Guidance on using the Register of Feed Additives

Introduction

This electronic register is for information purposes. It sets out a list of feed additives permitted for use in Great Britain and provides reference to the individual feed additive legislation. The register does not replace retained EU Regulation 1831/2003 which is the legal basis for the placing on the market and use of individual feed additives.

Understanding the register fields

Feed additives are grouped together by broad categories based on their general intended use and may be further defined by their specific function, as defined in retained EU Regulation 1831/2003. The five categories are:

1. Technological
2. Sensory
3. Nutritional
4. Zootechnical (specialised functions: e.g. gut flora stabiliser)
5. Coccidiostats and Histomonostats^† (anti-parasitic substances)
   † Please note, no separate functional groups

Definitions of the full list of functional groups can be found in the feed additive categories and functional groups section. Each feed additive entry on the register includes its name, and where applicable:

• Feed additive ID code
• Category/functional group
• Date of expiry
• Expiry status

Feed additive ID code

The new style feed additive ID code (e.g. 4a16) is based on the first entry of a specific substance into the register and includes the prefix for the category and functional group (e.g. 4a: Zootechnical – Digestibility enhancers). However, these ID codes are not necessarily unique, and the same ID code would be used for an identical substance, even when used for a different function (e.g. benzoic acid).

Category/function

Under this heading entry, the short code relates to the feed additive’s category (number 1-5) and functional group (letter), along with the functional group name. In the examples shown above: (1b) is a Technological – antioxidant and 4a is a Zootechnical – digestibility enhancer.

Historical classifications may not always follow this coding system in full, such as micro-organisms and enzymes. These old classifications will be updated to a current category/functional group and a new code assigned when they are re-authorised.

Date of first entry and date of expiry

Where dates are entered, these refer to their date of first entry into the register and/or their date of expiry. Many feed additives were previously authorised without a time limit and an expiry date will only be established following their re-authorisation.

Expiry status

Additional information on the authorisation and expiry status of a feed additive may also be displayed where relevant. these are labelled as:

• Application for re-authorisation submitted – existing feed additives prior to 2005 which are undergoing evaluation and remain permitted on the GB market (Re-authorisations defined in Article 10).
• Application for renewal submitted – existing feed additives which are subject to renewal of authorisation, typically, after a ten-year period. These feed additives remain permitted on the GB market until completion of their evaluation process (Renewals defined under Article 14).
• Expiry date and transitional measures applied – a new entry of an existing feed additive where the legislation contains transitional periods for its previous authorisation.
• Transitional measures applied – an existing feed additive entry permitted on the GB market and intended to be phased out. These entries will become subject to review, including their potential withdrawal, once their transitional periods have expired.
• Subject to status review – entries which are intended to be removed from the register, including those which have reached the end of their transition period. These feed additives will be subject to legal withdrawal. (Formerly entries moved from Annex I to Annex II in the EU Register)
• Subject to application submission – feed additives for which re-evaluation application was not received by the specified deadline. These feed additives are currently permitted on the GB market but will be subject to future review. (Formerly the longstanding entries in Annex II of the EU Register)

Summary page

Individual feed additive entries may be expanded into a summary page with additional information, including product details (e.g. target animal species), authorisation status and dates. This summary page includes links to the legislation of individual feed additives which will outline additional feed additive criteria, for example:

• feed additive composition
• maximum permitted limits
• analytical methods

There are many examples under early legislation (e.g. Directive 70/524) where individual feed additives may not be directly identifiable by name within the legislation, for example:

• individual flavourings which are simply referred to in the legislation as ‘all natural products and corresponding synthetic products’ or ‘artificial substances’
• individual colourants which are simply referred to in the legislation as ‘colourants for foodstuffs’

To note, the names of these two old groups will be updated to state individual feed additive names within current functional group names following their re-authorisation.

Search

The register enables a free-text search of entries with the option to also filter by the following fields where included, for individual feed additive entries:

• Category
• Functional group
• Expiry status
• Expires before date
• Authorised before/after timeframes

Feed additive categories and functional groups

Feed additive categories and functional groups are defined under retained EU Regulation 1831/2003, as follows:

• (1) Technological additives are any substance added to feed for a technological purpose.
• (a) preservatives: substances or, when applicable, micro-organisms which protect feed against deterioration caused by micro-organisms or their metabolites
• (b) antioxidants: substances prolonging the storage life of feedingstuffs and feed materials by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation
• (c) emulsifiers: substances that make it possible to form or maintain a homogeneous mixture of two or more immiscible phases in feedingstuffs
• (d) stabilisers: substances which make it possible to maintain the physicochemical state of feedingstuffs
• (e) thickeners: substances which increase the viscosity of feedingstuffs
• (f) gelling agents: substances which give a feedingstuff texture through the formation of a gel
• (g) binders: substances which increase the tendency of particles of feedingstuffs to adhere
• (h) substances for control of radionuclide contamination: substances that suppress absorption of radionuclides or promote their excretion
• (i) anticaking agents: substances that reduce the tendency of individual particles of a feedingstuff to adhere
• (j) acidity regulators: substances which adjust the pH of feedingstuffs
• (k) silage additives: substances, including enzymes or micro-organisms, intended to be incorporated into feed to improve the production of silage
• (l) denaturants: substances which, when used for the manufacture of processed feedingstuffs, allow the identification of the origin of specific food or feed materials
• (m) substances for reduction of the contamination of feed by mycotoxins: substances that can suppress or reduce the absorption, promote the excretion of mycotoxins or modify their mode of action
• (n) hygiene condition enhancers: substances or, when applicable, microorganisms which favourably affect the hygienic characteristics of feed by reducing a specific microbiological contamination
• (o) other technological additives: substances or, when applicable, microorganisms added to feed for a technological purpose and which favourably affect the characteristics of the feed
• (2) Sensory additives are any substance added to feed to improve or change the organoleptic properties of the feed, or the visual characteristics of the food derived from animals.
• (a) colourants:
  • (i) substances that add or restore colour in feedingstuffs
  • (ii) substances which, when fed to animals, add colours to food of animal origin
  • (iii) substances which favourably affect the colour of ornamental fish or birds
• (b) flavouring compounds: substances the inclusion of which in feedingstuffs increases feed smell or palatability
• (3) Nutritional additives perform a specific nutritional function.
• (a) vitamins, pro-vitamins and chemically well-defined substances having similar effect
• (b) compounds of trace elements
• (c) amino acids, their salts and analogues
• (d) urea and its derivatives
• (4) Zootechnical additives are used to favourably affect the performance of animals in good health or used to favourably affect the environment.
• (a) digestibility enhancers: substances which, when fed to animals, increase the digestibility of the diet, through action on target feed materials
• (b) gut flora stabilisers: micro-organisms or other chemically defined substances, which, when fed to animals, have a positive effect on the gut flora
• (c) substances which favourably affect the environment
• (d) other zootechnical additives
• (e) physiological condition stabilisers: substances or, when applicable microorganisms, which, when fed to animals in good health, favourably affect their physiological condition, including their resilience to stress factors
• (5) Coccidiostats and histomonostats are anti-parasitic substances. No separate functional groups exist under this category.

Table of categories and functional groups