RG-1 Regulatory Guidance: Feed Registration Procedures and Labelling Standards -

RG-1 Regulatory Guidance: Feed Registration Procedures and Labelling Standards - inspection.canada.ca

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Regulatory guidance

RG-1 Regulatory Guidance:

Feed Registration Procedures and Labelling Standards

Table of Contents

Introduction – Regulated livestock feeds in Canada

Chapter 1 – Guidance on preparing and submitting a My CFIA application for livestock feed

Chapter 2 – Data requirements for single ingredient approval and feed registration

Chapter 3 – Specific registration information by feed type

Chapter 4 – Labelling and guarantees

Chapter 5 – Research with livestock feeds

Chapter 6 – Sampling and laboratory requirements

Chapter 7 – Other relevant information sources

Chapter 8 – Pre-submission consultation procedures for livestock feed

Chapter 9 – Feed approval or registration requirements for the acceptance of a foreign approval/authorization

Chapter 9 – Requirements for accepting foreign feed approvals or authorizations

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Introduction – Regulated livestock feeds in Canada

Important considerations

Determine if your product is regulated as a livestock feed

Regulated livestock feeds

New information following approval or registration

List of approved ingredients and registered feeds for livestock in Canada

The Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 govern the manufacture, sale, import and export of livestock feeds in Canada. All feeds must be safe to livestock; to humans (by the potential transfer of residues into human food, that is, meat, milk, eggs and honey, and via user exposure); and to the environment.

Our Animal Feed Program (AFP) is responsible for both pre-market evaluations (approvals and registrations) and post-market oversight, including inspections, sampling, and enforcement of livestock feeds.

This guidance is intended to help you determine whether your feed is subject to the requirements of the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 , as well as to assist you in preparing and applying for pre-market evaluation for feed ingredient or product approval or registration. Specific chapters of the RG-1 provide more detailed information on requirements for specific categories of feeds and feed ingredients.

Important considerations

Applicants must submit complete applications with the required scientific data. Incomplete or poor-quality submissions may be rejected, or issuance of a decision may be delayed. If additional information is requested and not provided on time, in whole or in part, this may affect AFP's decision and could result in the application being rejected or closed.

Definition of claim

One important concept to understand in this document is what the term claim means for a feed:

any representation which states, suggests, or implies that a mixed feed or single ingredient feed has particular characteristics relating to its origin, nutritional properties, nature, purpose, production, processing, quality or composition, or any characteristic that relates to animal productivity, animal health, food characteristics, food quality or the environment.

Determine if your product is regulated as a Livestock feed

If your product meets all 4 of the criteria listed below, it is considered a regulated livestock feed and the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 , apply. If it does not meet all four criteria, the Livestock Feeds Act and the Livestock Feeds Regulations 2024 do not apply, but your product may be subject to other regulatory controls. To help you determine whether your product meets all four criteria, review the additional information below.

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Criteria 1 – Your product meets the definition of a livestock feed under the Feeds Act

Feeds can be any substance or mixture of substances containing amino acids, antioxidants, carbohydrates, condiments, enzymes, fats, minerals, non-protein nitrogen products, proteins or vitamins, or pelletizing, colouring, foaming or flavouring agents and any other substance manufactured, sold or represented for use;

for consumption by livestock

for providing the nutritional requirements of livestock, or

for the purpose of preventing or correcting nutritional disorders of livestock,

Or any substance for use in any such substance or mixture of substances

If your product is delivered via injection, as a topical product, or by forceable administration (such as via gavage, bolus or drench) and is not intended for consumption as a feed, it would not be considered a livestock feed.

Criteria 2 – Your product is fed to species listed as livestock under the Feeds Regulations, 2024

Currently designated species:

cattle, sheep, goats

swine

poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese)

horses, rabbits

finfish intended for human consumption

bison, water buffalo, cervids (such as deer and elk)

llamas, alpacas

ratites, pigeons, pheasants, partridges, quail, grouse, guinea fowl, peafowl

bees

molluscs and crustaceans intended for human consumption

Note: if your product is intended for pets or wild animals that are not domestically raised or kept (such as wild bird food and game attractants), it is not regulated under the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 , and no feed approval or registration is required. However, products not regulated under the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 may be subject to import or export requirements under other authorities administered by the CFIA.

