Opinion of the Panel on additives and products or substances used in animal feed (FEEDAP) on the safety and efficacy of Kofa®Grain ‐pH 5‐ (a mixture of sodium benzoate, propionic acid and sodium

The European Commission requested the European Food Safety Authority to issue an opinion on the safety and efficacy of Kofa®Grain as preservative in feed for cattle for fattening. The product is currently authorised as feed additive for pigs and dairy cows at an inclusion rate of 3000 to 22000 mg kg-1 complete feedingstuff. Kofa®Grain is a ready-to-use preparation containing sodium benzoate (140 g kg-1), propionic acid (370 g kg-1) and sodium propionate (110 g kg-1) as active substances. It is intended to be used as a preservative for grain having a moisture content in excess of 15%. Kofa®Grain has been shown in a former assessment by the SCAN to be efficacious in preserving wheat, barley and rye. Recent studies were conducted with maize kernels. Both the laboratory study performed under worst case conditions (aerobic environment) and the production study (farm survey) demonstrated the efficacy of Kofa®Grain in preventing fungal growth in maize kernels with high moisture (>30%). 10000 mg Kofa®Grain kg-1 preserved maize kernels for one month of storage, and 14400 mg kg-1 for up to 11 months. Tolerance studies on fattening cattle and on lactating dairy cows showed no adverse effects of Kofa®Grain used at five fold of the maximum recommended dietary inclusion level (highest dose tested). As the native production of volatile fatty acids by rumen fermentation of feed exceeds by far the acid quantities ingested by the use of Kofa®Grain, the FEEDAP Panel does not consider the use of Kofa®Grain in ruminant feed to significantly contribute to the risk of fermentation disorders. Therefore, the FEEDAP Panel considers Kofa®Grain to be safe for cattle for fattening at the maximum use level (22000 mg kg-1 complete feedingstuff). Propionic acid, its sodium salt and sodium benzoate are rapidly degraded by the animal metabolism. An ADI for propionic acid does not exist, but it is set for benzoic acid and its salts with 5 mg kg-1 bw day-1. The quantitative contribution of benzoic acid from tissues of animals fed Kofa®Grain to the consumer intake is considered negligibly small. Therefore the FEEDAP Panel has no concern on the safety of Kofa®Grain for the consumer. The FEEDAP Panel concludes that there are no undue risks for the user of Kofa®Grain, provided that the information contained in the Material Safety Data Sheet are taking into account and appropriate safety measures are taken. The constituents of Kofa®Grain are physiological substances and are of no concern for the environment. Benzoic acid is a recently authorized additive for piglets/pigs for fattening. A maximum content in complete feed is set. Kofa®Grain would also contribute to this maximum content by its constituent benzoic acid. Higher dietary maximum contents for benzoic acid than currently authorized/proposed should be avoided mainly for reasons related to target animal safety. Therefore, the feed manufacturer needs to know whether the grain used in feed formulation has been treated with Kofa®Grain. The FEEDAP Panel therefore recommends the labeling of any raw material treated with Kofa®Grain by qualitative and quantitative figures. This labeling would also avoid the occurrence of any accidental use of Kofa®Grain treated grain in diets for non target animals, in particular for poultry, which do not tolerate Kofa®Grain at or above levels intended to be used in feedingstuffs for pigs and bovines.