efsa News The work of FEEDAP

EFSA is stepping up its efforts to stop the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Europe. It has extended its campaign to a further nine countries.

Consumption in human medicine is higher for the first time. EFSA and EMA and ECDC publish joint analysis covering 2016 to 2018.

A significant proportion of Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria remain resistant to antibiotics commonly used in humans and animals, according to a report released in early April by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The new Panel (as of July 2018) is smaller and has more female members than before. It comprises 17 (previously 21) members including 10 (previously 5) female scientists.

We have already reported several times on the Guidelines for submitting an application for authorisation of additives (Guidance documents) and their revision by the FEEDAP Panel (Kraftfutter/Feed Magazine 5-6, 2016; 9-10, 2016; 7-8, 2017; 1-2, 2018).

Evaluating the safety of humans (as consumers and processors), animals and the environment is the primary concern of the various panels of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

On 26 September 2017 the FEEDAP Panel adopted three new Guidances that are intended to assist applicants in preparing a dossier.

Flavouring substances (mainly as extracts) as an effective principle in applications for zootechnical feed additives are rare (so far) (<10).

A few months ago the FEEDAP Panel evaluated the safety and effectiveness of sodium-molybdenate as a trace element compound. The application had originally been made for all animal species and categories, but in the course of consultations in the responsible working group it was reduced to sheep.

If one believes individual stakeholders, a feed additive simply needs to be safe – for the target animal, for consumers, for users and for the environment. They say its usefulness, its efficacy, would then be proved in practice. If the additive was no use, it would disappear again by itself.

Casimir Funk (1884 – 1967) could not have imagined what resonance he would trigger when over a hundred years ago (1911) he introduced the melodious and vowel-rich word “vitamins” to denote various vital organic compounds.