Efficacy of Fecinor® and Fecinor® plus ( Enterococcus faecium) as feed additives for weaned piglets

Fecinor® and Fecinor® plus are preparations of a single strain of Enterococcus faecium. In a previous opinion on Fecinor® and Fecinor® plus, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) could not conclude on the efficacy of these additives when used in feed for weaned piglets owing to insufficient evidence. The European Commission requested that the European Food Safety Authority re-evaluate the efficacy of Fecinor® and Fecinor® plus when used as zootechnical additives (functional group: gut flora stabilisers) in diets for weaned piglets at a minimum dose of 1 × 109 colony-forming units (CFU)/kg complete feedingstuffs. In the present application, the results from a new efficacy study performed with weaned piglets showed significant increases in final body weight and average daily gain in Fecinor®-treated animals. Taking into account the two positive trials from the initial application, the FEEDAP Panel concludes that Fecinor® has the potential to improve performance of weaned piglets when added to feed at 1 × 109 CFU/kg complete feedingstuffs. The Panel considers that this conclusion applies to both formulations when used to deliver the same dose of the active agent.