EU - Vitamin E gets feed additive re‐authorization through FEFANA Consortia

Regulation (EC) No 26/2011 re‐authorizing the use of Vitamin E as a feed additive for all animal species was published in the EU Official Journal (OJ L 11) January 17, 2011. This concludes the feed additive re-authorization process for Vitamin E introduced by Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 and is the first of a number of dossiers undertaken and completed by the FEFANA Consortia and its Member companies. The consortium dossier was submitted in mid‐2009.

FEFANA, the EU Association of Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures, reports that this first experience with the re‐authorization of feed additives as foreseen under Regulation 1831/2003 has been successfully delivered owing to tight, self‐imposed criteria by the Consortia and consistent regulatory management by FEFANA. FEFANA also welcomes the straightforward and pragmatic management that has been applied by the European Commission, EFSA and CRL, which is important for establishing appropriate routes and tools to manage the process in an efficient way. FEFANA believes that, with the positive trend now set, other applications submitted via the Consortia should also successfully clear the assessment process.

With this particular vitamin, the European Commission has further clarified the forms of the Vitamin E authorized and these are:
(i) all‐rac‐α‐tocopheryl acetate
(ii) RRR‐α‐tocopheryl acetate and
(iii) RRR‐α‐tocopherol.

FEFANA welcomes such transparency, which will ensure better consumer choice and information concerning the authorized additive, based on the dossier provided by the applicant. The authorization regulation also establishes clear purity criteria and conditions for use and, for the first time, the use in water is formally authorized for an existing additive in the European Union.