Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1061 Procedure 

Marketing 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Stop 0258 April 1, 2019

Service Washington, DC 20250 Page 1 of 7 

Date Issued: 03/07/12 

USDA QUALITY SYSTEM ASSESSMENT (QSA)

ANIMAL PROTEIN FREE VERIFICATION PROGRAM

1. GENERAL

The Animal Protein Free Verification (APFV) services are provided by the United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Livestock and Poultry (L&P) Program, 

Quality Assessment Division (QAD) under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act (AMA) of 

1946, as amended, and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title7 Part 70, in cooperation with the 

Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS).

This document specifies the requirements for the USDA-APFV Program. The USDA-APFV Program is 

a voluntary, user-fee service available to poultry producers and processors to provide third-party 

verification that poultry have never been fed animal protein, animal fats, or animal by-products. The 

interpretation of by-products will include any use of fishmeal or fish by-products. USDA-APFV 

Program Manuals are submitted by clients for approval, and are monitored by the L&P Program, QAD.

All requirements of the USDA-APFV Program are generic and are intended to be applicable to all 

clients, regardless of type, size, and product provided. Any requirement(s) of this Program that cannot 

be applied due to the nature of the client and its product can be considered for exclusion. 

2. SCOPE

These requirements apply to the auditing and approval of feed mills, production facilities, ranches, 

farms, slaughter and/or processing facilities and any other entities in the process requesting poultry 

products be verified as Animal Protein Free (APF) under this Program; specifically, that poultry have 

never been fed animal protein, animal fats, or animal by-products. 

3. REFERENCES

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 

references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 

document (including any amendments) applies. 

3.1 QAD 1000 Procedure: Quality Systems Verification Programs, General Policies and Procedures

3.2 QAD Addendum: USDA APFV Program

3.3 QAD 1002 Procedure: USDA Quality System Assessment Program

3.4 USDA AMS: Animal Protein Free Verification Program website

3.5 USDA FSIS: Export Library Requirements by Country website

3.6 Official Listing of Eligible Suppliers USDA-APFV Program.
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Date Issued: 03/07/12 

4. RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1 Clients shall meet all applicable policies, procedures, and requirements outlined in this document 

and the QAD's QSVP General Policies and Procedures. 

4.2 Clients shall provide access to all processes and areas, records, and personnel for the purposes of 

initial audit approval, surveillance, re-approval, and the resolution of complaints. 

4.3 The Division shall meet all applicable policies, procedures, and requirements outlined in this 

document and the QAD's QSVP General Policies and Procedures, and referenced documents as 

applicable. 

5. LISTING OF APPROVED APFV PROGRAMS

5.1 The QAD provides public information about the current status of a client's program in the 

Official Listing of Eligible Suppliers USDA-APFV Program. 

5.2 The Official Listing is maintained on the USDA-APFV website and contains information 

including: 

1. Client's name or position title;

2. Client's address or corporate address; 

3. Client's contact information including telephone number, fax number, and email address, when 

available;

4. Effective date (date originally approved); 

5. Renewal date (date approval expires); and 

6. Scope, including locations, and services. 

5.3 In addition: 

1. If the client is undergoing an initial audit, the statement "Under Review" is included.

2. If the client is under suspension, the scope of the suspension, the effective date of the suspension 

and the following statement are included: "Under Suspension – Agricultural products certified 

under the program prior to suspension remain certified. No additional products may be certified 

while the suspension is in effect."

3. If the client has requested to cancel service, the following statement is included: 
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1061 Procedure 

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Date Issued: 03/07/12 

"Requested to Cancel Service – Agricultural products certified under the program are eligible 

until [date]." The date referenced is the date that cancellation is effective, normally the date that 

the surveillance or reassessment was to occur.

6. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The client shall submit a documented program that addresses the USDA-APFV Program requirements 

as outlined in the following clauses. 

6.1 Quality System Assessment

Clients who wish to meet the specified APF requirements under the APFV Program shall meet these 

requirements through an approved USDA Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program. To operate an 

approved USDA-QSA Program, a company must submit a documented program that meets the program 

requirements. The USDA-QSA Program provides companies that supply agricultural products and 

services the opportunity to assure customers of their ability to provide consistent quality products or 

services. It is limited to programs or portions of programs where specified product requirements are 

supported by a documented quality management system. 

6.2 Documented APF Program

6.2.1 To be eligible for the APFV Program, the client shall submit an APF manual that documents the 

operating procedures which: 1) identifies the APF product by suitable means, 2) controls the segregation 

through product development (APF feed at feed mill to APF product leaving processor), and 3) assures 

only APF poultry products are delivered. 

Note: APF product refers to the raw materials through to the finished product, which includes APF 

feed; APF Poultry; and APF poultry products, as applicable to the scope of the APFV Program. 

6.2.2 The program shall be signed and dated by a lead representative of the company. Relevant 

portions of the APF manual shall be readily available for reference by persons supporting the system. 

The documented procedure must describe the overall method for: 

1. Identifying the APF product throughout product development, where appropriate; 

2. Identifying the APF product status with respect to monitoring and measurement requirements; 

and, 

3. Controlling and recording the unique identification of the APF product. 
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Date Issued: 03/07/12 

6.2.3 The unique identification of the APF product shall be such that the identification will transfer 

through all phases of product development, from receipt into the program through production to delivery 

(i.e., feed mill to production to processing). The applicant shall maintain records of all APF products as 

identified and records of all changes of identities.

