Safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus buchneri NRRL B-50733 as a silage additive for all animal species

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP), was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a strain of Lactobacillus buchneri when used as a technological additive intended to improve ensiling at a proposed application rate of 1 9 108 colony forming units (CFU)/kg fresh material. The bacterial species L. buchneri is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the strain has been clearly established and as no antibiotic resistance of concern was detected, the use of the strain as a silage additive is considered safe for livestock species, for consumers of products from animals fed the treated silage and for the environment. In the absence of data, no conclusion can be drawn on the skin and eye irritancy or skin sensitisation of the additive. The additive should be considered a potential respiratory sensitiser. Three studies with laboratory-scale silos were made using samples of easy, moderately difficult and difficult to ensile material. In each case, replicate silos containing untreated forage were compared with identical silos containing the same forage treated with the combination of Lactobacillus buchneri NRRL B-50733 at an intended concentration of 1 9 108 CFU/kg fresh matter. The results showed that the addition of Lactobacillus buchneri NRRL B-50733 at 1 9 108 CFU/kg fresh material has the potential to improve the aerobic stability of silage with a dry matter content ranging from 30% to 73%.