EFSA Journal (Mar 2022)

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of sodium alginate for all animal species (ALGAIA)

  • 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 Fašmon 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,
  • Rosella Brozzi,
  • Jaume Galobart,
  • Lucilla Gregoretti,
  • Maria Vittoria Vettori,
  • Matteo Lorenzo Innocenti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7164
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 3
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

Read online

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 the safety and efficacy of sodium alginate for all animal species. The additive is intended to be used as a technological additive (functional groups: thickeners and gelling agents). Sodium alginate is intended to be used in feedingstuffs for all animal species at a proposed minimum concentration of 2,000 mg/kg feed and a maximum concentration of to 30,000 mg/kg feed. The data provided for the composition of the additive does not allow a proper assessment of the product consistency, purity and physico‐chemical properties. Sodium alginate is not irritant to skin but should be considered irritant to eyes, a skin and respiratory sensitiser and hazardous by inhalation. Sodium alginate is a high‐molecular‐weight polymer naturally occurring in brown algae. The use of sodium alginate in animal nutrition is considered safe for the consumers and the environment. No conclusion could be drawn on the safety of sodium alginate for the target species or on its efficacy as a thickener or gelling agent in feed.

Keywords