Safety and efficacy of vermiculite as a feed additive for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses

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 vermiculite as a feed additive for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses. Vermiculite, which is a magnesium aluminium iron silicate, is intended for use as a technological additive (functional groups: binders and anticaking agents) in premixtures and feedingstuffs for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses, with no proposed minimum or maximum concentration. The applicant reported a maximum inclusion level, derived from the use of the additive in premixtures of preservatives, of about 50,000 mg/kg complete feed, and suggested typical inclusion levels in complete feedingstuffs below 10,000 mg/kg. The FEEDAP Panel could not conclude on the safety of vermiculite for the target species and the users. The additive is considered safe for the consumer and the environment at the proposed conditions of use. In the absence of data, the Panel could not conclude on the efficacy of vermiculite as a pellet binder or as an anticaking agent.