Approved feedstuffs

Approved lists are also open to interpretation. An example is calcium carbonate, an approved organic source of Ca. Is ground limestone, a natural and common source of calcium carbonate and prepared from mined calcareous rock, approved as calcium carbonate It is a well-established ingredient in conventional poultry diets and one assumes that it is acceptable in organic diets. In cases such as this the producer should verify with the certifying agency that this interpretation is correct. This example adds weight to the conclusion of Wilson (2003) in Chapter 1 (this volume) that it would be very helpful if lists of approved feedstuffs could be very specific. 

Chemical detoxification processes or decontamination will include degradation, destmction and/or inactivation of the mycotoxin. In any such process the reduction of the mycotoxin to safe levels should not result in toxic degradation products or reduce the palatability or nutritional properties of the commodities. Aflatoxin has been the subject of most studies and only a relatively small number of these offers any hope of success. There is as yet no FDA or EC fully approved method for aflatoxin detoxification in human foods. Current methods in advanced stages of approval use ammonia in the gaseous form or as an ammonium hydroxide solution at various temperatures, pressure, moisture contents and reaction time to degrade aflatoxins in various animal feedstuffs. There have been extensive studies using two processes, viz ... 

Most countries follow the EU system and do not publish an approved list, stating that all feedstuffs used must meet organic guidelines. An example is the USA, where the regulations also state that all feed, feed additives and feed supplements must comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. 

Table 4.1. Comparison of approved organic feedstuffs in New Zealand and approved non-organic feedstuffs in the EU. ...

The common or usual name of each ingredient used in the manufacture of the feed. In some jurisdictions the use of a collective term for a group of ingredients that perform similar functions is permitted or the regulations may allow a statement that the feedstuffs used are from an approved list. This is a main difference in labelling from that in some European countries where the exact formula used is provided. 

Determination of four tocopherols and four tocotrienols in vegetable oils and fats by the official American Oil Chemists Society method is based on separation by normal-phase HPLC and fluorescence detection (AOCS, 1990). Oil samples are dissolved in hexane, whereas margarines and other fats containing vitamer esters need a cold saponification step to liberate the vitamers. The American Association of Cereal Chemists has a method to analyze vitamin E in various foods. This method (AACC, 1997) is applicable to a vitamin E range of 1 x 10" - 100%, and it includes hot saponification and separation by reversed-phase HPLC. Results are calculated as a-tocopherol acetate. The Royal Society of Chemistry has approved a method to analyze vitamin E in animal feedstuffs by normal-phase HPLC after the vitamers have been liberated by hot saponification (Analytical Methods Committee, 1990). 

DISPOSAL AND STORAGE METHODS whatever cannot be saved for recovery or recycling should be managed in an approved waste disposal facility dispose of container and unused contents in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations store in a cool, dry location maintain adequate ventilation separate from strong oxidants, food, and feedstuffs. 

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