Feed Additives: 10 Years Of Achievements
What are feed additives?
Substances, micro-organisms or preparations, intentionally added to feed or water to:
- improve flavour or colour
- perform a ‘technological’ function (e.g. preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers)
- improve nutrition
- improve welfare and production and reduce impact on the environment
- prevent diseases (coccidiosis and histomoniasis)
Before an additive is authorised for sale in the EU it needs to be evaluated by EFSA.
Safety assessment
EFSA evaluates each additive making sure it is safe for:
- animals (e.g. livestock or pets)
- consumers
- users (people handling the additive)
- the environment
Efficacy assessment
The additive also needs to do what it claims it can do.
This work is carried out by EFSA’s Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed (FEEDAP).
10 years of FEEDAP Panel achievements
2002
Εstablishment of EFSA and the FEEDAP Panel.
2003
New legislation introduced (Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003), controlling use of feed additives in the EU.
As a consequence:
- New feed additives or new uses not previously assessed need to be evaluated.
- 100s of feed additives (such as flavourings) never assessed before are also scheduled for “re-evaluation”.
- Authorisation must be renewed every ten years.
First plenary meeting in May 2003. Andrew Chesson elected Chair and re-elected twice, chairing the Panel until 2012.
2004
38 opinions
2005
32 opinions
2006
32 opinions
2007
36 opinions
2008
41 opinions
The Panel prepares a series of scientific guidance documents that help applicants to prepare and submit their applications.
2009
41 opinions
2010
45 opinions
Re-evaluation of feed additives starts and leads to sharp increase in the number of opinions in the following years.
2011
98 opinions
2012
104 opinions
Kristen Sejrsen succeeds Andrew Chesson as Chair of the FEEDAP Panel.
2013
81 opinions
100th plenary meeting in December 2013.
Achievements on applications
- 700 evaluation requests
- 100 plenary meetings of the FEEDAP Panel
| 468 opinions - 154 on re-evaluations | ||||
| 9% | 47% | 8% | 20% | 16% |
| flavours and colours | welfare and production improvers | coccidiosis prevention | technological function | nutritional |