BIOMIN feed additives receive EU authorisation for anti-mycotoxin claim 

Feed additive company, BIOMIN, has announced the EU authorisation of two products which reduce mycotoxins contamination in feed.

Two products from BIOMIN's Mycofix^® product line, Mycofix^® Secure (bentonite/dioctahedral montmorillonite) and Biomin^® BBSH 797 (Gen. nov. sp. nov., formerly Eubacterium), have become the first products to be authorised by the EU as substances with proven mycotoxin counteracting properties.

A microorganism which aids the biodegradation of trichothecenes, Biomin^® BBSH 797 contains a patented active bacterium which modifies the structure of these mycotoxins. The biotransformation process renders trichothecenes, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), harmless, thus making BBSH 797 a valuable feed additive for pigs which are considered to be most susceptible to in-feed DON contamination.

Mycofix^® Secure is a bentonite (dioctahedral montmorillonite) which has fulfilled the strict requirements on aflatoxin-binding capability according to the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL). In cooperation with the EURL, BIOMIN developed an analytical method to characterise the AfB1-binding capacity of bentonites, which has now become a crucial part of the authorisation process for aflatoxin binders. These efforts have paved the way for legalising 'aflatoxin-binding' as an official claim.

The process towards the authorisation of Mycofix^® Secure and Biomin^® BBSH 797 in the EU began when the EU Association of Specialty Feed Ingredients and their Mixtures, or FEFANA, established the Task Force 'Mycotoxins' in 2005.

In 2009, the Task Force succeeded in opening a new functional group for mycotoxin counteracting products, a landmark development in the official approval of mycotoxin-deactivating products in the EU. This led to the publication of stringent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) guidance for anti-mycotoxin product registration, including proofs for mycotoxin and species specificity, efficacy and safety, which have generally deterred the industry from submitting dossiers for EU authorisation of anti-mycotoxin feed additives.

BIOMIN is reportedly the first feed additive company to submit a dossier which legalised the claim of 'aflatoxin-binding' properties (Mycofix® Secure) in 2010. This was followed with a dossier for the 'biodegradation of trichothecenes' (Biomin^® BBSH 797) in 2012.

After a thorough scientific evaluation process, EFSA determined that the feed additives are capable of reducing the negative impacts of mycotoxins in animals.