Two strains of Lactobacillus plantarum are each intended to improve the ensiling process at a dose of 1 × 108 CFU/kg fresh material. This species is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the strains has been established and as no antibiotic resistance was detected, the use of the strains in the production of silage is presumed safe for livestock species, consumers of products from animals fed the treated silage and for the environment. No data have been provided on skin and eyes irritation/sensitisation. Although users at the farm level are exposed to the additive only for a short period of time when preparing the aqueous suspension, in the absence of data their potential to be irritants and/or to act as skin sensitisers cannot be totally excluded. The dustiness of the preparation tested indicated a potential for users to be exposed via inhalation. Given the proteinaceous nature of the active agent, the additive should be considered to have the potential to be a skin/respiratory sensitiser and treated accordingly. Four studies with laboratory-scale silos are described, each lasting at least 90 days, made using samples of grass forage of differing water-soluble carbohydrate content and representing material easy and moderately difficult to ensile. In each case, replicate silos containing treated forage were compared to identical ones containing the same but untreated forage. Silos were maintained at 20 ºC. Both strains of L. plantarum have the potential to improve the production of silage by increasing the preservation of dry matter, by reducing the pH and increasing the lactic acid with easy and moderately difficult to ensile forage species. There was evidence of reduced protein degradation as indicated by the lower ammonia-N content of ensiled material.
