Safety and efficacy of maltol belonging to chemical group 12 when used as flavouring for all animal species

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scienti fi c opinion on the safety and ef fi cacy of maltol, a compound belonging to chemical group 12 (maltol derivatives and ketodioxane derivatives). Maltol is currently authorised as a fl avour in food. The FEEDAP Panel concludes that maltol added to the feed of all animal species is safe at the normal use level of 5 mg/kg feed. The high use level of 25 mg/kg feed is safe for all animal species except for piglets, chickens for fattening, laying hens and cats. No safety concern would arise for the consumer from the use of these compounds up to the highest proposed level in feeds. No speci fi c data on the safety for the user were provided. In the material safety data sheet, hazards for skin and eye contact and respiratory system are recognised for maltol. The proposed maximum use level in feed for maltol is unlikely to pose a risk for the terrestrial and fresh water environments. Because maltol is used in food as fl avouring, and its function in feed is essentially the same as that in food, no further demonstration of ef fi cacy is necessary.

[1]  Flavourings Scientific opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 213, Revision 2 (FGE.213rev2): consideration of genotoxic potential for α,β-unsaturated alicyclic ketones and precursors from chemical subgroup 2.7 of FGE.19. , 2014 .

[2]  M. Court Feline drug metabolism and disposition: pharmacokinetic evidence for species differences and molecular mechanisms. , 2013, The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice.

[3]  S. O’Brien,et al.  Evolution of a Major Drug Metabolizing Enzyme Defect in the Domestic Cat and Other Felidae: Phylogenetic Timing and the Role of Hypercarnivory , 2011, PloS one.

[4]  Flavourings,et al.  EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF); Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 212 Rev1 (FGE.212 Rev1):alpha,beta-Unsaturated alicyclic ketones and precursors from chemical subgroup 2.6 of FGE.19 , 2011 .

[5]  Joint Fao Evaluation of certain food additives. Seventy-first report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. , 2010, World Health Organization technical report series.

[6]  M. Dacasto,et al.  Comparison of Hydrolytic and Conjugative Biotransformation Pathways in Horse, Cattle, Pig, Broiler Chick, Rabbit and Rat Liver Subcellullar Fractions , 2006, Veterinary Research Communications.

[7]  Organización Mundial de la Salud Evaluation of certain food additives. Fifty-ninth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. , 2002, World Health Organization technical report series.

[8]  Joint Fao Evaluation of certain food additives. Fifty-first report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. , 2000, World Health Organization technical report series.

[9]  G. Burdock,et al.  Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients , 1997 .

[10]  D. Greenblatt,et al.  Molecular basis for deficient acetaminophen glucuronidation in cats. An interspecies comparison of enzyme kinetics in liver microsomes. , 1997, Biochemical pharmacology.

[11]  M. Barrand,et al.  Dissociation of a ferric maltol complex and its subsequent metabolism during absorption across the small intestine of the rat , 1991, British journal of pharmacology.

[12]  M. Barrand,et al.  Evidence for regulatory control of iron uptake from ferric maltol across the small intestine of the rat , 1991, British journal of pharmacology.

[13]  M. Barrand,et al.  Characteristics of iron(III) uptake by isolated fragments of rat small intestine in the presence of the hydroxypyrones, maltol and ethyl maltol. , 1988, Biochemical pharmacology.

[14]  M. James Conjugation of organic pollutants in aquatic species. , 1987, Environmental health perspectives.

[15]  M. Barrand,et al.  Effects of the pyrones, maltol and ethyl maltol, on iron absorption from the rat small intestine , 1987, The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology.

[16]  J. Watkins,et al.  Xenobiotic biotransformation in livestock: comparison to other species commonly used in toxicity testing. , 1986, Journal of animal science.

[17]  R. Macholz World Health Organization. Technical Report Series No. 669. Evaluation of certain food additives. Twenty-fifth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. 48 Seiten, WHO, Genf 1981. , 1982 .

[18]  H. H. Rennhard The metabolism of ethyl maltol and maltol in the dog. , 1971, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.