Service Delivery Module: Agriculture Number of written papers: 1 Written Exam duration: Practical and Oral exam: 3 hours Yes Updated/ Reviewed: April 2016 NOTE: The legislation outlined in this syllabus is not an exhaustive list. Candidates will be required to answer questions in accordance with this syllabus. The examiners may expect candidates to show knowledge of legislation which is in place but not in force, i.e. has been enacted and regulations which have been made which are not yet in force if they are directly relevant to the subject-matter of the examination. Aim: To provide the candidate with a knowledge and understanding of the nature of animal feeding stuffs, fertilisers, pesticides and the legal framework that controls their manufacture, import, placing on the market, transport, storage, marketing and use in order to safeguard animal and human health. Learning Outcomes: The competence for this module is the demonstration of knowledge and understanding of: Feed Law The rationale behind regulatory controls and the legal framework of EU law on feed as the first point in the food chain; The general principles of food law and the responsibilities it places on feed business operators in respect of feed safety, traceability, presentation of feed, withdrawal and recall of unsafe feed; The structure, administration and delivery of official controls, the agencies involved from the European Commission down to the feed business operator; The interpretation and application of the Feed Law Enforcement Code, Practice and Feed Law Practice Guidance and Food Standards Agency Framework agreement into the delivery of official controls; The range, extent and limitations of enforcement powers in respect of relevant and specified feed law and the importance of proportionate application; Statutory defences and the application of case law; The roles of relevant enforcement agencies and their inter-relationships with Local Authorities; The assurance scheme landscape and its role in improving levels of compliance with feed law through earned recognition including the liaison arrangements put in place by the FSA; The National Feed Enforcement Priorities and their application at a local level;
Feed hygiene requirements at all levels of operation; The food hygiene requirements at the level of primary production, The responsibilities and liabilities placed on feed business operators placing feed on the market or feeding food producing animals; Animal nutrition including the types of feed and additives used in compound feed and typically fed to farmed animals, co-products used in animal feed, hazards associated with their production and the typical systems used to avoid contamination, surplus food typically added to animal feed and the typical systems used to avoid contamination; The application of registration and approval to all types of feed establishments, including the application of approval by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and revocation, suspension and amendment of such registrations and approvals; The different routes by which guides to good practice and industry guidance in respect of feed and food hygiene can be introduced and knowledge of those which are available; The composition, labelling, marketing and use of feed; The application of animal by-products legislation and other legal requirements prohibiting certain products being used in animal feed; The EU Rapid Alert Food and Feed System and how it operates, its use in monitoring feed and the role of the Competent Authorities in updating the system; The methods of sampling and analysis of feed; The Food Law Code of Practice as it applies to enforcement at the level of primary production; Interventions, alternative enforcement strategies and the concept and principles of earned recognition; The role of Home and Primary Authorities in feed law enforcement. Fertilisers and Pesticides The rationale behind regulatory controls and the legal framework in respect of fertilisers and the differences between the UK and EC; The rationale behind regulatory controls and the legal framework in respect of pesticides; The responsibilities and liabilities placed on businesses placing fertilisers and pesticides on the market; The composition, labelling, marketing and use of fertilisers and pesticides; The controls on the manufacture, import, supply and keeping of high ammonium nitrate fertilisers and sampling for the purpose of a detonation resistance test; The range, extent and limitations of enforcement powers in respect of fertilisers and pesticides; Statutory defences and the application of case law in respect of fertilisers and pesticides; The roles of relevant enforcement agencies and their inter-relationships with Local Authorities; The methods of sampling and analysis of fertilisers. The following terms have been used to indicate the level of knowledge required in each element; Detailed: To an in-depth level, and with a fine degree of distinction between concepts; Working: With the ability to apply the learning to situations so as to resolve problems; Basic: Having an awareness of the organisations and concepts. Assessments will reflect the requisite level of knowledge in each given area of the syllabus.