6.2.4 The key requirements of the APFV Program are:

1. APF feed shall be identified and segregated at all times from non-APF feed at the feed mill.

2. APF poultry shall not be fed any animal protein, fats, or by-products at any time during their life 

cycle and be identified and segregated from non-APF poultry at production. 

3. APF poultry products shall be identified and segregated at all times from non-APF poultry 

products at processing.

4. APF feed and APF poultry shall be identified and segregated at all times from non-APF feed and 

APF poultry during transportation. 

5. APF feed, APF poultry, and APF product shall be traceable to origin from any point in the 

process.

6. Procedures for documenting the results of inspections and tests shall be developed.

7. Minimum of one APF mock recall per year to test and improve the system. 

8. Clients follow their documented procedures and recordkeeping activities as prescribed in their 

APF manual.

Note: If an APF material is contained within all the facility’s products, it is not necessary to identify 

and segregate the APF material.

SEGREGATION STRATEGIES

Below are segregation strategies that clients may consider as they develop an APF manual. These 

strategies include specific ways of keeping APF and non-APF material apart and controlling the flow of 

APF material in the facility. This list is not all-inclusive and is supplied for the purposes of guidance. 

• Having the receiving department identify or mark packages known to contain APF materials. 

• Identify and record all APF materials with unusual or different lot numbers. This should be 

done when APF materials are received.

• Track APF lot numbers throughout production. Link APF lot numbers to finished APF 

products. 

• Only allow rework containing APF materials to go into products that contain APF materials.
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1061 Procedure 

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Date Issued: 03/07/12 

• The easiest way to separate APF material in production areas is by setting aside storage areas 

for dedicated or special purpose use. 

• Color-coded stickers will make this segregation clear.

• One way to avoid commingling is to schedule unique production runs for processing specific 

APF products. Another way is to provide physical barriers between APF and non-APF 

materials.

6.3 Recordkeeping

1. Documented procedures are maintained to assure all APFV Program requirements are met 

prior to transfer of ownership. 

2. Records demonstrating conformance with APFV program shall be maintained. 

3. Records may be electronic or hard copy. 

4. Records shall be maintained for 2 years after the close of the fiscal/calendar year in which

they were created.

5. Records shall be stored in a manner so as to prevent loss, damage or alteration. 

6. Records shall be made readily available to auditors.

Note: Poultry is defined as any kind of domesticated bird, including, but not being limited to, chickens, 

turkeys, ducks, geese, pigeons and guineas. 

6.4 Additional Requirements for Feed Mills

6.4.1 Ingredient Sources 

1. A complete list of feed ingredients shall be documented in order to determine conformance 

with the program.

2. Feed mills shall operate according to current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Good 

Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s).

3. Records shall indicate the source of feed ingredients.

4. Records shall indicate feed ingredients are in compliance with the program. 

5. Testing

APF Feed that is produced in the manufacturing process shall be periodically tested to ensure 

feed used in the production of APF poultry is in conformance with this program.
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Date Issued: 03/07/12 

6.5 Additional Requirements for Production Facilities

6.5.1 Controls and Segregation 

1. Procedures shall be developed and documented to assure APF feed and poultry are not 

commingled with non-APF feed or poultry. 

2. Non-APF poultry shall be adequately segregated from APF poultry when both types of 

poultry are produced in the same vicinity. 

3. Procedures shall be documented to ensure feeds with animal protein; fats or by-products do 

not commingle with APF poultry feeds. Such procedures shall meet the guidelines set forth 

in the FDA GMP’s for feed manufacturers.

6.5.2 Verification

1. Procedures for the control of APF poultry during shipment will be documented. 

2. Controls will assure that APF poultry are adequately segregated from non-APF poultry at 

each stage of shipping. 

6.6 Requirements for Processing Facilities

6.6.1 Production Controls 

1. Each step in the process where controls are needed to assure that only APF poultry are 

slaughtered and processed shall be described complete with frequencies of monitoring and 

means of verification that the controls are effective.

2. Procedures shall be developed and documented to assure APF poultry or poultry products are 

not commingled with non-APF poultry. E.g. chiller segregation procedures, line separations, 

sequencing, etc.

3. Procedures shall be documented to account for poultry or poultry products excluded from the 

APFV Program. 

6.6.2 Shipment 

1. Procedures for the control of APF products during shipment will be documented. 

2. Controls will assure that APF poultry or poultry products are positively identified and 

segregated from non-APF poultry or poultry products at all stages of shipping. 

3. Procedures shall be documented for conducting necessary inspections, tests and record 

verifications to assure poultry or poultry products comply with program requirements. 
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Date Issued: 03/07/12 

7. EXPORT CERTIFICATION OF APF POULTRY

The USDA APFV Program was developed to assist the U.S. Poultry Industry in marketing their 

products as APF in the U.S. However, with continued compliance in the APFV Program, eligible 

poultry products may be certified by FSIS inspectors on official certificates when requested by the 

client. A complete listing of approved systems/clients is available on the USDA: Business Listings

website. 

Plant management shall notify the FSIS Inspector-in-Charge of the request for certification of APF 

poultry. The request shall contain the following information: 

1. Product name

2. Lot number

3. Production date

4. Size of lot produced

5. Size of lot to be certified

6. Grower identification

After verification of eligibility, the FSIS Inspector-in-Charge will provide the proper certification for the 

eligible product on the export certificate. The following statement is to be used: 

“Poultry and poultry products covered by this certificate have not been fed with animal protein, animal 

fats, or animal by-products.”

________________________________

Jeff Waite, Branch Chief

Quality Assessment Division

Livestock and Poultry Program

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