What does ASC Feed cover?
The ASC Feed Standard covers mills that make feed for aquaculture. It addresses how the mill is run, the responsible sourcing of marine and plant ingredients, traceability from supplier to delivered batch, environmental performance and the treatment of workers. ASC-certified farms are expected to use feed from compliant mills, so the mill's evidence supports its customers' certificates too. Confirm the current version and its transition dates before an assessment.
Who it is for
Feed mills producing feed for ASC-certified farms, and the farms and buyers that rely on compliant feed.
Key areas to understand
Start with these areas. Identify which requirements apply to your activities and who is responsible for them.
- 1Confirm which products, sites and ingredients are in scope.
- 2Trace ingredients to their origin and keep certified and other material apart.
- 3Link sourcing risk, environmental data and worker conditions to management decisions.
Evidence to prepare
This list is a starting point. Check the standard for all required documents. For each item, record who is responsible, the activity or site it relates to, and a recent example showing how it works.
- Ingredient supplier list with origin and risk assessment
- Traceability records from receipt to dispatched batch
- Marine ingredient sourcing and fishery status records
- Energy, water, emissions and waste monitoring
- Health and safety, competence and worker grievance records
Keep records that explain what was checked, which requirement was used and who checked it. Include any action taken when a requirement was not met. Link each record to the work it supports.
An internal audit example
Suggested checks from 4Auditee
Pick one delivered feed batch. Trace its marine and plant ingredients back to the suppliers and their origin, check the sourcing assessment for each, and confirm that the quantities in and out reconcile. Then check how the batch was identified to the farm and what the mill's claim on the delivery note says.
Choose a sample that suits your activities and risks. If you find a gap, record the requirement, the evidence and what was missing. Check more examples if the first results suggest a wider problem.
A common problem to check
A supplier list without origin and risk information does not show responsible sourcing. The evidence should reach from each ingredient's origin to the batch that left the mill.
Prepare for assessment
The assessment type for this guide is aquaculture feed certification. Confirm the requirements, what will be assessed and how the assessment will work with the responsible body or customer. These steps help you prepare. You must also follow the scheme’s official rules.
- Define what is covered. List the products, services, activities and sites. Record the standard edition, additional scheme rules and customer requirements.
- Find what is missing. Compare the requirements with current work. Prioritise gaps by risk. Assign someone responsible and a completion date.
- Keep records of everyday work. Check a sample of actual records and speak with the people involved. Make sure they understand their responsibilities.
- Check the results. Complete internal reviews and audits. Check that corrective actions worked before closing problems.
From one site to many
Make it easy to find who is responsible at each site. Keep company policies separate from records of local work. Link each site’s records to its activities, risks and requirements so you can spot gaps at individual sites.
Sites that share a management system do not automatically qualify for one certificate or assessment. Confirm which sites can be included and how they will be checked with the assessment body.
Latest articles on ASC Feed
See the article on ASC Feed
About this guide and its sources
4Auditee wrote this guide using the public source below. The evidence list, audit example and preparation steps are our suggestions. Read the official standard and scheme rules for the full requirements. This guide does not include the standard’s full text or provide certification.
ASC: ASC Feed reference information