#32026R1234EU authorises vermiculite as an anticaking feed additive for chickens and hens
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This regulation allows vermiculite to be used as an anticaking additive in feed for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying or reproduction, and hens. It sets the safe use level at 10,000 mg per kg of complete feed for those bird categories. Feed additive makers, feed mills, poultry producers, and importers can use or place the additive on the EU market only under the authorised conditions. Workers handling the additive need protection because EFSA flagged skin and respiratory sensitisation risks, and possible eye irritation could not be ruled out.
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Key Changes
- Authorises vermiculite as a technological feed additive used as an anticaking agent for specified chicken and hen categories
- Sets a safe use level of 10,000 mg per kg of complete feed for the authorised poultry categories
- Requires attention to worker safety because the additive may sensitise skin and respiratory systems and may pose eye irritation risks
Obligations
What this law requires
Use or place vermiculite on the EU market as a feed additive only as a technological additive in the functional group 'anticaking agents' for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying or reproduction, and hens.
Do not exceed 10,000 mg of vermiculite per kg of complete feed when using the additive for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying or reproduction, or hens.
Do not treat the authorisation as covering other poultry species, ornamental birds, sows, other porcine species, equines, leporids, camelids, pets, or other non-food-producing animals, because safety was not concluded for those categories in this authorisation context.
Implement protective measures for workers handling vermiculite to control inhalation and dermal exposure risks, because the additive is considered a skin and respiratory sensitiser.
Address possible eye irritation risk when handling vermiculite, because EFSA could not conclude that the additive is not an eye irritant due to lack of data.