Latin Feed Leaders to Meet at Cancun Congress

LATIN AMERICA - About 100 leading representatives of feed industries, government agencies and associations from Latin America and the Caribbean are due to meet in Cancun, Mexico, in April for the region's first meeting on regulatory issues in animal feeds.

8 March 2010

3 minute read

Under its formal title of the 1st Latin American/Caribbean Feed Regulators' Meeting (1a. Reuníon Latino Americana y Caribenã sobre Asuntos Reglatorios de la Industria de Alimentacion Animal), it is set for 20 April at Cancun in Mexico, to coincide with the opening of III Global Feed and Food Congress that runs at the same location on dates of 20 to 23 April 2010.

Participants at the regulators' meeting are being invited by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and by Feed Latina, the new regional federation that represents about 120 million tonnes of animal feed production in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Ing. Agr. Flavia Ferreira de Castro of Feed Latina, said: "There are a number of important regulatory themes to be discussed involving the whole Latin American and Caribbean region as an economic bloc.

"These include registration of feed additives, labelling and inspection, also residues and contaminants, biotechnology and Good Manufacturing Practices – both for commercial feed manufacturers and for on-farm mixers. We want to encourage Latin American and Caribbean representatives, working with Feed Latina and FAO, for the unification and harmonising of rules in the countries in the region to guarantee competitiveness, quality and food safety."

The III Global Feed & Food Congress in Cancun will be the world feed industry's most significant event in 2010. Hosted by the Mexican Feed Manufacturers Association, CONAFAB, it is being organized by the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) with technical participation from the United Nations' FAO.

IFIF chairman Dr. Dave Cieslak, said: "We look forward to welcoming the Latin American and Caribbean feed regulators to the congress.

"IFIF is committed to continuing and expanding the dialogue between regulators and our industry and this pre-Congress meeting will bring key representatives from governments and feed organisations throughout Latin America together in Cancun. The Congress itself will host a 'Regulation Breakout Session' to take full advantage of the FAO/Feed Latina meeting's outcomes."