Feed assurance guide · Sources checked October 2026
UFAS audit checklist and requirements
A UFAS audit checklist lists what a compound feed manufacturer or feed merchant should have ready before its annual audit against the UFAS Standard 2024, the Agricultural Industries Confederation’s (AIC) assurance scheme for animal feed, in force from 1 April 2025: a HACCP study reviewed at least every 12 months, approved feeds and suppliers, records kept for at least three years, and a recall test and traceability exercise at least every 12 months. UFAS certificates last three years.
Last updated .
UFAS requirements: how the scheme works
Who runs UFAS, who certifies it and how audits run
From AIC’s UFAS page and the UFAS 2024 Scheme Rules (Version 1.1). Clause numbers are given so you can check the wording yourself.
On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Point | What AIC’s UFAS documents say (paraphrased) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A voluntary scheme developed, owned and run by AIC to certify animal feeds, based on HACCP principles. It is a product certification scheme accredited to ISO/IEC 17065 | UFAS 2024 Scheme Rules, rules 1.1 to 1.3, checked October 2026 |
| Who certifies | AIC’s UFAS page says Kiwa Agri Food certifies UFAS on AIC’s behalf. The rules let a participant choose an approved Inspection Body for the on-site audit instead | AIC: UFAS and Scheme Rules, rule 1.5, checked October 2026 |
| Who it is for | Merchants of assured feed ingredients, compound feeds and combinable crops for feed; manufacturers of compound feeds, blends and premixtures; and businesses storing, packing, transporting or delivering feed and combinable crops, including for third parties | UFAS 2024 Scheme Rules, rule 1.4, checked October 2026 |
| How widely it is used | AIC says UFAS started in 1998, has almost 1,000 feed mill and merchant sites in the UK and Ireland, and covers well over 95% of commercially produced compound feed there | AIC: UFAS, checked October 2026 |
| Current standard | UFAS Standard 2024, in force from 1 April 2025. AIC’s scheme page also refers to a joint development of the UFAS, TASCC and FEMAS standards, with implementation in 2027 | AIC: UFAS, checked October 2026 |
| Audit frequency | A routine audit every year; at least one short-notice audit in each three-year certificate period, with notice the working day before; random unannounced audits; and extra audits at the certification body’s discretion. Certificates are valid for three years | UFAS 2024 Scheme Rules, rules 7.1 and 8.1, checked October 2026 |
| Which sections apply | The standard marks each section with the activities it applies to, such as compound feed manufacture, bulk or packaged merchanting, storage or haulage, and an Activity Code Matrix sets them out | UFAS 2024, Activity Code Matrix, checked October 2026 |
| Non-conformances | Graded critical, major or minor. After a routine audit, corrective action is due within 15 days for a major and 30 calendar days for a minor, typically completed within 60 days. A critical suspends certification at once | UFAS 2024 Scheme Rules, rules 8.5 and 8.6, checked October 2026 |
Sources checked October 2026. Scheme standards and legislation change: open the linked source before relying on any row. This page is general information, not legal advice, and it cannot tell you whether you will pass an audit: your certification body decides conformity, and your local authority enforces feed law.
UFAS audit preparation
UFAS audit checklist: a preparation list by section
A preparation aid, not the official checklist. This is our reading of the UFAS 2024 section headings, to help you prepare. AIC publishes internal audit checklists for each UFAS activity in its UFAS resource library: use those for the official wording. Only your certification body decides whether you conform.
Source: UFAS Scheme Rules and Standard 2024, checked October 2026. For the legal record-keeping baseline, read feed hygiene record keeping requirements.
- Scheme and law: current scheme documents, and registration or approval with your local authority (A1).
- Management: a policy statement and a management review, each at least every 12 months, and an organisation chart (A2, A3).
- HACCP: a HACCP study, including any prerequisite programmes, reviewed at least every 12 months or sooner after a change or incident (B1, B1.17).
- Documents: dated, current versions only, changed by designated people, with data and IT systems protected (B2).
- Internal audit: every relevant activity audited at least once every 12 months, by a competent person (B3, B3.2).
- Feeds and suppliers: an approval system for feeds and for feed suppliers, and a current list of approved feeds (C1 to C4).
- Subcontracted services: processors, hauliers and third-party stores selected and approved (Section D).
- Formulations and labels: specifications, formulations and labelling checked (Section E).
- Premises, people and transport: premises, training, non-conforming feed, pest control, plant calibration and own vehicles (Section F, F8, F9).
- Operations: intake, storage, cross-contamination controls, rework and despatch (Section G).
- Sampling and analysis: sampling schedule, retained samples and evaluated results (Section H).
- Complaints and recall: complaints and incidents handled, and a recall or withdrawal test at least every 12 months (Section I, I3.7).
- Records and traceability: records kept for at least three years, and a traceability exercise at least every 12 months (J2.5, J2.8).
- Controlled products: if you make feed with veterinary medicines or specified feed additives, the records for those feeds are kept for at least five years (K14.2).
UFAS audit preparation: worked example (fictional)
Preparing a feed merchant for its annual audit
A fictional business, for illustration only. It is not advice on what your certification needs, and following it does not mean you will pass.
1
Map activities to sections
Example Farm Supplies Ltd, a fictional bulk and packaged feed merchant, uses the Activity Code Matrix to list which UFAS sections apply to it.
2
Check supplier approvals
The buyer confirms each feed supplier’s assurance status is current and that every merchanted feed is on the approved list.
3
Sample the records
The team pulls a month of intake records, two haulier approvals and the pest control file, and checks each is complete, signed and retrievable.
4
Run the recall test
The team picks one batch, traces it to every customer, and records how long it took and what it found.
5
Act on gaps
Each gap gets an owner and a date, and the next management review covers the results.
Related guides
Where to read next
UFAS sits alongside FEMAS and TASCC.
See UFAS vs FEMAS vs TASCC, the FEMAS audit checklist for feed ingredient suppliers, the TASCC audit checklist for grain trade, storage and haulage, and feed hygiene record keeping requirements.
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FAQ
Common questions
How often are UFAS audits?
The UFAS 2024 Scheme Rules set a routine audit every year, at least one short-notice audit in each three-year certificate period, random unannounced audits, and extra audits at the certification body’s discretion.
When did UFAS 2024 come into force?
AIC’s UFAS page gives 1 April 2025 as the effective date of the UFAS Standard 2024.
Is this the official UFAS checklist?
No. It is a preparation aid based on the section headings of the standard. AIC publishes internal audit checklists for each UFAS activity, and only the certification body decides whether you conform.
How long must UFAS records be kept?
Clause J2.5 says relevant records are kept for at least three years, and clause K14.2 says records for feeds containing controlled products are kept for at least five years.
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