Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Probiotic LACTINA® ( Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus and Enterococcus faecium) for chickens for fattening and piglets

Probiotic LACTINA® is a feed additive consisting of six strains of lactic acid bacteria. In 2007 the European Food Safety Authority was requested to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the additive when used as a zootechnical additive (functional group: gut flora stabilisers) in diets for chickens for fattening, piglets and pigs for fattening. At that time the FEEDAP Panel was able to conclude only on the safety for the environment and partially for the user. EFSA is now requested to assess the safety for the target animals and consumers, and the efficacy of the additive when added in diets for chickens for fattening at 5 x 108 - 9 x 109 CFU/kg feed and for piglets at 9 x 108 - 1 x 1010 CFU/kg feed. The identity of the six strains was established. As no antibiotic resistance of concern was detected and as five of the strains qualify for the Qualified Presumption of Safety approach to safety assessment, their use is presumed safe for target species and consumers. The Enterococcus faecium strain is not a recognised pathogen for animals and as the additive did not adversely affect growth of chickens or piglets, Probiotic LACTINA® is considered safe for the target species up to 1 x 1010 CFU/kg feed. This strain does not contain marker genes typical of hospital-associated isolates responsible for clinical infections. The metabolic pathways of E. faecium are well known. Since no other harmful metabolites are expected and the additive does not contain excipients of concern, it is considered safe for consumers. Probiotic LACTINA® showed a potential to increase the body weight of suckling piglets when used at approximately 5 x 109 CFU/kg feed. The Panel could not conclude on the efficacy of Probiotic LACTINA® when used in diets for chickens for fattening or weaned piglets.