Syllabus: Legislation - Feed Law A detailed knowledge of: The Agriculture Act 1970 Part IV; Sampling at the request of the purchaser and powers. The Official (Feed and Food) Control Regulations 2009; The Animal Feed (Composition, Marketing and Use) (England) Regulations 2015; The Animal Feed (Hygiene, Sampling etc. and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2015; Trade in Animals and Related Products (TARP) Regulations 2011; The Feed (Sampling and Analysis and Specified Undesirable Substances) Regulations 2010; European Parliament and Council Regulation 178/2002, as amended, on the principles of food and feed law; European Parliament and Council Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed; European Parliament and Council Regulation 1830/2003; European Parliament and Council Regulation 1831/2003, as amended, on additives for use in animal nutrition; European Parliament and Council Regulation 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules; European Parliament and Council Regulation 183/2005, as amended, laying down requirements for feed hygiene; Commission Regulation 152/2009, as amended, laying down the methods of sampling and analysis for the official control of feed; Commission Regulation 669/2009, as amended, implementing Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the increased level of official controls on imports of certain feed and food of non-animal origin; European Parliament and Council Regulation 767/2009, as amended, on the placing on the market and the use of feed; Directive 2002/32, as amended, on undesirable substances in animal feed; Directive 2008/38, as amended, establishing a list of intended uses of animal feeding stuffs for particular nutritional purposes; Emergency import controls measures and particularly Commission regulation (EU) No 884/2014 of 13 August 2014 imposing special conditions governing the import of certain feed and food from certain third countries due to contamination risk by aflatoxins. A working knowledge of: Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations 2010; The Animal By-Products (Enforcement) Regulations 2013; The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, in Wales and Scotland the Food Hygiene Regulations (Wales) 2006 and Food Hygiene Regulations (Scotland) 2006; European Parliament and Council Regulation 999/2001 laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies; European Parliament and Council Regulation 1069/2009 laying down health rules as regards animal by-products and derived products not intended for human consumption; European Parliament and Council Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs.
Legislation - Fertiliser and Pesticides Part IV of the Agriculture Act 1970; Legislative controls on non-ec Fertilisers including composition, labelling, powers and enforcement; Legislative controls on EC Fertilisers including composition, labelling, powers and enforcement; Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (in relation to pesticides); including regulations relating to the labelling, advertising and use of pesticides; The controls on the manufacture, importation and supply of relevant ammonium nitrate materials. Feed Law - General requirements Rationale behind regulatory controls and the legal framework of UK and EU law on feed: General principles of food law and the responsibilities it places on feed business operators in respect of feed safety, traceability, withdrawal and recall of unsafe feed; Application of statutory defences and case law; EU Rapid Alert Food and Feed System and how it operates, its use in monitoring feed and the role of the Competent Authorities in updating the system; Registration and approval of feed establishments, including the application of approval by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Composition, labelling, marketing and use of feed including: - The composition of feeding stuffs, controls on the presence of contaminants and the authorisation of certain additives; - Restrictions on the presence of undesirable substances in feed; - The contaminants common to various types of feed material and feed additives originating from outside of the EU; - Requirements for the authorisation, use and labelling of additives in feed, including the authorisation procedure, categories and functional groups of additives, and labelling and packaging requirements; - Knowledge of additives in use outside the EU which are not authorised for use within the EU; - Approval and registration of 3 rd Country imports of certain feed additives and protein sources and compound feeding containing such additives; - Requirements on the authorisation, use and labelling of genetically modified feed materials, including compound feeds which incorporate these types of feed materials; Annex I, II and III of EC Regulation 183/2005 on feed hygiene including the legislative requirements on the use of fats and oils in feed; Principles of HACCP as applied to the animal feed industry and the ability to assess the effectiveness of feed safety management systems including the use of procedures and prerequisites; Role of assurance schemes across the feed industry with a particular focus on those which operate at feed business establishments and the principles of earned recognition; Roles of other bodies/agencies e.g. Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), Animal Plant and Health Agency (AHPA), Defra, Food Standards Agency (FSA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding Stuffs (ACAF), Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), National Trading Standards (NTS) and their inter-relationships with Local Authorities;
