Livestock feed registration in Canada is overseen by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which administers the Feeds Act and the Feeds Regulations, 2024. If your team is preparing to launch a new feed, the first planning question is which pathway applies to your product. Some feeds need registration, some ingredients need approval first, and many products need neither.
The modernized regulations changed how the CFIA lists ingredients and sets labelling standards. As a result, guidance written for the older framework may no longer apply, as our post on CFIA feed regulatory modernization explains. Below, we cover the difference between approval and registration, what a complete submission includes, and where medicated feeds and veterinary health products fit.
Which Livestock Feeds Need Approval or Registration in Canada?
The CFIA uses two separate tools. Approval applies mainly to new ingredients and novel products, while registration applies to finished feeds that do not qualify for an exemption.
Under the Feeds Regulations, 2024, the reference list of permitted ingredients is the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT). An ingredient that is not listed in the CFIT needs CFIA approval before you can use it. Approval also applies to feeds with a novel trait and to single ingredient feeds (SIFs) that differ from their CFIT description, for example in composition, intended species, or manufacturing process.
Registration covers a broader group of finished feeds. CFIA guidance states that livestock feeds require registration unless an exemption applies. In practice, many mixed feeds are exempt when they use listed ingredients and meet the published claim and guarantee tables. Registration is typically triggered by claims outside the permitted list, unlisted guarantees, medicating ingredients in specialty feeds, or certain imported feeds. For this reason, confirming your product’s category shapes every decision that follows.
What Does a CFIA Feed Submission Include?
A submission shows the CFIA that your feed is safe for the target animals, safe for people who consume products from those animals, and suitable for its stated purpose. The content depends on whether you are seeking ingredient approval or product registration.
Preparing The Data Package
For a new ingredient, plan to provide composition data, manufacturing information, intended use and inclusion levels, and safety data. For a product registration, the package typically includes the formulation, ingredient specifications, guarantees, data supporting any claims, and a proposed label. Gaps in the data commonly lead to information requests, which extend the review.
Aligning The Label with Your Data
The CFIA reviews your label as part of the submission. Claims and guarantees need to match the Tables of Permissible Claims and the Tables of Nutrient Guarantees, along with the CFIA’s labelling guidance. Mixing directions, caution statements, and bilingual text also matter. For the full list of triggers and steps, review the CFIA livestock feed approval and registration overview.
How Do Medicated Feeds and Veterinary Health Products Fit In?
Medicated feeds and veterinary health products (VHPs) involve Health Canada as well as the CFIA, so classify them early. A medicating ingredient is a veterinary drug approved by Health Canada for use in feed. The CFIA then sets the conditions for including it, and specialty feeds that contain medicating ingredients generally require registration.
VHPs are a separate category. Health Canada describes them as low-risk drugs in dosage form that maintain or promote animal health, rather than treat or prevent disease. Health Canada oversees VHPs through a notification program, not through CFIA registration. However, the modernized feed rules allow certain non-feed products, including VHPs, in mixed feeds. Adding one can change how the CFIA treats the finished feed. [VERIFY: conditions under which a VHP may be added to a mixed feed and whether registration is always required]
If your product sits close to this line, our post on whether CFIA or Health Canada governs your product walks through the classification questions in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Every Livestock Feed Need to Be Registered with the CFIA?
No. Many mixed feeds are exempt when they use CFIT-listed ingredients, carry only permitted claims and guarantees, and meet labelling rules. However, an exemption from registration is not an exemption from compliance. Exempt feeds still need to meet the Feeds Act and the Feeds Regulations, 2024. A short classification review before launch tells you which group your product belongs to.
How Long Does CFIA Feed Registration Take?
The CFIA publishes service standards for feed registration and ingredient approval, and the target varies by submission type. Actual timing also depends on how complete your package is. For example, an information request pauses progress until you respond. Building your launch plan around the published standard, plus a buffer for questions, gives your team a realistic timeline.
Who is Responsible When a Feed is Made Outside Canada?
The importer carries compliance responsibility for feeds made outside Canada. Under the Feeds Regulations, 2024, importers of certain feeds need a CFIA licence, and imported feeds brought in by a non-licence holder require registration. As a result, foreign manufacturers benefit from confirming their importer's licence status early. A Canadian regulatory contact can help coordinate labels and documentation before the first shipment.
Key Takeaways
- Livestock feed registration in Canada follows the Feeds Act and the Feeds Regulations, 2024, administered by the CFIA.
- Ingredients not listed in the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table need CFIA approval before you use them in feed.
- Many mixed feeds are exempt from registration, but claims, guarantees, medicating ingredients, and imports can trigger it.
- Classify medicated feeds and products containing VHPs early, since Health Canada and the CFIA both play a role.
Planning Your Livestock Feed Submission
Livestock feed registration in Canada goes more smoothly when you settle classification, ingredient status, and label claims before you build the submission. Quality Smart Solutions (QSS) works with feed manufacturers and importers on CFIT reviews, ingredient approval packages, registration submissions, and label assessments.
Learn how our livestock feed regulatory services support each step, or contact our regulatory team to discuss your product and its pathway.
