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ASC Feed Standard V1.2 Update
Discover the changes to the ASC Feed Standard
Responsible seafood farming needs responsible feed. Global demand for farmed seafood continues to grow and it is vital that the entire supply chain – including the feed that farmed species are fed – transforms to support this growth responsibly.
What has changed?
ASC has revised its Feed Standard to V1.2, taking into account feedback collected in targeted engagements.
ASC Feed Standard V1.1 (released 1 May 2025) will no longer come into effect on 1 November 2025 but will be superseded by an Urgent Revision to ASC Feed Standard V1.2 due for release 19 December 2025, effective and mandatory on 2 February 2026.
An Urgent Revision is a process which involves additional substantive changes to select indicators.
The substantive changes as announced for V1.1 will still be implemented to:
- Align feed to farm greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting data with the new ASC Farm Standard requirements, and;
- Align with EU deforestation legislation requirements.
The additional substantive changes for V1.2 cover required due diligence outcomes for primary raw materials under Principle 2 and mass balance eligibility volume calculation. These are:
- Exception to indicator 2.2.9 to permit sourcing of Pathway 1 (country scorecard) identified medium risk ingredients for use in non-ASC aquafeeds and as non-eligible ingredients in ASC Mass Balance production model feeds
- This would be for a limited time (three years) after which only low risk would be acceptable again
- Modification to mass balance eligible volume calculation to require a minimum volume sourcing requirement for Category 1 plant materials
Technical requirements for feed mills previously held in the Feed Certification Requirements for the Unit of Certification (RUoC) have been incorporated into ASC Feed Standard V1.2 so that feed mills can see all their requirements in one document.
Assurance requirements currently contained in the Feed RUoC have been included in the new ASC Farm and Feed Certification and Accreditation Requirements (CAR) v1.0, and the Feed RUoC will no longer be used.
A full list of changes can be found in the document version history table in the ASC Feed Standard V1.2.
ASC Feed Standard V1.2 and ASC Feed Interpretation Manual V1.2 are due for release December 2025.
ASC Feed Standard V1.2 comes into effect from 2 February 2026. Any feed mill audits announced on or after this date must be against the new version (V1.2) and will be audited in conjunction with the new ASC Farm and Feed CAR v1.0.
In the interim period, ASC feed audits shall continue to be conducted against the ASC Feed Standard V1.0.1 and with the Feed CAR and RUoC V1.0.1.
Feed mills choose ASC certification for change
This update is part of our ongoing commitment to transforming seafood farming, by championing and making change.
ASC Feed Mill certification is more than an individual achievement—it’s a collaborative effort to elevate the entire aquafeed industry. Feed mills that choose this certification are joining a global movement toward more sustainable, ethical aquafeed production.
Key dates
19 December 2025: ASC Feed Standard V1.2 documents released
- Implementation phase commences
- Any feed mills getting certified will be audited against the ASC Feed Standard v1.01
2 February 2026: ASC Feed Standard V1.2 effective and mandatory
- Any feed mill audits announced on or after this date must be against the new version (ASC Feed Standard V1.2) and will be audited in conjunction with the new ASC Farm and Feed CAR v1.0
2 February 2027
- ASC Feed Standard V1.2 the only version in circulation
Online access to all relevant ASC Feed Certification Programme documentation.
Documents
Find documents for the ASC Feed Standard v1.2 and ASC Feed Standard v1.1 on the Get ASC certified: Feed Mills page.