“Never take feed safety for granted”

Since the last Global Feed Safety Summit in 2017, the world has changed quite a bit. A Covid-19 pandemic, trade tensions, climate change, and conflict-affected feed ingredient flows. Ensuring feed safety in such a dynamic environment poses a constant challenge, demanding a robust risk control and secure certification system. “That is where we want to set the agenda for the future,” says GMP+ International managing director, Roland van der Post.

Trusted methodologies in the feed sector

There is no doubt in the mind of Roland van der Post when it comes to feed safety: it is of utmost importance that the feed industry and consumers can trust the methodologies in the sector to ensure safe feed and consequently safe food.

But he is also convinced that this needs a combined effort: “Feed safety is the métier of GMP+ International, but it is the responsibility of everyone involved. That is why we organised an event where the decision-makers of our industry will gather. We want to discuss and look forward in time to strengthen the feed production chain together. We will set the stage, but it is the duty of all of us to set the agenda and show commitment, which will force us to take the necessary follow-up steps.”

Van der Post continued to say, “The best result I can wish for is that the participants agree on 4-5 concrete, actionable issues and pledge to ensure their execution.”

What is the role of GMP+ International and the Global Feed Safety Summit, according to you?

“GMP+ International is the connecting factor in this. We want to have thought leadership and want to be the pinnacle where knowledge and experience come together. At the same time, we want to be humble as well. We cannot change the world, but we do have a mission to provide safe feed and thus safe food. Feed safety is our core business and that needs constant attention. We arrived in an era where we hardly have any feed safety scares anymore. That’s living proof that our system works.

“That said, we can never relax, and we must adapt to new challenges. We can never take feed safety for granted, as in the current conscious and hyperconnected world, we cannot permit ourselves a feed safety scandal. That is why we gathered top-notch panellists and speakers at our summit, from across different companies and institutions. All of us has to embrace feed safety, as it is one of the few topics in our industry that is pre-competitive and benefits us all.”