Inactivated yeast

Definitions

Feed material: these are products of plant or animal origin whose main purpose is to meet the nutritional needs of animals. They may be used in their natural state, fresh or preserved, as well as products derived from their industrial processing. Organic or inorganic substances, with or without additives, are also considered feed materials, provided they are intended for oral feeding. They may be used directly, after processing, in the manufacture of compound feed, or as carriers in premixtures (in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 767/2009).

Feed to be processed (secondary flow to be processed): this refers to feed subject to usage restrictions that must therefore still undergo processing before it can be used as feed material. The required processing is carried out according to one of the methods listed in Annex, Part B, of Regulation (EU) No 68/2013.

Problem

In the consolidated version of Regulation (EU) No 68/2013, also known as the Catalogue of feed materials, yeast is described as follows:

According to Regulation (EU) No 68/2013, yeast may only be placed on the market as feed material if it is inactivated. Other names or descriptions, such as those mentioned in the Feed Material Register, will not be accepted during inspections by the food agency for placing brewer's yeast on the market as feed material if it is not inactivated.

In practice, this yeast is generally not yet inactivated, which means that the current way in which this product is placed on the market by breweries can no longer continue.

Solutions in practice

Inactivating

The legislation does not contain a specific definition of active or inactivated yeast. It is therefore up to the breweries themselves to quantify inactivity. This inactivity depends heavily on the properties of the yeast strains, such as pH tolerance or sensitivity to acidification. One possible method of achieving inactivation is an autolysis phase, during which cell activity decreases significantly. Heating can also create inactivity.

If the brewery can demonstrate that the yeast is inactivated at the time it is placed on the market, it can still be marketed as feed material.

Placing on the market as feed to be processed (secondary flow to be processed)

If a brewery is not able to inactivate the yeast itself, it can still be placed on the market as feed to be processed. In this case, a processing sheet should be drawn up instead of a product sheet. In addition, the product can then no longer be labelled as feed material, but for example as "brewer's yeast to be inactivated before use as animal feed".

FCA-certified companies will also need to have an additional scope audited for this way of working: the VWP scope, which concerns the production and placing on the market of secondary flows to be processed within the company.