In the absence of an agreed national standard for the definition of grass fed, Overseer uses the terms of the draft AsureQuality Grass-Fed Standard to enable the definitions and sets a minimum criteria for feed management practices for the farming of bovine animals for dairy production.
The draft standard also sets criteria for the management of manufacturing processes. Where the criteria have been met this enables certification of a farm, milk pool or product to the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard.
The Grass-Fed standard allows for bovine milk from a farm, or group of farms, to be certified as grass-fed where animals have been fed a defined percentage of grass feed and spent a defined time on pasture. Certification can also be provided for products containing this grass-fed certified milk.
The standard supports robust and traceable claims regarding a grass-fed diet and time on pasture.
The term “grass-fed” has a connotation of animals with daily access to pasture year-round; this standard promotes this whilst recognising that animal welfare is a priority and consideration must be given to environmental factors.
The Standard also allows for feed exceptions in defined circumstances, allowing farmers sufficient flexibility to maintain animal health and welfare within New Zealand farming conditions, whilst not compromising the credibility of grass-fed product certification.
Scope
The Grass-Fed Standard is for adoption by:
1. Farmers intending to make grass-fed claims relating to their own products,
2. Farmers supplying to companies that intend to make product claims relating to manufactured products,
3. Manufacturers receiving grass-fed material who intend to make claims relating to grass-fed manufactured products,
4. Other third-party brand owners intending to make grass-fed claims relating to products manufactured on their behalf.
The scope covers:
• Milk pool
• Dairy products
Certified claims, and/or use of the Certified Grass-Fed Mark, underpinned by certification to The Grass-Fed Standard, are permitted under individual licence agreements with the Conformity Assessment Body (i.e. AsureQuality who can be contacted here).
Requirements
The definitions adopted within Overseer are intended to enable appropriate livestock density and pasture management to ensure that the energy needs of the animals are met by grazing:
- The grass-fed diet shall comprise of feed, as defined in the standard, consumed at no less than an annual minimum of 95% based on the weight of wet matter (fresh feed), at a milk pool level.
- Animals shall have access to pasture for no less than an annual minimum of 95% of their non-milking time, at a milk pool level.
Individual farms need to submit feed data to the Milk Companies annually, so, that the average grass-fed percentage can be calculated across the milk pool.
There are also a number of supplier, transport, and dairy manufacturing requirements. For a full list of requirements, please contact AsureQuality.