For information on the importation of commodities regulated by the CFIA please refer to the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS)

Criteria 3 – Your product is classified as a livestock feed

Orally consumed products may be regulated by different federal departments depending on their intended use, claim and mode of action. Other types of products that may overlap with the definition of feed include veterinary drugs, veterinary health products, veterinary biologics and pest controls products.

To determine your product's classification:

refer to the Guidance document on classification of veterinary drugs and livestock feeds

review Appendix B – Drug/Feed classification flowchart

consult the Classification of products for use in animals document

You may submit a request to the Veterinary Drug Directorate at: classification-vet@hc-sc.gc.ca for a classification assessment.

A decision will be made by the appropriate authorities based on the product information you provide.

If the product is classified as a feed, the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 apply. You must then determine whether the product requires approval or registration, or if it qualifies for an exemption.

Criteria 4 – Your product is a feed that is not exempt from the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024

The following feeds are exempted from the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 :

a feed manufactured by a livestock producer that is not sold and does not contain any drug or substance that poses a risk to human or animal health or the environment.

a complete feed, other than a novel feed, that is:

packaged in containers of 10 kg or less, and

is intended for livestock not raised for human consumption (such as mini pigs or pet rabbits)

a research feed, if:

it is not novel

it is manufactured in Canada by or for a government, academic, or private research establishment

it is fed only to livestock owned or supervised by the establishment; and

the establishment has a written plan to safely dispose of any remaining feed and livestock products

Regulated livestock feeds

There are two main categories of livestock feeds: ingredients and mixed feeds. Ingredients, or single ingredient feeds (SIFs), are the defined ingredients that can be used in livestock feeds. Mixed feeds are combinations of two or more SIFs. These two main feed categories can be further subdivided into different feed types which have different regulatory requirements.

Single Ingredient Feed (SIF)

A SIF is a substance approved for livestock feeding. Approved SIFs are listed in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT) which:

is a document incorporated by reference (IBR) in the Feeds Regulations, 2024

lists and describes all SIFs approved for use in Canada

Structure of the CFIT:

Glossary

Part 1 – SIFs approved for manufacture, sale, or import without registration if exemption criteria are met. Approvals do not expire as long as the SIF remains listed

Part 2 – SIFs described in this section require that each source be registered before manufacture, sale, or import

How SIFs are classified:

approved for specific purposes such as nutritional (for example, vitamins, proteins) or non-nutritional (for example, antioxidants, pH adjusters).

grouped into classes and subclasses based on purpose.

each SIF has a unique ingredient number:

starts with 1 = Part 1; 2 = Part 2

next 3 digits = class/subclass

final 3 digits = item number

example: 1-202-003 Corn bran → Part 1, Class 2 (energy feeds), Subclass 2.2 (milling by-products), item #3

Note: A feed ingredient description is added to Part 1 or Part 2 of the CFIT following a positive evaluation and public consultation based on its profile for safety and/or efficacy. Once listed and described in the CFIT, the feed ingredient officially becomes a Single Ingredient Feed (SIF).

When does a feed ingredient require approval and/or registration:

a feed ingredient requires approval/registration if it:

is not listed in the CFIT

contains a novel trait

is described in Part 2 of the CFIT

differs from an existing CFIT SIF in terms of:

purpose, composition, hazard, structure, nutritional quality, physiological effects, manufacturing process, target livestock species/class, or usage instructions.

