EFSA Panels Find Feed Enzyme Safe and Effective

EU - European Food Safety Authority panels have found Econase XT P/L feed enzyme (ABF Ingredients) to be safe and effective for chickens, turkeys and weaned piglets.

19 June 2008

3 minute read

EFSA's Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed and the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms have issued a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of Econase XT P/L as feed additive for chickens (meat and laying), turkeys (meat and breeding) and weaned piglets.

Efficacy

The Panel reports that there is evidence to support the efficacy of Econase XT in improving production parameters in chickens for fattening at 8,000BXU per kg, turkeys for fattening at 16,000BXU per kg and piglets at 24,000BXU per kg. This evidence is extended to chickens reared for laying and turkeys reared for breeding at the corresponding dose.

Tolerance

Econase XT was tolerated at 10 times (turkeys) or 20 times (piglets) the maximum recommended dose (24,000BXU per kg) and so it is safe for these target species at the proposed conditions of use.

Safety

The experts had no concerns regarding consumer safety when the product is used as an additive in animal feed based on the absence of adverse effect in two mutagenicity/clastogenicity tests and a sub-chronic oral toxicity study.

The product is non-irritant to the skin, and the liquid form is non-irritant to the eyes and is not a dermal sensitiser.

Regarding handling, no additional precautions are required beyond those required by the labelling as a respiratory sensitiser.

No risk for the environment is expected.

Econase XT is an enzyme feed additive with endo-1,4-beta xylanase as its declared activity. The production strain is a genetically modified strain of Trichoderma reesei. No DNA sequences causing concern have been introduced into either the production organism or the final product.