MVO Code of Practice on segregation
for fat compounders and storage companies

Segregation of fats and oils for feed and technical fats should be organised based on EU legislation (General Food law 178/2002, Feed hygiene Regulation 183/2005). Proper labelling in English and preferably also the national language should prevent mistakes like unwanted mingling or wrong labelling.

Vegetable oils and animal fats and fatty acids can be used for food, feed and technical applications. Each application has specific safety requirements and technical specifications. Safety requirements are set by EU and national law. Technical specifications are set by the customer or by voluntary industry codes. In practice this will lead to at least three different applications: food, feed and technical. The legal requirements prohibit the use of fats for certain applications when they contain certain substances in amounts above the legal limits.

A company handling different applications should ensure segregation of lots with different applications to avoid contamination. This should at least include the following measures:

1. Storage facilities handling more than one application should have a plan for segregation and organisational processes by:
   1. taking appropriate measures to guarantee segregation between tanks with different applications;
   2. separate loading and unloading facilities for products safe for food or feed use versus products for technical use, i.e. loading and unloading facilities for products that comply with all the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Annex I to Directive 2002/32/EC should be separated from those used for products that do not meet these requirements.
      
      
2. Use of dedicated tanks. In case it is not possible to use dedicated tanks, tanks should be efficiently cleaned so as to remove any trace of product if those tanks were previously used for products not meeting all the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Annex I to Directive 2002/32/EC and disinfected¹⁾ before use for another application.
   
3. Mobile loading facilities are only allowed for dedicated use with signs indicating the application of the products to be handled (for instance fit for technical use, fit for feed, etc.).
   
4. All tanks, pipesystems, loading and production facilities should be clearly indicated in a ground plan.

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1) disinfection is only required in case products from animal origin have been stored (see Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin) 



Rijswijk, 22 August 2011