is listed in the CFIT but the label:

includes a guarantee not in the CFIT description

makes claims not described in the CFIT, not permitted in the Tables of Permissible Claims for Feed Labels , or not meeting claim conditions

contains unrecognized statements/logos (see RG-12 )

uses languages other than English or French

consists of nanomaterials

Part 1 SIFs: Exemption criteria from registration for single ingredient feeds

Part 1 SIFs are safe and are exempt from registration provided that the SIF meets all the following:

complies with the description in the CFIT

meets standards as defined in the regulations and further elaborated in regulatory guidance (for example, RG-8 Contaminants in Feed and Tables of Maximum Contaminant Levels for Feeds )

is labelled according to the Feeds Regulations, 2024

meets other labelling requirements as per the RG-12

the label:

is in English and/or French languages only

contains guarantees as outlined in the SIF description in the CFIT

has claim(s) that are:

described in the SIF description of the CFIT

listed and meet the conditions for an approved claim in the Tables of Permissible Claims for Feed Labels

recognized in section 6.2 Permissible statements and logos of RG- 12

Otherwise, ingredients with extra label guarantees or claims outside the SIF description require pre-market evaluation for approval or registration.

For single ingredient feeds in Part 1 of the CFIT that are not registered and are imported, exported or moved interprovincially, the storing, processing, packaging, labelling and distributing will have to be performed by feed license holders.

Part 2 SIFs: Registration is required

registration is required for each source as source-specific differences are noted during the evaluation in terms of safety and/or efficacy profiles

each manufacturing site is considered an individual source of the ingredient requiring a pre-market evaluation

if manufactured at multiple sites, the same registration number can be assigned once the CFIA has verified that the manufacturing process, raw materials including grade, purity, levels of contaminants, quality controls and final product specifications are equivalent between these manufacturing sites

once the evaluation is completed, the ingredient description in the CFIT is verified for accuracy and consulted publicly if applicable

a registration number is assigned to the SIF listed in part 2

an application for renewal must be sent in My CFIA before it expires

Mixed feeds

A mixed feed contains 2 or more SIFs made with:

SIFs listed and described in part 1 of the CFIT or

registered SIFs described in part 2 of the CFIT

Note: SIFs must be used in the mixed feed formulation according to their purpose stated within the CFIT. SIFs used for other purposes require a pre-market evaluation for approval or registration (for example, flavoring ingredient being used as a gut modifier).

A mixed feed may also contain:

medicating ingredients listed in the Compendium of Medicating Ingredient Brochures (CMIB) or otherwise prescribed by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the province in which the feed is to be fed to the livestock to be treated

pest control products (registered under the Pest Control Products Act )

non-feed products (for example, veterinary health products, veterinary biologics) listed in the Compendium of Non-Feed Products (CNFP)

Under the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 all livestock feeds, including mixed feeds and specialty feeds, must be registered unless they meet the exemption criteria in subsection 6(2) and the conditions in subsection 6(3) of the Feeds Regulations, 2024 . Complete feeds, supplements, mineral feeds, trace mineral salt feeds, and premixes are usually exempt if they meet all safety and compositional standards and labelling requirements.

Mixed feeds requiring mandatory registration

Mixed feeds require registration if the feed are:

labelled with languages other than English and French

labelled with guarantees other than those found in the Tables of Nutrient Guarantees and Conditions for Feed Labels

a free-choice medicated supplement

a free-choice medicated mineral feed

a free-choice medicated trace mineral salt feed

designed to be administrated in water to be consumed by livestock (feed added directly to the animals' drinking water)

formulated with a pest control product approved to be used in feed by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (for the list of pest control product, visit the PMRA Label Search Tool )

labelled with a claim(s) that is/are not listed in tables 1 or 2 of Permissible Claims for Feed Labels or the feed and label conditions set out in these tables are not met

labelled with a claim(s) that is not related to permissible statements or logos set out in section 6.2 Permissible statements and logos of RG-12 Labelling of livestock feeds

a mixed feed with directions for use which are not sufficient to allow the safe use of the mixed feed (for example, premixes to be fed undiluted or free-choice)

a custom medicated feed that does not conform to the requirements in the Feeds Regulations, 2024 which are described in RG-12: Labelling of livestock feeds

Customer formula feeds unless they meet the exemption criteria as described in RG-12: Labelling of livestock feeds

a Specialty feed unless it meets the conditions in Table 3 – Specialty Feed Claims and the feed and label conditions are met as set out in that table

For registered mixed feeds, an application for renewal of the registration must be submitted before the expiry date indicated in My CFIA.

