Opinion of the Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed (FEEDAP) on the safety and efficacy of the product “Levucell SC20/Levucell SC10ME”, a preparation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as a feed additive for leisure horses

The microbial feed additive Levucell SC20/Levucell SC10ME, a product consisting of dried cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is authorised without time limit for its use in dairy cows and cattle for fattening. The applicant is now seeking authorisation of the product to be used as a feed additive for leisure horses. The Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition issued an opinion on the safety of this product for beef and dairy cattle, including the safety for the consumer, the user and the environment. In one efficacy study, the differences in weight gain, despite showing significant effects (P < 0.05) in favour of the Levucell-treated group, are not convincing because of the low weight gain of the control and the housing-treatment interaction. Although the difference in body weight gain during the experiment may reflect better fibre digestion, this was not directly demonstrated. Consequently, the FEEDAP Panel, in the absence of evidence of a similar mode of action, cannot conclude on the efficacy of the product in leisure horses. Thirty times the recommended dose of Levucell SC20 in the 30 day tolerance experiment did not produce any adverse effects in adult horses. Microbiological analysis of the faecal microbiota of horses given Levucell SC20 did not show any significant differences compared to control animals other than the expected increase in yeast numbers. Consequently, the FEEDAP Panel considers Levucell SC in either formulation (SC20 and SC10ME) safe for horses. The FEEDAP Panel also considers it unlikely that this extension of use would introduce hazards for the consumers, users or for the wider environment that have not already been considered.