Press Room

February 25, 2010: Latin feed leaders to meet at Cancun congress

CANCUN, MEXICO — About 100 leading representatives of feed industries, government agencies and associations from Latin America and the Caribbean are due to meet in Mexico in April for the region’s first meeting on regulatory issues in animal feeds.

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 20th 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 April 20-23, 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.

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

“These include registration of feed additives, labeling 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 harmonizing of rules in the countries in the region to guarantee competitiveness, quality and food safety.”

The III Global Feed & Food Congress in Cancun (see http://www.globalfeed-food.com) 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 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“We look forward to welcoming the Latin American and Caribbean feed regulators to the congress,” comments IFIF chairman Dr. Dave Cieslak.

"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 organsiations 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.”