A feed additive is an additive of extra nutrient or drug for livestock. Such additives include vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, pharmaceutical, fungal products and steroidal compounds. The additives might impact feed presentation, hygiene, digestibility, or effect on intestinal health.[1][2]
Examples
editAmino acids
editMethionine, lysine, and tryptophan are commonly deficient in animal diets, so these amino acids are added to feed.[3] In the case of methionine, 2-Hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butyric acid is often use in the place of methionine.[4]
"Minerals"
editSeveral elements enhance the growth characteristics of animals. Elements themselves are rarely used as additives but derivatives thereof. Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide (EDDI) is added to pet food and cattle feed to prevent iodine deficiency.[5] A controversial additive is arsenic, often supplied in the form of the organoarsenic compound called roxarsone. It has been used in poultry production to increase weight gain and improve feed efficiency, and as a coccidiostat. As of June 2011, it was approved for chicken feed in the United States, Canada, Australia, and 12 other countries. The drug was also approved in the United States and elsewhere for use in pigs.[6][7] Because of the essential character of the cobalt-containing vitamin B12, cobalt compounds are used in animal feeds, especially for ruminants.[8]
Regulation
editUnited States
editPrior to the Animal Drug Availability Act 1996, animal feed was available in two fashions: over-the-counter transacted, and by prescription from a veterinarian. Its associated regulation introduced the concept of a medicated feed, which is also available over-the-counter. The terminology for Veterinary Feed Directive was introduced by the Act.
EU
editAccording to EU Regulation 1831/2003,[9] all feed additives to be placed on the market within the European Union have to undergo a thorough approval process. Those who seek approval for the products as livestock food additives must submit them to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Reference Laboratory, the European Commission and the member states.[citation needed] Evaluation criteria include safety for the animals, consumers and factory workers. For additives claiming an increase in "zootechnical" performance, sufficient empirical data must be presented to confirm those claims.
1. A feed additive shall be allocated to one or more of the following categories, depending on its functions and properties, in accordance with the procedure set out at Articles 7, 8 and 9:
- technological additives: any substance added to feed for a technological purpose;
- sensory additives: any substance, the addition of which to feed improves or changes the organoleptic properties of the feed, or the visual characteristics of the food derived from animals;
- nutritional additives;
- zootechnical additives: any additive used to affect favourably the performance of animals in good health or used to affect favourably the environment;
- coccidiostats and histomonostats.
— Article 6, [9]
The last category was banned in 2009 by the EU, and replaced with probiotic alternatives.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Merck Manual October 2014 Nutritional Requirements of Beef Cattle Page accessed March 18, 2015
- ^ Merck Manual March 2012 Requirements of Beef Cattle Archived 2016-05-14 at the Portuguese Web Archive Page accessed March 18, 2015
- ^ Drauz, Karlheinz; Grayson, Ian; Kleemann, Axel; Krimmer, Hans-Peter; Leuchtenberger, Wolfgang; Weckbecker, Christoph (2007). "Amino Acids". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a02_057.pub2. ISBN 978-3527306732.
- ^ Lemme, A.; Hoehler, D.; Brennan, JJ; Mannion, PF (2002). "Relative Effectiveness of Methionine Hydroxy Analog Compared to DL-Methionine in Broiler Chickens". Poultry Science. 81 (6): 838–845. doi:10.1093/ps/81.6.838. PMID 12079051.
- ^ Lyday, Phyllis A. (2005). "Iodine and Iodine Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a14_381. ISBN 978-3527306732.
- ^ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (June 8, 2011). "Questions and Answers Regarding 3-Nitro (Roxarsone)".
- ^ Harris, Gardiner; Grady, Denise (9 June 2011). "Pfizer Suspends Sales of Chicken Drug". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ Donaldson, John Dallas; Beyersmann, Detmar (2005). "Cobalt and Cobalt Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a07_281.pub2. ISBN 3527306730.
- ^ a b "REGULATION (EC) No 1831/2003 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 September 2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition". Official Journal of the European Union.
- ^ "WHAT ARE FEED ADDITIVES?". Sustainable America.