Animal Feed

In the EU, animal feed ingredients can be categorised into two main groups:

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• Feed materials

• Feed additives

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Feed materials are products of vegetable or animal origin, whose main purpose is to meet the nutritional needs of animals and which are used for oral feeding.

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In the majority of cases, feed materials do not require a pre-market safety assessment, which means that this offers a quick & easy route to market.

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Feed additives are substances, micro-organisms or preparations, other than feed materials and premixtures, which are intentionally added to feed or water in order to perform a particular function. These functions fall into distinct feed additive categories & within each category there are functional groups which describe the specific function of the additive.

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The feed additive categories are:

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1. Technological additives: which are substances added to feed for a technological purpose. These additives have a specific effect on the feed;

2. Sensory additives: which are any substances added to feed to improve the flavour of feed or to improve the colour of products derived from animals;

3. Nutritional additives: which are substances that have a nutritional effect;

4. Zootechnical additives: which are substances that have a positive effect on the animal or the environment;

5. Coccidiostats and histomonostats: which are used used to prevent these protozoan parasites.

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Feed additives require a pre-market safety assessment before being placed on the market in the EU & UK. This means building a feed additive dossier that supports the identity, quality, safety & efficacy of the additive. The dossier is then evaluated by EFSA in the EU & the FSA in the UK. The time from dossier submission to approval depends on the feed additive category, but an average timeline is 1.5 - 3 years.

 

Feed additive authorisations also need to be renewed every 10 years. 

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The majority of proteins for use in animal feed would be classified as feed materials, but if the proteins are derived from novel source materials or manufactured in a novel way, then a pre-market safety assessment may be required. 

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Atova can help you to identify if your feed ingredient has a legal status in the EU & to identify the correct regulatory pathway for you to follow to be able to legally sell your product in the EU & UK.

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To find out more, or to book a free consultation:

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