Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed on the safety and efficacy of the product Bonvital, a preparation of Enterococcus faecium, as a feed additive for piglets and pigs for fattening in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003

The microbial feed additive Bonvital is a preparation of Enterococcus faecium (DSM 7134). This product is provisionally authorised for use in piglets and pigs for fattening, sows and chickens for fattening. The applicant is now seeking ten year authorisation for use of this product as a zootechnical additive (functional group, gut flora stabilisers) in piglets and pigs for fattening. The safety of this product for the target species mentioned, the consumer, user and the environment has been previously assessed by SCAN with favourable outcome. Therefore, the current assessment focuses only on the efficacy of this product for the target species for which authorisation is sought. The studies provided by the applicant with piglets and pigs for fattening support the efficacy of Bonvital at a minimum dose of 1 x 109 and 0.5 x 109 CFU Enterococcus faecium (DSM 7134) kg-1 of complete feedingstuff for piglets and pigs for fattening, respectively. However, for both animal categories, the lowest doses proposed by the applicant in the register entry were not supported by data.