Safety and efficacy of Hemicell® HT (endo‐1,4‐β‐mannanase) as a feed additive for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying, turkey for fattening, turkeys reared for breeding, weaned piglets, pigs for fattening and minor poultry and porcine species

Hemicell® HT/HT-L is an additive that presents endo-1,4-b-mannanase produced by a genetically modified strain of Paenibacillus lentus. This additive is aimed to be used as a feed additive for chickens for fattening/ reared for laying, turkeys for fattening/reared for breeding, weaned piglets, pigs for fattening and minor poultry and porcine species. In a previous assessment, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) established the safety of the additive regarding the production strain, target species, consumer and user. However, limitations on the data regarding the absence of the production strain and its DNA did not permit to conclude on the safety of the additive for the environment. In that assessment, the Panel considered that the additive has a potential to be efficacious in the target species with the exception of pigs for fattening and in minor porcine species. The applicant provided new data to address the limitations identified. New data provided allowed the FEEDAP Panel to conclude that production strain and its recombinant DNA are not detected in the intermediate product used to formulate the additive. Therefore, the Panel concluded that the additive does not pose any environmental safety concern. Regarding the efficacy in pigs for fattening, the applicant provided a new analysis of the trials previously assessed which allowed the Panel to conclude that the additive has a potential to improve the feed to gain ratio at 32,000 U/ kg feed. No data was provided regarding the efficacy in minor porcine species. However, considering the data available in major porcine species and that the mode of action of enzymes is well-known and can be reasonably be considered to be similar among porcine species the Panel extrapolated the conclusion drawn in pigs for fattening to minor porcine species for fattening.