additives for use in animal nutrition
The phrase "animal feed additive" is used as a generic term.
There are various different types of products, i.e.:
-
Additives for use in animal nutrition;
-
Feedingstuffs intended for particular nutritional purposes, also
known as dietetic feedingstuffs.
A brief description of the various product types is given below.
They all have a different legal basis and undergo a different
authorisation procedure.
Additives for
use in animal nutrition
The term ‘feed additives’ means
substances, micro-organisms or preparations, other than feed
material and premixtures, which are intentionally added to feed or
water in order to perform, in particular, one or more of the
following functions:
a) favourably affect the characteristics of feed;
b) favourably affect the characteristics of animal products;
c) favourably affect the colour of ornamental fish and birds;
d) satisfy the nutritional needs of animals;
e) favourably affect the environmental consequences of animal
production;
f) favourably affect animal production, performance or
welfare, particularly by affecting the gastro-intestinal flora or
digestibility of feedingstuffs, or
g) to have a coccidiostatic or histomonostatic effect (antibiotics,
other than coccidiostats or histomonostats, shall not be authorised
as feed additives).
The
statutory basis for additives in animal feed is Regulation EC 1831/2003. A distinction is
drawn between the following categories of additives:
- technological additives:
- sensory additives
- nutritional additives
- zootechnical additives
- coccidiostats and histomonostats
- others
Zootechnical additives, coccidiostats and histomonostats, as
well as products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
are authorisations issued to the holder of
authorisation. This does not apply to other products.
NB. Any products containing GMOs are also
subject to legislation and regulations governing GMOs.
Authorisations are granted for periods of ten years,
irrespective of whether or not they relate to a
brand-specific authorisation. Applications for marketing
authorisation may be submitted to the European Commission.
For further information, visit the website of the European
Commission – Animal feed safety. This contains details of the
guidelines you should follow whenth compiling your dossier, the
costs of applying for marketing authorisation, the status of
existing products and their future reassessment.
The register of existing animal feed
additives can be found at Register of Feed Additives (Community
Register of feed additive van de European Commission).
If you have any further questions after reading the above,
contact the Veterinary Medicinal Products Unit for more
information.
Feedingstuffs intended for particular
nutritional purposes (dietetic feedingstuffs)
Dietetic feeds are supplementary or complete feedingstuffs which,
by virtue of their particular composition or method of manufacture,
can be clearly distinguished from both ordinary feedingstuffs and
medicated feedingstuffs. The statutory basis for dietetic feeds
is Regulation (EC) No 767/2009.
The phrase particular nutritional purpose is taken to
mean:
‘particular nutritional purpose’ means the purpose of
meeting the specific nutritional needs of animals whose process of
assimilation, absorption or metabolism is, or could be, temporarily
or irreversibly impaired and who can therefore benefit from the
ingestion of feed appropriate to their condition.
Authorised dietetic feedingstuffs must be included
in the list referred to in
Regulation 2008/38/EC.
If you would like to apply for authorisation of a dietetic
feedingstuff, please contact the
Veterinary Medicinal Products Unit.
If you have any further questions after reading the above,
contact the
Veterinary Medicinal Products Unit for more information.
