On Tuesday, September 1, the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA) issued a further notice to the Canadian horse racing industry in regard to ractopamine.

The notice states that the CFIA’s ‘Type A’ commercial feed facility designation is limited to the drug ractopamine and means that the feed facility does not have ractopamine on its premises. However, it is important to note that this designation does not prevent such a facility from having other drugs on its premises that may be prohibited under the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervisions Regulations.

The release also states that Type A commercial feed facilities are not the only feed facilities that do not use ractopamine. There are other feed mills that do not have this designation that may be drug free and therefore would not have ractopamine on their premises.

The release concludes by stating that it remains the responsibility of owners and trainers to ensure that the horse feed and supplements they use are free from substances that may result in a positive test under the Regulations.

The contents of the release appear below.

Ractopamine in Feedstuffs – Clarification

This is further to the notices to industry issued by the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA) regarding the use of ractopamine in feedstuffs and, more specifically, the August 21, 2015 update respecting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Canadian Ractopamine Free Certification Program and the identification of Type A commercial feed facilities.

The CPMA wishes to clarify that the CFIA’s Type A commercial feed facility designation is limited to the drug ractopamine and means that the feed facility does not have ractopamine on its premises. However, it is important to note that this designation does not prevent such a facility from having other drugs on its premises that may be prohibited under the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervisions Regulations (the Regulations).

In addition, Type A commercial feed facilities are not the only feed facilities that do not use ractopamine. There are other feed mills that do not have this designation that may be drug free and therefore would not have ractopamine on their premises.

The CPMA does not endorse any particular type of facility and does not provide any type of guarantee with respect to any feed supplier, its products or its facilities. It remains the responsibility of owners and trainers to ensure that the horse feed and supplements they use are free from substances that may result in a positive test under the Regulations.

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