Abstract
VevoVitall® consists of 99.9 % benzoic acid. The product was previously assessed by the FEEDAP Panel; it is authorised in the EU for piglets and pigs for fattening. There is no new information that might modify the assessment of the safety for users and the environment. Thus, this opinion focuses only on the safety for the target animals and the efficacy, the new studies provided for the characterisation of the additive, and the new literature relevant to consumer safety. A tolerance study with gestating and lactating sows was provided. A urinary pH that was too low in the group receiving the highest dose could indicate an adverse effect. The only effect of concern (gastric ulcers) was detected by necropsy in animals which received VevoVitall® at levels of 10000 or 20000 mg/kg feed; however, the number of animals was insufficient to draw conclusions on a safe concentration of VevoVitall® for gestating/lactating sows; owing to the lack of data no conclusion could be reached for boars and gilts. Benzoic acid may induce genotoxic changes in human lymphocytes in vitro; however, in vivo genotoxicity studies have been consistently negative. Considering also that no significant consumer exposure is expected from the use of benzoic acid as feed additive, no concerns for consumer safety were identified. VevoVitall® at 5000 mg/kg significantly reduced urine pH in the four studies evaluated; this reduction was small and unlikely to affect ammonia emission from manure. The addition of ≥10000 mg/kg had a much greater impact on urinary pH in the studies where these levels were considered, but the consequences for ammonia emission could not be established. Consequently, the FEEDAP Panel was unable to draw conclusions on the efficacy of VevoVitall® in reducing ammonia emission from manure of gestating/lactating sows or, owing to the lack of data, for boars and gilts.
Keywords: zootechnical additive, other zootechnical additives, VevoVitall®, benzoic acid, pigs for reproduction, ammonia emission
EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) ; Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of VevoVitall® (benzoic acid) as feed additive for pigs for reproduction. EFSA Journal 2012;10(7):2775. [11 pp.] doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2775.
Panel members: Gabriele Aquilina, Georges Bories, Andrew Chesson, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, Joop de Knecht, Noël Albert Dierick, Mikolaj Antoni Gralak, Jürgen Gropp, Ingrid Halle, Christer Hogstrand, the late Reinhard Kroker, Lubomir Leng, Secundino López Puente, Anne‐Katrine Lundebye Haldorsen, Alberto Mantovani, Giovanna Martelli, Miklós Mézes, Derek Renshaw, Maria Saarela, Kristen Sejrsen and Johannes Westendorf.
Correspondence: feedap@efsa.europa.eu
Acknowledgement: The Panel wishes to thank the members of the Working Group on VevoVitall for pigs for reproduction, including Guido Rychen, for the preparatory work on this scientific opinion.
Adoption date: 14 June 2012
Published date: 25 July 2012
Question number: EFSA‐Q‐2011‐01170
On request from: European Commission
References
- EC (European Commission) , 2002a, online. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition on the use of benzoic acid in feedstuffs for pigs for fattening. Available from ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scan/out100_en.pdf
- EC (European Commission) , 2002b, online. Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food on Benzoic acid and its salts. Available from ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out137_en.pdf
- EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) , 2005. Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed on the safety and efficacy of the product VevoVitall® as a feed additive for weaned piglets in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. The EFSA Journal 290, 1–13. [Google Scholar]
- EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) , 2007. Opinion of the Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed (FEEDAP) on the safety and efficacy of VevoVitall® (benzoic acid) as feed additive for pigs for fattening. The EFSA Journal 457, 1–14. [Google Scholar]
- EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) , 2011. Scientific Opinion on modification of the terms of authorisation of VevoVitall® (Benzoic acid) as a feed additive for weaned piglets. EFSA Journal, 9(9):2358. [Google Scholar]
- Kluge H, Broz J and Eder K, 2010. Effects of dietary benzoic acid on urinary pH and nutrient digestibility in lactating sows. Livestock Science 134, 119–121. [Google Scholar]
- Murphy DP, O'Doherty JV, Boland TM, O'Shea CJ, Callan JJ, Pierce KM and Lynch MB, 2011. The effect of benzoic acid concentration on nitrogen metabolism, manure ammonia and odour emissions in finishing pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 163, 194–199. [Google Scholar]
- Sasaki YF, Kawaguchi S, Kamayaa A, Ohshita M, Kabasawa K, Iwamaa K, Taniguchi K and Tsuda S, 2002. The comet assay with 8 mouse organs: results with 39 currently used food additives. Mutation Research 519, 103–119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yılmaz S, Unal F and Yuzbasioglu D, 2009. The in vitro genotoxicity of benzoic acid in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Cytotechnology 60, 55–61. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zengin N, Unal F, Yılmaz S and Aksoy H, 2011. The evaluation of the genotoxicity of two food preservatives: Sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate. Food and Chemical Toxicology 49, 763–769. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]