Feed additives

Feed additives are products used in animal nutrition The science of how diet relates to the body's need for sustenance. to achieve an effect on the feed itself, on the animals, on food products obtained from the animals consuming the feed additive Product intentionally added to animal feed to improve: i) the quality of the feeds ii) the quality of the food products obtained from animals; iii) animal performance and health., or on the environment. For instance, feed additives are used to enhance flavour of feed, to meet the need for certain nutrients or to increase the performance of animals in good health. They are used in feed for food-producing animals and in pet food.

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Feed additives include:

  • Technological additives – e.g. preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, acidity. regulators, silage additives.
  • Sensory additives – e.g. flavours, colourants.
  • Nutritional additives – e.g. vitamins, amino acids, trace elements.
  • Zootechnical additives – e.g. digestibility enhancers.
  • Coccidiostats and histomonostats.

Feed additives may not be put on the market unless they have been authorised following a scientific evaluation carried out by EFSA demonstrating that the additive has no harmful effects on human and animal health and on the environment.

They are authorised for 10 years. Subsequently, applicants must submit a new request showing that the additive remains safe under the conditions of the authorisation.

Milestones

  1. 2021

    January

    EFSA publishes new guidance on the information applicants need to include in their dossiers for the renewal of the authorisation of feed additives.

  2. 2019

    April

    EFSA publishes Guidance on the assessment of the safety of feed additives for the environment. It specifies what kind of information and data applicants need to include in their dossiers to allow EFSA to assess the safety of the feed additive for the environment.

    EFSA releases an upgrade of the Feed Additives Consumer Exposure calculator (FACE). This is a user-friendly tool for estimating chronic and acute  dietary exposure For the purposes of risk assessment, measurement of the amount of a substance consumed by a person or animal in their diet that is intentionally added or unintentionally present (e.g. a nutrient, additive or pesticide). to residues of feed additives and their metabolites present in food of animal origin.

  3. 2018

    EFSA releases the Feed Additives maximum safe Concentration in feed for Target Species (FACTS) calculator. This is a tool for estimating the maximum safe concentration of feed additives in feed for the different animal categories and  species A subdivision of the genus, a species is a group of closely related and similar-looking organisms; for example, in the case of Homo sapiens (humans), the second part of the name (sapiens) represents the species..

  4. May

    EFSA publishes Guidance on the assessment of the efficacy of feed additives which establishes data requirements and provides information on the design and reporting of studies required the demonstration of  efficacy How well something works in relation to predefined standards or expectations..

  5. March

    EFSA publishes Guidance on the characterisation of microorganisms used as feed additives or as production organisms which sets the data requirements for the identification and characterisation of the microbial feed additives.

  6. 2017

    October

    EFSA publishes Guidance on the identity, characterisation and conditions of use of feed additives.

    EFSA publishes Guidance on the assessment of the safety of feed additives for the target species.

    EFSA publishes Guidance on the assessment of the safety of feed additives for the consumer, which includes the new consumer  exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time. model and tool (FACE).

  7. 2016

    August

    EFSA publishes the Revision of the currently authorised maximum copper content in complete feed. Experts propose a reduction in the maximum copper content in feed for piglets, cattle and dairy cows. The proposed levels would reduce the amount of copper released into the environment, which could potentially play a role in reducing  antimicrobial resistance The ability of microbes to grow in the presence of substances specifically designed to kill them; for example, some human infections are now resistant to antibiotics, raising concerns about their widespread use..

  8. 2014

    May

    EFSA publishes a scientific opinion on the potential reduction of the currently authorised maximum zinc content in complete feed. Experts propose a reduction of the maximum permitted content of zinc in feed for all animal species. They estimate that proposed levels would reduce the amount of zinc in manure released into the environment by about 20%.

EFSA's role

EFSA gives scientific advice to support the authorisation process of feed additives. It carries out an evaluation of each new additive submitted for authorisation, of each new use of an authorised feed additive or on the modification or renewal of an authorised additive.

Companies wishing to market an additive in the EU must submit an application and a technical dossier with information on the additive, its conditions of use, control methods and data demonstrating its safety and efficacy.

EFSA’s FEEDAP Panel reviews this information and examines the efficacy and safety of the additive in terms of animal and human health as well as the environment. In parallel, the European Union Reference Laboratory for Feed Additives evaluates the analytical methods used to determine the presence of the additive in feed and its possible residues in food.

If EFSA’s opinion is favourable, the European Commission prepares a draft regulation to authorise the additive. This is then discussed and endorsed by Member States represented in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed – Section Animal Nutrition.

EFSA’s activities are not limited to the assessment of feed additives but encompass the collaboration between panels and with other sister agencies. For example, in 2017 EFSA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the measures taken in the EU to reduce antimicrobial use in animals. EFSA experts from different scientific areas – animal feed, animal health and welfare and biological hazards – worked together to produce scientific advice. Another example of collaboration between EFSA panels and units is the ongoing assessment of the maximum levels of cross-contamination for 24 antimicrobial active substances in non-target feed in relation to possible development of antimicrobial resistance and growth promoting effects.

EFSA also provides technical and scientific support to the European Commission on activities at international level, such as the establishment of regulatory and international standards, e.g. CODEX Alimentarius, International Cooperation for Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients (ICCF).

EU framework

The European legislation on animal feed provides a framework for ensuring that feedstuffs do not pose any harm to human or animal health or to the environment.

European legislation and EFSA guidance documents detail how to compile dossiers for submission and the information and studies required for the evaluation.

The Commission has established the European Union Register of Feed Additives, which includes the list of all authorised feed additives.

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