Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of AveMix® XG 10 (endo-1,4-beta-xylanase and endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase) as a feed additive for pigs for fattening and minor porcine species

The additive AveMix® XG 10 is an enzyme preparation of endo-1,4-beta-xylanase (xylanase) and endo-1,3(4)-beta-glucanase (glucanase), produced by two strains of Trichoderma reesei. This product is currently authorised for use in chickens for fattening, laying hens, minor poultry species and weaned piglets as a zootechnical additive, under the functional group of digestibility enhancers. The applicant is now seeking an extension of the authorisation to pigs for fattening and minor porcine species at a recommended dose of 4 000 XU (xylanase units) and 900 BGU (beta-glucanase units) per kg complete feed. The FEEDAP Panel considers that, since the additive has been demonstrated to be safe for piglets at the recommended dose, this conclusion can be extended to pigs for fattening and extrapolated to minor growing porcine species. Supplementation of diets for pigs for fattening with Avemix® XG 10 at the recommended dose (4 000 XU and 900 BGU/kg) resulted in a significantly higher body weight and daily weight gain in one trial and significantly improved feed to gain ratio in two trials. Therefore, the FEEDAP Panel concludes that AveMix® XG 10 has the potential to be efficacious in pigs for fattening at this dose. Since the mode of action of xylanases and glucanases can reasonably be assumed to be the same in all porcine species, the conclusions on efficacy for weaned piglets and pigs for fattening can be extrapolated to include all minor porcine species for growing at 4 000 XU and 900 BGU/kg complete feed.