Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Quinoline Yellow (E104) as a feed additive for non food-producing animals

Quinoline Yellow is applied as a colourant to add colour to feedingstuffs for non food-producing animals at the maximum dose of 500 mg/kg feed. In the absence of specific data, the safe feed concentration for non food-producing animals could be derived from an established no observed adverse effect level of a chronic rat study applying a safety factor of 100. The resulting maximum safe concentration was calculated for dogs and cats and was extrapolated to other non food-producing animals. The maximum safe concentration was 25 mg Quinoline Yellow/kg complete feed for all non food-producing animals. Since no information regarding dusting potential was available, it would be prudent to regard both the powder and the granulated forms as hazardous if inhaled. In the absence of data on irritancy and sensitisation, it would also be prudent to treat Quinoline Yellow as an irritant and skin sensitiser. Although, in principle, no efficacy data would be required for authorised food additives, if the intended effect in feed is the same as in food, evidence of an effect in feed is needed considering the variety of feed materials and the low safe level for target animals (25 mg/kg). In the absence of any information, the efficacy of Quinoline Yellow, with respect to the dose and the nature of the feedingstuffs and their processing, could not be assessed. The derived maximum safe concentration in complete feedingstuffs (25 mg/kg) was recommended as a maximum content of Quinoline Yellow.