Alkaloids in Feed: What Manufacturers and Livestock Farmers Must Do in 2026

Key data

Feed manufacturers, livestock farmers and importers of forage raw materials face a new regulatory front in the EU: the control of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), hepatotoxic compounds present in adventitious plants that contaminate forages and plant-based raw materials. The Recommendation (EU) 2026/1210, published on 10 June 2026, urges Member States to intensify surveillance of these contaminants in feed.

The key for operators is that, although this standard is not binding, it establishes the surveillance framework that anticipates future mandatory maximum limits. Acting now is cheaper than adapting under regulatory pressure.

What does this regulation establish?

Recommendation 2026/1210 establishes a surveillance framework for pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in feed directed at Member States, which must communicate it to sector operators. The key points are:

• PAs are hepatotoxic compounds (harmful to the liver) present in certain adventitious plants that contaminate forage raw materials during cultivation or harvesting.
• PA contamination in feed can result in accumulation of these compounds in animal products: milk, eggs and honey, with direct risk to human health.
• Feed sector operators must incorporate PA control into their self-control systems and hazard analysis (HACCP).
• The standard does not set maximum limits today, but its stated objective is to collect data that will support future binding regulations with legal maximum limits.
• Importers of plant-based forage raw materials are directly called upon to monitor these contaminants in their suppliers.

Economic and operational impact

The immediate impact is not a fine or a fee: it is an operational adaptation cost that operators must assume before binding regulation arrives. The cost vectors are:

• Laboratory analysis: Incorporating PA detection into the raw material analysis panel involves an additional cost per batch analyzed, which varies depending on the number of references and suppliers.
• Supplier review: Importers and manufacturers will need to audit or request analytical guarantees from their plant-based raw material suppliers, which may involve supplier changes or contract renegotiation.
• HACCP update: Hazard analysis and critical control point systems must incorporate PAs as a new chemical hazard, with associated consulting and documentation costs.
• Market risk: The accumulation of PAs in milk, eggs and honey can generate alerts in the human food chain, with reputational and commercial consequences for livestock farmers and producers.
• Future regulatory risk: Those who do not have their own surveillance data when mandatory maximum limits are set will start at a disadvantage compared to competitors who have already generated analytical history.

Who does it affect?

• Feed manufacturers: Must review their HACCP protocols and incorporate PA control into their raw material analysis.
• Livestock farmers: Especially producers of milk, eggs and honey, whose products are identified as having the highest risk of PA accumulation.
• Importers of forage raw materials: Must monitor PAs in the plant products they import and demand guarantees from their suppliers.
• Control authorities: Member States must intensify official surveillance of PAs in feed, which may result in more inspections and sampling.
• Food quality advisors and consultants: Must update their clients' HACCP systems in the sector to include this new hazard.

Practical example

A feed manufacturer for dairy cows uses grass meal and other dehydrated forages as raw materials. Until now, its raw material intake analysis panel did not include pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

With Recommendation 2026/1210 in force, this company must:

1. Incorporate PA analysis into its plant-based raw material receipt protocol.
2. Update its HACCP plan to identify PAs as a relevant chemical hazard at the forage receipt point.
3. Request from its raw material suppliers analytical certificates that certify the absence or low levels of PAs.
4. Document surveillance results to have a history available when the European Commission sets mandatory maximum limits.

If the company supplies feed to dairy cow farmers and PAs accumulate in the milk produced, the risk is not just regulatory: it is a food safety alert that can affect the entire chain, from the farmer to the end consumer.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the HACCP plan and incorporate pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) as a new chemical hazard in the analysis of forage raw materials.
2. Expand the laboratory analysis panel to include PA detection in plant-based raw materials used in feed manufacturing.
3. Audit forage raw material suppliers and demand analytical documentation that certifies PA levels in their products.
4. Generate your own historical surveillance data on PAs, as this data will be decisive when the Commission establishes mandatory maximum limits.
5. Assess risk by production chain: if feed is supplied to milk, egg or honey producers, exposure to regulatory and reputational risk is greater and the priority for action should be higher.
6. Consult with a food safety specialist to ensure that the HACCP update complies with the surveillance framework established by Recommendation 2026/1210.

Official source

Consult full regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202601210