Exemption criteria from registration for mixed feeds

Other mixed feeds (complete feeds, supplements, premixes, mineral feeds, etc.), excluding specialty feeds, can be exempt from registration if they meet all safety, labelling, and composition standards under the regulations and if the label:

is in English and/or French languages only

contains the information and conditions set out in the CMIB for each medicating ingredient or in the CNFP for each non-feed product, if applicable

contains the mandatory guarantees as set out in table 1 of the Tables of Nutrient Guarantees and Conditions for Feed Labels for that particular mixed feed type

meets the conditions set out for any optional guarantee in table 2 of the Tables of Nutrient Guarantees and Conditions for Feed Labels

lists guarantees that do not exceed the maximum nutrient values for feeds when the feed is fed as directed on the label and compared to the complete feed or total diet.

complies with the other labelling requirements as per the RG-12 Labelling of livestock feeds

has a claim that is:

listed in the Tables of Permissible Claims for Feed Labels and meets the feed and label conditions in the Tables

recognized in section 6.2 Permissible statements and logos of RG-12

For mixed feeds that are not registered and are imported, exported or moved interprovincially, the storing, processing, packaging, labelling and distributing will have to be performed by feed license holders.

Specialty feeds

Specialty feeds are mixed feeds added to livestock feed for a technical purpose, rather than for nutritional value. They are commonly used to improve feed handling, stability, or production performance, and are often referred to internationally as 'feed additives'.

As per the Feeds Regulations, 2024 , specialty feed means a mixed feed the purpose of which is to improve or facilitate:

the preservation of any feed with which it is mixed prior to feeding or during storage

the characteristics, qualities, flowability, pelleting or tracing of any feed with which it is mixed

ingredient dispersion or distribution in any feed with which it is mixed

ingestion, acceptability, nutrient utilization or digestion by livestock of any feed with which it is mixed

the quality or availability of nutrients in any feed with which it is mixed

the absorption of nutrients by livestock of any feed that is fed to it

the modification of characteristics of food of animal origin

the mitigation of environmental impacts related to livestock production

Specialty feeds are mixed feeds that may contain:

SIFs listed in the CFIT in class 6 or 7 either Part 1 or Part 2. Class 6 and 7 single ingredient feeds are single ingredient that have non-nutritive purposes that align with specialty feed categories

one or more registered specialty feed(s), typically with carriers

one or more specialty feed(s) exempted from registration, typically with carriers

We do not maintain a list of recognized carriers. A carrier is defined in the glossary of the CFIT as:

a single ingredient feed or water used to facilitate the handling of a feed and its incorporation into ingredient market formulations, premixes, feed or water. The use of a carrier does not alter the feed's intended effect and purpose.

A carrier cannot have any alternate purpose that may compromise the intended purpose or effect of the feed it is added to. Many commonly used carriers are listed in classes two and three of the CFIT.

Specialty feeds must be registered if:

labelled with languages other than English and French

the specialty feed claim is not listed in the table 3 of the Permissible Claims for Feed Labels or the feed and label conditions are not met as set out in that Table (for example, a flavouring agent made from flavouring ingredients on carrier(s))

the specialty feed (mixed feed) contains medicating ingredients and/or non-feed products in the Compendium of Medicating Ingredient Brochures (CMIB) or Compendium of Non-Feed Products (CNFP)

Specialty feeds are exempt from registration if:

labelled in English and/or French languages only

the product's label claim is listed in table 3 of the Permissible Claims for Feed Labels and the feed and label conditions are met as set out in that table

Note: For registered specialty feeds, the registration number will always have 8 as the second digit (for example, X8XXXX).

