Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of CRINA® Poultry Plus (benzoic acid, thymol, eugenol and piperine) as a feed additive for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying and minor poultry species for fattening and reared for laying

Crina® Poultry Plus is a preparation of benzoic acid, thymol, eugenol, piperine, benzyl salicylate, isoamyl salicylate and trans-anethole. In a previous opinion, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) could not conclude on the safety of the additive for chickens for fattening, the consumer or the environment, or on its efficacy. Based on the results from a new tolerance study, the FEEDAP Panel concluded that Crina® Poultry Plus is safe for chickens for fattening at the maximum recommended dose (300 mg/kg). This conclusion can be extended to chickens reared for laying and extrapolated to minor species for fattening/reared for laying with the same maximum dose. New data on the metabolism of eugenol, and on residues of eugenol and piperine, indicated that exposure of consumers to residues of these substances, when consuming edible tissues from chickens for fattening receiving the additive, would not be expected. Therefore, the use of Crina® Poultry Plus in chickens for fattening and minor poultry species for fattening is of no concern for consumers. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the use of Crina® Poultry Plus in chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying and minor species for fattening/reared for laying is of no concern for the environment. Three out of ten studies showed some beneficial effect on zootechnical parameters of Crina® Poultry Plus at a dose of 300 mg/kg complete feed. The Panel concluded that the additive has some potential to be efficacious in chickens for fattening at a dose of 300 mg/kg complete feed. This conclusion can be extended to chickens reared for laying and extrapolated to include the minor poultry species for fattening and reared for laying at the same dose.