Selling Commercial Feed Products
All commercial feed products sold in South Carolina must be registered and renewed annually with SCDA prior to being sold in the state. A clear copy of each product label must be submitted with the initial product registration application, then again at each renewal if the label has been revised since the initial registration. Total cost is $20 per product annually ($15 registration fee and $5 technology processing cost) with an additional $10 late fee per product for any products registered after January 15th. Renewals are due January 1st of each year.
*Registration forms and checks that are sent in without product labels will NOT be processed and will be sent back to the company with a request to attach labels.
Public Access to Feed Terms, Common or Usual Ingredient Names, and Ingredient Definitions
To advance transparency and encourage consumer education about feed ingredients, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) provides a free electronic version of the official feed terms, common or usual ingredient names, and ingredient definitions found in Chapter Six of the 2023 Official Publication (OP). These feed terms, names, and definitions are typically adopted by state feed control officials and used as the regulatory basis to help ensure all ingredients used in animal feed (including pet food) meet specific efficacy and identification standards. Likewise, feed manufacturers rely on these feed terms, names, and definitions to ensure compliance with the state regulations to distribute feed products in the marketplace. Finally, these feed terms, names, and definitions provide consumers with clarity and greater understanding about the ingredients in the feed they purchase.
AAFCO has instituted a repository, referred to as the Common Food Index (CFI), of common foods that may be appropriate for use in animal food and serve as a tool for use during review of ingredients on an animal food label, providing harmonization and transparency.
To learn more about AAFCO’s new CFI, visit its webpage here.
Inspection and Sampling Program
SCDA Animal Feed Safety staff routinely inspect manufacturers, distributors, and retail stores across the state to ensure the production and sale of safe and wholesome commercial feed products. Feed inspectors also routinely sample commercial feed and pet food for analysis by the SCDA Animal Feed Laboratory.
For more information on our Inspection and Sampling Program please contact us at feedregistration@scda.sc.gov.
Food Safety Modernization Act Resources
The Food Safety Modernization Act was signed into law a decade ago, and its resulting rules broadly impact the safety of both human and animal food.
This informational series of videos has been developed as a resource to help small and medium sized South Carolina feed manufacturers comply with the rules associated with the Food Safety Modernization Act.
The video series was produced by Dr. Cassie Jones, Animal Sciences and Industry Professor/Teaching Coordinator at Kansas State University.
Video 1: What is FSMA and the preventive controls for Animal Food Rule?
Video 2: Does FSMA impact me?
Video 3: What do I need to do?
Video 4: What are my hazards?
Video 5: How can I control hazards?
Additional Resources:
- Prerequisite Program for Metals
- Prerequisite Program for Aflatoxin, Fumonisin, and Vomitoxin
- Prerequisite Program for Animal Drug Contamination
- Prerequisite Program for Copper Toxicity in Sheep Feed
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
The AAFCO is a voluntary membership association of local, state and federal agencies that are charged by law to regulate the sale and distribution of animal feeds and animal drug remedies. Although AAFCO itself has NO regulatory authority, the Association provides a forum for the membership and industry representation to achieve three main goals:
- Safeguard the health of animals and humans.
- Ensure consumer protection.
- Provide a level playing field of orderly commerce for the animal feed industry.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture actively participates in AAFCO to support the objectives listed above.
For more consumer information about animal food, please click here. For more information on AAFCO, please contact aafco@aafco.org.
