Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of formaldehyde for all animal species based on a dossier submitted by Adiveter S.L

Scientific opinion on the renewal of the authorisation of Zesti Smoke Code 10 (SF-002) as a smoke flavouring Primary Product

The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) was requested to evaluate the safety of the smoke flavouring Primary Product Zesti Smoke Code 10 (SF-002), for which a renewal application was submitted in accordance with Article 12(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2065/2003. This opinion refers to the assessment of data submitted on chemical characterisation, dietary exposure and genotoxicity of the Primary Product. Zesti Smoke Code 10 is obtained by pyrolysis of hickory and oak woods. Given the limitations of the quantification approach employed by the applicant, the Panel could not judge whether the applied methods meet the legal quality criterion that at least 80% of the volatile fraction shall be identified and quantified. At the maximum proposed use levels, dietary exposure estimates calculated with DietEx ranged from 0.02 to 4.6 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day at the mean and from no dietary exposure to 13.0 mg/kg bw per day at the 95th percentile. The Panel concluded that four components in the Primary Product raise a potential concern for genotoxicity. In addition, a potential concern for genotoxicity was identified for the unidentified part of the mixture. The Primary Product contains furan-2(5H)-one and benzene-1,2-diol, for which a concern for genotoxicity was identified in vivo upon oral administration. Considering that the exposure estimates for these two components are above the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) of 0.0025 μg/kg bw per day for DNA-reactive mutagens and/or carcinogens, the Panel concluded that the Primary Product raises concern with respect to genotoxicity.

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of sodium alginate for all animal species (ALGAIA)

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of sodium alginate for all animal species. The additive is intended to be used as a technological additive (functional groups: thickeners and gelling agents). Sodium alginate is intended to be used in feedingstuffs for all animal species at a proposed minimum concentration of 2,000 mg/kg feed and a maximum concentration of to 30,000 mg/kg feed. The data provided for the composition of the additive does not allow a proper assessment of the product consistency, purity and physico‐chemical properties. Sodium alginate is not irritant to skin but should be considered irritant to eyes, a skin and respiratory sensitiser and hazardous by inhalation. Sodium alginate is a high‐molecular‐weight polymer naturally occurring in brown algae. The use of sodium alginate in animal nutrition is considered safe for the consumers and the environment. No conclusion could be drawn on the safety of sodium alginate for the target species or on its efficacy as a thickener or gelling agent in feed.

Risk-Benefit Assessment of Feed Additives in the One Health Perspective

Safety and sustainability of animal feeds is a pillar of the safety of the entire food chain. Feed additive assessment incorporates consumer safety as well as animal health and welfare, which, in turn, can affect productivity and hence food security. The safety of feed users and the environment are other important components of the assessment process which, therefore, builds on a One Health perspective. In several instances the assessment entails a balanced assessment of benefits and risks for humans, animals and/or the environment. Three case studies are selected to discuss issues for a consistent framework on Risk-Benefit Assessment (RBA) of feed additives, based on EFSA opinions and literature: (a) Supplementation of feeds with trace elements with recognized human toxicity (cobalt, iodine) - RBA question: can use levels, hence human exposure, be reduced without increasing the risk of deficiency in animals?; (b) Aflatoxin binders in dairy animals - RBA question: can the use reduce the risk for human health due to aflatoxin M1, without unexpected adverse effects for animals or humans?; (c) Use of formaldehyde as preservative in feedstuffs to prevent microbial contamination - RBA question: is the reduction of microbiological risks outweighed by risks for the consumers, farmed animals or the workers? The case studies indicate that the safety of use of feed additives can involve RBA considerations which fit into a One Health perspective. As in other RBA circumstances, the main issues are defining the question and finding “metrics” that allow a R/B comparison; in the case of feed additives, R and B may concern different species (farm animals and humans). A robust assessment of animal requirements, together with sustainability considerations, might be a significant driving force for a RBA leading to a safe and effective use.

Durability Analysis of Formaldehyde/Solid Urban Waste Blends

Following the innovative research activity carried out in the framework of the POIROT (Italian acronym of dOmotic Platform for Inertization and tRaceability of Organic wasTe) Project, this work aims to optimize the composition of the blends between the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and formaldehyde-based resins, in order to improve the durability properties. To this aim, in this work, commercial urea-formaldehyde and melamine-formaldehyde powder polymers have been proposed for the inertization of the OFMSW, according to the previous optimized OFMSW-transformation process. A preliminary study about the mechanical properties of the composite panels produced with the different resins was carried out by evaluating compressive, flexural, and tensile performances of the panels. Artificial weathering by cyclic (heating–cooling) and boiling tests were carried out and the mechanical properties were evaluated in order to assess the resistance of the panels to water and humidity. The melamine-formaldehyde based resin had the best performances also when subjected to the weathering tests and despite the higher content of resin in the composites, the panels produced with melamine-formaldehyde have the lowest values of release of formaldehyde minimizing their potential hazard level.

Derivation of safe exposure levels for potential migration of formaldehyde into food

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is a polymer of formaldehyde used inter alia for kitchenware and food processing machines. By migration into food, consumers may be exposed to small additional amounts of formaldehyde in food. In order to address such potential exposures, Specific Migration Limits are derived using all studies with oral exposure in mammals and birds. The assessment is not only based on local irritation observed in a 2-year rat study that has previously served to calculate acceptable exposure levels, but also on systemic effects, namely on effects on the kidney in adult rats and testes in birds before sexual maturity. At the relatively high oral exposure levels (up to 2000 ppm in drinking water) long-term effects caused by formic acid, the first step metabolite of formaldehyde, such as acidosis, cannot be excluded. The lowest Specific Migration Limit of 2.74 mg/dm², corresponding to 16.5 mg formaldehyde/kg food, is based upon kidney effects in rats, leading to potential exposures that range between 2900 and 4400 times below the endogenous turnover of formaldehyde. Lastly, a recent migration study with POM showed that migration of formaldehyde into food simulants is over an order of magnitude below the lowest Specific Migration Limit derived herein.