BETA NOPS Code ready to go it alone

The highly successful NOPS scheme, set up in 2009 to help reduce the risk of naturally occurring prohibited substances in equine feed, is set to become a stand-alone code from
1 February, run solely by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), and will no longer exist as an appendix to the UFAS and FEMAS codes.

This move will see the BETA NOPS Code continue to grow and develop its international presence. As part of what has been a substantial review, the code’s list of naturally occurring substances has been amended, with the removal of hordenine and the introduction of a list of herbal NOPS.

Companies wishing to be audited to the BETA NOPS Code will now have a wider range of pre-qualifying Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) -based schemes to choose from. Although the code comes into force in February, auditing to the new conditions will not take place until 1 June, whereby scheme members will feature the new BETA NOPS Code logo – rather than the previous version – on packaging.

BETA executive director Claire Williams said: “Since the BETA NOPS Code was introduced, a number of potentially serious incidents of contamination by naturally occurring prohibited substances have been averted or contained and the supply chain for feed ingredients has become more transparent. The decision to make BETA’s NOPS scheme a code in its own right can only strengthen what is already an extremely effective system.”