feed components and complete feeds is set to correspond to The Association of American Feed Control Officials [AAFCO] range of compliance," explains Don Meyer, president and owner of Rock River Laboratory. "Not only does this association's recommendations provide the foundation for compliance, but adhering to these ranges helps solidify customer trust in the overall quality of feeds coming from the participating facilities."
Headquartered in Watertown, Wis., Rock River Laboratory provides production assistance to the agricultural industry through the use of advanced analytical systems, progressive techniques, and research-supported analyses. Employing a team of top specialists in their respective fields, Rock River Laboratory is built on providing accurate, cost-effective, and timely analytical results to customers while featuring unsurpassed customer service.
5.10.2016
