Safety and efficacy of zinc chelates of lysine and glutamic acid as feed additive for all animal species

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of zinc chelates of lysine and glutamic acid (Zinc-LG) as a nutritional feed additive for all animal species. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) Panel concludes that, owing to safety considerations, the simultaneous use of both feed and water supplemented with Zinc-LG should be avoided. Zinc-LG is safe for chickens for fattening; this conclusion can be extrapolated to all animal species/categories provided that the maximum authorised levels in the EU for total zinc in feed are not exceeded. No increases in the zinc content of animal tissues and products are expected from the use of Zinc-LG in animal nutrition. There is no indication that the toxicity of Zinc-LG is essentially different from that described for inorganic divalent zinc. The use of Zinc-LG in animal nutrition is of no concern for consumer safety provided that the maximum authorised total zinc levels in feed are respected. Owing to its zinc content, the handling of the additive poses a risk to users by inhalation. The additive is considered as a skin and respiratory sensitiser; it is non-irritant to eye and to skin. Zinc-LG is intended to be a substitute for other authorised zinc additives and will not further increase the environmental burden of zinc; therefore, the FEEDAP Panel considers that the use of the additive in animal nutrition would not pose an additional risk for the environment. Zinc-LG is a source of bioavailable zinc, comparable to the standard inorganic zinc source, and therefore, the additive is efficacious in meeting the birds zinc requirements; this conclusion can be extrapolated to all animal species/categories. The FEEDAP Panel posed a recommendation concerning the description of the additive.