Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Biosprint® (Saccharomyces cerevisiaeMUCL 39885) for minor ruminant species for meat and milk production

Biosprint (R) is a zootechnical feed additive consisting of a dried preparation of a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is already authorised for use in feed for piglets, cattle for fattening, dairy cows, horses and sows. The applicant has now requested that the product be authorised for use as a zootechnical additive (functional group: gut flora stabilisers) in diets for dairy buffaloes, dairy sheep and dairy goats, and for buffaloes and goats for fattening. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is considered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the production strain has been previously established and as the additive essentially consists of only the active agent, safety for the new target species, for consumers of milk and/or meat derived from minor ruminants and for the environment is presumed. The efficacy of the additive has been demonstrated for dairy cows and cattle for fattening (considered the relevant major species). As the mechanism of action of the additive can be reasonably assumed to be the same, efficacy for minor ruminant species used for milk and/or for fattening when used at minimum doses established for the major species can be presumed without the need for specific studies. This would be 2 x 10(9) colony-forming units (CFU)/kg feed for minor dairy ruminants and 4 x 10(9) CFU/kg feed for minor ruminants used for fattening.