Regulatory Assessment of Potato Protein for Animal Feed/Pet Food

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Potato Protein for Animal Feed/Pet Food
Thailand - August 2023

This section provides a regulatory assessment for the use of Potato Protein in Animal Feed/Pet Food in Thailand.

1. Regulatory Status of Potato Protein for use in Animal Feed/Pet Food

1.1 Overview of how animal feed/pet food is regulated in Thailand

Animal feed, including pet food, is regulated by the Division of Animal Feed and Veterinary Products Control (AFVC) under the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC).

Definitions for animal feed are provided in Section 4 of the Animal Feed Control Act, B.E. 2558 (2015) [1] as shown below:

Figure 1a. Definition for Animal Feed Figure 1b. Definition for Specifically Controlled Animal Feed The person or company conducting business related to animal feed, including import or local production for sales in Thailand, must comply with the rules, procedures, and conditions as required for such product.

Currently, only the Specifically Controlled Animal Feed has been identified and controlled specifically with the list prescribed in the MOAC Announcement prescribing Specifically Controlled Animal Feed B.E. 2558 [2].

Figure 2. Excerpt from MOAC Announcement prescribing

Specifically Controlled Animal Feed B.E. 2558

The ingredient or product under the above category of Specifically Controlled Animal Feed must be registered with the DLD prior to selling, import, or local production. For other ingredients or products, evaluation for safety and efficacy is on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to the Specifically Controlled Animal Feed, prohibited materials have been announced in order to control product safety. Refer to the AFVC presentation on Animal Feed Control in Thailand for some examples [3].

1.2 Permitted use of potato protein in animal feed/pet food

Potato protein is not on the list of Specifically Controlled Animal Feed or prohibited materials. As it is also derived from a common food source (potato), it can be used for animal feed/pet food. This assessment has been verified following our verbal discussion with the DLD officer.

A) When potato protein is imported into Thailand as raw material for animal feed/pet food, no registration is required, and only notification is via the DLD website. This can be done by the local importer either before or after the import of the product into Thailand. Manufacturers shall have ready supporting documents such as specifications, test reports, the manufacturing process, etc. in case of queries during the notification process or upon DLD inspection (at port).

B) When the finished product of animal feed/pet food containing potato protein is imported into Thailand, product registration is required and the DLD officer will request the applicant to provide evidence including those substantiating the safety of potato protein. Considering possible contamination with toxins such as cyanide etc., the manufacturer must provide supporting documents such as specifications, test reports, manufacturing process, etc. that will eliminate the risk of toxin contamination and ensure product safety.

2. Applicable Specifications for Potato Protein (Local and/or International Standards)

There are no local specifications for potato protein in Thailand regulations.

The use of any international standards or scientific references relevant to the product used in animal feed/pet food can be applied, and these may be required during the product notification and/or registration process.

3. Legal Name of the Potato Protein on Business-to-business (B2B) and Business-to-consumer (B2C) labels

The name ‘potato protein’ would be the most appropriate to reflect the product’s nature. Note that this may be modified following Authority review during the product registration/notification process.

Conclusion

In Thailand, potato protein is not classified under Specifically Controlled Animal Feed or prohibited materials.
In terms of the raw material itself, it can be imported into Thailand for animal feed material. However, the safety of the product (potato protein) must be confirmed first, and supporting documents may be requested by the Authority. Note that the point of concern is usually related to the risk of toxin contamination that may naturally occur.
There are no local specifications for potato protein. Any internationally recognized specifications and scientific supporting documents relevant to the product use in animal feed/pet food would be appropriate to apply in Thailand.
The name “potato protein” is suitable for both B2B and B2C labels.