Onda’s FeedTech division earns FeedAssure certification.
Photo: Onda
Canadian aquaculture research company Onda has secured FeedAssure certification for its FeedTech division, the company has announced.
FeedAssure is a Canadian feed safety management and certification programme administered by the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC). It is based on HACCP principles, a preventive approach to identifying and controlling feed-safety risks throughout production, and covers ingredient sourcing, manufacturing controls, traceability, sanitation and documentation.
The certification applies to Onda’s FeedTech operations in Prince Edward Island, following a year-long process involving its operations, quality assurance, technical and management teams.
According to Onda, achieving the standard strengthens its ability to manufacture custom research and commercial diets for feed companies and ingredient suppliers, while supporting the testing of new ingredients as they move towards commercial use.
“Innovation in animal nutrition is essential to strengthening the global food supply chain,” said Onda CEO Myrna Gillis, in a press release. “FeedAssure® certification expands our ability to support feed companies and ingredient suppliers as a small-batch-to-scale contract manufacturer. We can manufacture custom research and commercial diets, evaluate innovative ingredients under real-world conditions, and help clients move promising products toward commercial markets around the world.”
Onda operates as a contract research organisation for the aquaculture industry, carrying out aquatic animal studies for feed manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and producers. Its FeedTech division makes both commercial feeds and custom experimental diets.
Onda quality director Catherine Albert said the company had already established several of the processes needed through its Good Laboratory Practice and Good Manufacturing Practice programmes.
“The foundational requirements were already in place from our GLP and GMP programs. These shared processes coupled with the specific manufacturing, Feed Fraud, Feed Defense and HACCP programs made FeedAssure® a perfect fit for Onda,” Albert said.
Onda, formerly known as the Center for Aquaculture Technologies Canada (CATC) until its rebranding in 2024, has research facilities in Souris and Victoria, Prince Edward Island, and also holds GLP, ACQ3 and ACQ2 certifications.
Its recent work includes several projects with commercial partners focused on alternative feed ingredients for salmon feeds, including insect protein with French producer Innovafeed, mycelium with Belgium-based biotech firm Citribel, and canola-based feed with the Canola Council of Canada.