Safety and efficacy of iron oxide black, red and yellow for all animal species

Safety and efficacy of CI-FER™ (ferric citrate chelate) as a zootechnical feed additive for suckling and weaned piglets and minor porcine species

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA 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 CI-FER™ (ferric citrate chelate) as zootechnical feed additive for suckling and weaned piglets and minor porcine species. The additive is safe for weaned piglets at the recommended level of 500 mg/kg complete feed. This conclusion can be extended to sucking piglets for the period in which solid feed is given and extrapolated to all minor porcine species. No concerns for consumer safety are expected from the use of the additive in piglets and minor porcine species. The FEEDAP Panel considers that the compound under assessment poses a risk to users by inhalation. The product should also be considered as an irritant to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Due to the presence of nickel, CI-FER™ should also be considered as a dermal and respiratory sensitiser. The supplementation of feed with the additive is not expected to pose an environmental risk. CI-FER™ used at the minimum recommended level of 500 mg/kg feed has the potential to improve zootechnical parameters of weaned piglets. This conclusion can be extended to sucking piglets for the period in which solid feed is given and extrapolated to all minor porcine species.

Safety and efficacy of TYFER™ (ferric tyrosine chelate) as a zootechnical feed additive for chickens, turkeys and minor poultry species for fattening or reared for laying/breeding

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of the product TYFER™ (ferric tyrosine chelate) as zootechnical feed additive for chickens, turkeys and minor poultry species for fattening or reared for laying/breeding. The additive is safe for chickens for fattening at the maximum expected level of 200 mg TYFER™/kg complete feed; this conclusion can be extended to chickens reared for laying/breeding and extrapolated to turkeys and all minor poultry species for fattening or reared for laying/breeding. No concerns for consumer safety are expected from the use of the additive in poultry nutrition. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considers that the additive poses a risk to users by inhalation, and should also be considered as an irritant to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Due to the presence of nickel, ferric tyrosine chelate should also be considered as a dermal and respiratory sensitiser. The supplementation of feed with the additive is not expected to pose an environmental risk. TYFER™ used at the minimum recommended level (20 mg/kg feed) in chickens diets has the potential to improve zootechnical parameters of birds. The additive at 20 mg/kg feed has the potential to reduce the caecal load Campylobacter spp. by at least 1 log₁₀-units in chickens for fattening, thus with a potential impact to reduce the risk of human campylobacteriosis; however, the Panel notes that the load of Campylobacter in the chickens caecum is one of the multiple factors that contribute to Campylobacter load in carcases-meat. The conclusions on the efficacy of the additive can be extended to chickens reared for laying/breeding and extrapolated to turkeys and all minor poultry species for fattening or reared for laying/breeding. The Panel recommends including a specification for maximum lithium content in a potential authorisation of the additive.