Emergency authorisation for cobalt salts in livestock feed in Scotland
Legislation for the emergency authorisation of the use of four cobalt salts in livestock feed has been laid in Scotland following an intervention by the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC).
In a positive result for the feed sector, AIC and the British Association of Feed Supplement and Additive Manufacturers (BAFSAM) worked together to provide animal welfare and economic impact data to Food Standards Scotland (FSS) to help it make an informed decision.
AIC's input assisted FSS in understanding the impact of these feed additives being unavailable once the existing authorisation expires, including the risks to animal health due to a lack of adequate cobalt if the cobalt salts in question were no longer available.
Last week (1 June) a Statutory Instrument was laid in the Scottish Parliament which is set to come into force on the 30 June, with the emergency authorisation period commencing on 15 July and expiring in July 2026.
Consultation response
Members in the feed sector are being encouraged to respond to a Food Standards Agency (FSA) consultation on a proposed emergency authorisation for the same four cobalt salts in England and Wales.
James McCulloch, AIC's Head of Feed, said: "This decision will be especially welcome news for sheep farmers in Scotland wanting to supplement spring born lambs with cobalt to help ensure good growth rates over the summer months.
"We hope that a similar decision will soon be taken by the FSA so that these important feed additives remain available to livestock farmers in England and Wales too.
"We are working closely with Members and BAFSAM to respond to the FSA consultation."
Authors
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.
James McCulloch
