What is FAMI-QS?
FAMI-QS Stands for the “Feed Additives & Premixtures Quality System”. It is a globally recognised certification scheme created specifically for companies that manufacture, blend, trade or distribute speciality feed ingredients & additives. In simple terms, it is a mark of trust that tells buyers, regulators & the entire food supply chain that a company produces safe & high-quality feed ingredients.
The Scheme was introduced in 2004 & is governed by FAMI-QS AISBL, a non-profit association based in Belgium. It has since grown into world’s leading accredited certification for the feed ingredient sector, with certified companies present in the more than 47 countries & approximately 1400 members organisations worldwide. It is currently the only internationally accredited scheme dedicated exclusively to speciality feed ingredients such as vitamins, amino acids, minerals, enzymes & premixtures used in animal nutrition.
Why It Matters?
The reason FAMI-QS Exists is simple. Animals consume feed, feed is made from various ingredients and additives, and the products from those animals – meat, milk, egg and products alike eventually reach our plates.
If feed ingredients are unsafe or of poor quality, the risk travels all the way through the chain to the consumer. FAMI-QS breaks this risk at the source by ensuring feed ingredient manufactures follow strict standards for safety, quality & regulatory compliance. It is, in essence, a foundation stone for food safety from farm to fork.
Who Should Get Certified?
FAMI-QS is relevant for any business that is part of the speciality feed ingredient supply chain. This includes manufacturers of feed additives & premixtures, companies involved in blending & processing, traders & distributors who supply compound feed manufacturers & any organisation that wants to demonstrate its commitment to feed safety to international customers. If your business supplies ingredients that go into animal feed, FAMI-QS is for you .
How FAMI-QS Connects with HACCP, ISO 22000 & FSSC 22000?
FAMI-QS does not work alone. It is built on three well known international food safety frameworks & understanding how they fit together is simple. Think of building a house.
HACCP is the foundation. It asks one basic question at every step of production, where can something go wrong & how do we stop it? Every FAMI-QS certified company must have a HACCP plan identifying biological, chemical & physical hazards with controls in place to prevent them.
ISO 22000 is the structure on top of that foundation, a full management system covering leadership, documented procedures, internal audits & continuous improvement. FAMI-QS is fully aligned with the ISO High level structure that ISO 22000 follows, so companies already holding ISO 22000 will find much of the groundwork already done. ISO/TS 22002-6 fills in the feed-specific detail PRPs. The prerequisite programmes consists of – the essential hygiene & operational conditions such as facility design, contamination prevention, cleaning & pest control written specifically for the feed & animal food production. FAMI-QS is directly aligned with this standard, making its requirements genuinely feed specific rather than a generic food manufacturing equivalent.
FSSC 22000 is the roof. It builds on ISO 22000, incorporates ISO/TS 22002-6 & is recognised by the global food safety initiative (GFSI). Because FAMI-QS & FSSC 22000 share the build blocks – HACCP, ISO 22000 & ISO/TS 22002-6 Combined audits are possible through the certify bodies.
In short: HACCP identifies the risks, ISO 22000 manages them, ISO/TS 22002-6 sets the feed specific hygiene conditions, FSSC 22000 elevates the whole system to GFSI level & FAMI-QS applies all of this exclusively to specialty feed ingredients, making it the most focused certification a feed ingredients company can hold.
Requirements, Benefits & the certification Journey
What FAMI-QS Requires?
The FAMI-QS standard covers every major aspect of a company’s operations that could affect the safety & quality of its feed ingredients. Every certified company must have a documented quality & feed safety management system that is actively implemented & regularly reviewed, with a fully functional HACCP plan at its core. Traceability is one of the most critical requirements, companies must be able to trace every raw material from supplier through production to the finished product & onwards to the customer. Regulatory compliances, feed fraud prevention, staff training, facility maintenance, cleaning schedules & waste management are all equally important parts of the standard. Together, these elements create the conditions necessary safe & high-quality products.
To Support these requirements in a practical way, FAMI-QS also Provides a set of process documents as auditable add to the main code. Established in line with codex Alimentarius & HACCP Principles, these documents are process-Specific covering Bioprocess, chemical process, Extraction, Mining & Mixing operations & are designed to help companies identify & manage risks particular to what they actually produce. This ensures FAMI-QS is never a One-size-fits-all exercise, but a system that speaks directly to the realities of each type of feed ingredient facility.
The Benefits of Certification
Achieving FAMI-QS Certification opens doors to international markets, since many major buyers particularly in Europe require their suppliers to hold this certification. It builds deep trust with customers, as the FAMI-QS mark signals that an independent & accredited body has rigorously audited the company. Internally, implementing FAMI-QS requirements almost always leads to operational improvements, making businesses more consistent & better at preventing problems before they occur. For companies already certified to ISO 9001 or any other ISO standards, adding FAMI-QS is a logical next step that provides the most comprehensive proof of commitment to feed safety available in the industry.
Conclusion
FAMI-QS is more than just a certification. It is a carefully constructed system that connects the science of hazard control through HACCP, traceability and the discipline of management systems. Its process documents further strengthen this by translating broad requirements into process-specific, practical guidance that companies can act on every day.
For any business in the specialty feed ingredient supply chain, FAMI-QS represents the clearest, most credible & most internationally respected way to demonstrate that safety & quality are not just promises, they are built into every step of what you do. Whether you are pursuing certification for the first time or strengthening an existing system, FAMI-QS gives you the structure, the tools & the global recognition to succeed.