Feed Law Practice Guidance, the Feed Law Code of Practice, the FSA Framework Agreement and in particular the role and responsibilities of the lead officer; Role of Home and Primary Authorities in feed law enforcement. A working knowledge of the: Types of co-product and food businesses involved in their production; Typical methods of production of co-products and hazards and risks associated with the production of co-products; Types of food which are typically added to the feed chain and the role of surplus food processors entering the feed chain and systems used to avoid contamination of surplus food intended for feed; Types of product produced for various species of animal as relevant to the officer s area of responsibility; Types of feed materials and other additives used for inclusion in compound feed and the manufacture of additives; Hazards and risks associated with the materials used in the manufacture of feed or feed additives; Hazards and risks associated with potential cross contamination of feed during storage, distribution, handling and manufacture; Ways in which the design of facilities and equipment help prevent cross contamination and facilitate cleaning; Application of animal by-products legislation and other legal requirements prohibiting certain products being used in animal feed and the role of other agencies in enforcing the requirement; Food hygiene requirements, Annex I of EC Regulation 852/2004, applying at the level of primary production of food including the transport, storage and handling of primary products at the place of production and the transport of live animals; Food Law Code of Practice as it applies to enforcement at the level of primary production; Different routes by which guides to good practice and industry guidance in respect of feed and food hygiene can be introduced and knowledge of those which are available. Feed Law Sampling Procedures for sampling animal feeding stuffs of different types and as set out in Annex I of EC Regulation 152/2009, as amended; Types of equipment required to carry out sampling and their appropriate use; Most appropriate methods of sampling for the type and quantity of various feeding stuffs; Nature of constituents and undesirable substances to be tested for, their distribution within feed and the different approaches to sampling required; Importance of safe working practices and knowledge of the most appropriate methods for storing samples; Role of the Agricultural Analyst underpinning scientific assessment of feed safety and labelling and in optimising the use of analytical testing; Role of the Government Chemist in disputes.
Feed Law - Enforcement Range, extent and limitations of enforcement powers in respect of relevant and specified feed law; Powers to enter premises to inspect feed, processes and records under all relevant EU and National legislation on animal feed and the procedures involved; Proportionate and progressive use of enforcement powers to achieve compliance with feed law in a timely manner; Appropriate use of informal methods of enforcement e.g. warning letters; Use of powers to issue improvement notices and the procedures involved; Use of emergency prohibition notices and orders and the procedures involved; Use of powers to detain and seize feed and the procedures involved; Suspension and removal of feed registration and approval and the procedures involved; Powers to sample, seize, detain and remove imported feed not complying with EU law from the feed chain. Feed Law - Import Controls A detailed knowledge the: Principles of European law and structures in order to be able to effectively apply controls at the border. This includes:- - EC Regulation No 882/2004 Chapter V-Official Controls on the Introduction of feed and food from third countries; - Higher-risk material originating from 3 rd countries subject to the requirements of EC 669/2009, as amended; - Feed from 3 rd countries and subject to safeguard measures eg. EC Regulation 884/2014 imposing special conditions governing the import of certain feed and food from certain third countries due to contamination risk by aflatoxins; - Products of animal and non-animal origin not considered to be higher-risk material nor subject to safeguard measures. Fertilisers and Pesticides - General requirements Responsibilities and liabilities placed on businesses placing fertilisers and pesticides on the market; Composition, labelling, marketing and use of fertilisers and pesticides; Methods of sampling and analysis of fertilisers, UK and EC controls; Range, extent and limitations of enforcement powers in respect of fertilisers and pesticides; The controls on the manufacture, import, supply and keeping of high ammonium nitrate fertilisers and sampling for the purpose of a detonation resistance test and crop and plant nutrition. A Working knowledge of the: Application of statutory defences and case law; Rationale behind regulatory controls and the legal framework in respect of fertilisers and pesticides and the differences between UK and EC controls; Roles of relevant enforcement agencies and their inter-relationships with Local Authorities in respect of fertiliser and pesticide controls.