Safety and efficacy of ethyl cellulose for all animal species

• Main Authors: EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP), Vasileios Bampidis, Giovanna Azimonti, Maria de Lourdes Bastos, Henrik Christensen, Birgit Dusemund, Mojca Kos Durjava, Maryline Kouba, Marta López‐Alonso, Secundino López Puente, Francesca Marcon, Baltasar Mayo, Alena Pechová, Mariana Petkova, Fernando Ramos, Yolanda Sanz, Roberto Edoardo Villa, Ruud Woutersen, Georges Bories, Jürgen Gropp, Carlo Nebbia, Matteo Lorenzo Innocenti, Gabriele Aquilina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2020-07-01
• Series: EFSA Journal
• Subjects: Ethyl cellulose; E 462; technological additive; safety; efficacy
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6210

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on ethyl cellulose as a feed additive for all animal species. Ethyl cellulose is intended for use as a technological additive (functional group: stabiliser) in premixtures and feedingstuffs for all animal species with no minimum and maximum content. A proper identification and characterisation of ethyl cellulose as required for a feed additive is not available and the occurrence of potential toxic impurities cannot be assessed. The following conclusions apply only to ethyl cellulose meeting the food additive specifications. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that ethyl cellulose is considered safe for all animal species. The use of ethyl cellulose in animal nutrition is of no concern for consumer safety. In the absence of data, the FEEDAP Panel was not in the position to conclude on the safety of ethyl cellulose for the user. The use of ethyl cellulose as a feed additive is considered safe for the environment. The additive is considered to be efficacious in feedingstuffs for all animal species.