Novel feeds

Novel feed means a feed that is an organism, a part of an organism or a product of an organism, or that consists of parts or products of an organism, and that

is not listed in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT); or

has a novel trait

Novel trait, in respect of a feed that is an organism, a part of an organism or a product of an organism, or that consists of parts or products of an organism, means a characteristic of the feed that

has been intentionally selected, created or introduced into the feed through a specific genetic change; and

based on valid scientific rationale, is not substantially equivalent, in terms of its specific use and safety for human or animal health or the environment, to any characteristic of a similar feed that is listed in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table

The novelty determination process is delineated by the regulatory definitions of novel feed and novel trait. Note that for feeds with a novel trait, it is the presence of the novel trait that triggers regulatory oversight under the Feeds Regulations, 2024 , and not the method used to introduce the trait; hence the product derived from the organism, rather than the process, is subject to regulatory oversight. The CFIT is a key element in the novelty determination process as it is referenced in these regulatory definitions.

Any ingredient derived from an organism that is not currently described or does not meet the existing ingredient description in the CFIT is considered novel. For an ingredient that may contain a novel trait, the novelty determination process must consider the use and safety of the ingredient in comparison to the similar feed described in the CFIT, as per the regulatory definition for a novel trait. The concept of use encompasses the purpose of the ingredient in the livestock animal or in the feed, the intended species or class of livestock, and the usage rate of the ingredient in the diet formulation.

Research feeds

Feeds for research or experimental use need approval unless all of the following conditions are met:

the feed is not novel or does not contain a novel feed

the feed is made in Canada

the feed is fed to livestock that is supervised by the research institution

the facility has a written plan to safely dispose of any leftover feed, animals and animal by-products

Note: Safe disposal means that the feed, livestock, and all animal products or by-products from the research trial do not enter the food chain or the feed chain. These products cannot enter the environment without consideration of a mitigation process. Note that rendering is not considered a safe disposal option, as rendered products may re-enter the food chain through their use as feed.

Any disposal into the environment must be in accordance with federal, provincial and municipal environmental regulations.

If any of these conditions are not met, approval is required prior to starting the research trial.

The approval of research feeds is researcher-specific and may come with conditions. The approval exempts the feed from regulatory requirements for:

registration

licensing

preventive control plans

labelling and packaging

compositional/safety standards

More information on feeds for research is provided in Chapter 5 – Research with Livestock Feeds .

New information following approval or registration

If new information arises after a feed has been approved or registered indicating a potential risk to human or animal health, or to the environment, it must be reported promptly to us. This can be done through My CFIA by submitting a Data review or requesting an opinion for livestock feed . On the form, select the option "new information following an approval or registration" and upload any relevant documents. There is no fee for this submission. We will reassess the feed's safety based on the new information, regardless of its source, and will communicate the outcome of the review.

List of approved ingredients and registered feeds for livestock in Canada

There are two lists of approved or registered livestock feeds.

List of registered livestock feeds in Canada

This is a list of livestock feeds registered by the CFIA under the authority of the Feeds Act and Feeds Regulations, 2024 . A feed with an active registration can be manufactured, sold or imported in Canada and is specific to a registrant.

List of Registered Livestock Feeds in Canada

Feed registrations

registered feeds are labelled with a unique registration number assigned following a positive pre-market evaluation

a registered feed label includes the name and address of the registrant

registered feeds may only be manufactured and initially sold by the registrant

some registered feeds may be made available for resale or retail sale but must maintain their original labelling

feed registrations will expire, and a renewal application must be sent via My CFIA before the expiry date to keep the registration active

the expiry date is provided on the registration certificate

List of approved ingredients

Ingredients that have been evaluated and approved for manufacture, sale, or import in Canada are listed in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT), a document incorporated by reference (IBR) in the Feeds Regulations, 2024. In the CFIT, Part 2 ingredients require registration and are source specific.

Date modified:

2026-04-15

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