27.7.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 201/11

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 provides for the authorisation of additives for use in animal nutrition and for the grounds and procedures for granting such authorisation. Article 10 of that Regulation provides for the re-evaluation of additives authorised pursuant to Council Directive 82/471/EEC (2).

(2)

L-threonine was authorised without a time limit pursuant to Directive 82/471/EEC by Commission Directive 88/485/EEC (3) and was subsequently entered in the Register of feed additives as an existing product, in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.

(3)

In accordance with Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 in conjunction with Article 7 thereof, applications were submitted for the re-evaluation of L-threonine as feed additive for all animal species. Applications were also submitted for the authorisation of L-threonine for all animal species in accordance with Article 7 of that Regulation. The applications were accompanied by the particulars and documents required under Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.

(4)

The applications concern the authorisation of L-threonine produced by Escherichia coli DSM 25086, Escherichia coli FERM BP-11383, Escherichia coli FERM BP-10942, Escherichia coli NRRL B-30843, Escherichia coli KCCM11133P, Escherichia coli DSM 25085, Escherichia coli CGMCC 3703 or Escherichia coli CGMCC 7.58 as a feed additive for all animal species, to be classified in the additive category ‘nutritional additives’.

(5)

The European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) concluded in its opinions of 9 July 2013 (4), 29 January 2014 (5), 9 September 2014 (6), 9 September 2015 (7), 1 December 2015 (8) and 19 April 2016 (9) that, under the proposed conditions of use, L-threonine produced by Escherichia coli DSM 25086, Escherichia coli FERM BP-11383, Escherichia coli FERM BP-10942, Escherichia coli NRRL B-30843, Escherichia coli KCCM11133P, Escherichia coli DSM 25085, Escherichia coli CGMCC 3703 and Escherichia coli CGMCC 7.58 does not have an adverse effect on animal health, human health or the environment, and that it is considered an efficacious source of the amino acid threonine for animal nutrition; for the supplemental L-threonine to be fully efficacious in ruminants, it should be protected against degradation in the rumen. The Authority does not consider that there is a need for specific requirements of post-market monitoring. It also verified the report on the method of analysis of the feed additive in feed submitted by the Reference Laboratory set up by Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.

(6)

The Authority expressed in its opinions a concern over the safety of L-threonine for the target species when administered via water for drinking. However, no maximum content for L-threonine is proposed by the Authority. Thus, it is in the case of administration of L-threonine via drinking water appropriate to alert the user to take into account the dietary supply with all the essential amino acids.

(7)

The assessment of L-threonine shows that the conditions for authorisation, as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003, are satisfied. Accordingly, the use of that substance should be authorised as specified in the Annex to this Regulation.

(8)

Since safety reasons do not require the immediate application of the modifications to the conditions of authorisation for L-threonine, it is appropriate to allow a transitional period for interested parties to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements resulting from the authorisation.

(9)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,