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 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methylfuran-2(5H)-one and 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)-one (furanones and tetrahydrofurfuryl derivatives belonging to chemical group 13) when used as flavors for all animal species. These two additives are currently listed in the European Union database of flavoring substances and are authorized for use as flavors in food.
These additives are safe at concentrations of 0.05 mg/kg feed for salmonids. The proposed concentration of 0.08 mg flavoring compound/kg feed is unlikely to have detrimental effects on the environment except when used in feed for fish in sea cages, in which case the safe concentration would be 0.047 mg/kg. At the levels safe for target animal species these products are safe for the consumers of animal products.
The FEEDAP Panel considers it prudent to treat the compounds under assessment as irritant to skin, eyes and the respiratory tract and as skin sensitisers.
Since both compounds are used in food as flavorings, and their function in feed is essentially the same as that in food, no further demonstration of efficacy is necessary.
Download full EFSA opinion from the link below.
