Safety and efficacy of feed additives obtained from the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L.: anise oil for use in poultry and horses and anise tincture for use in poultry, dogs, cats and horses (FEFANA asbl).

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has evaluated anise oil and anise tincture obtained from the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L. for use as sensory additives in animal feed, focusing on safety and effectiveness. The anise derivatives were generally regarded as safe for poultry, dogs, cats and horses at proposed use levels. One safety concern is that the additive contains estragole, which can cause genetic defects and cancer, posing risks to handlers. It is also an irritant to skin and eyes. The study also found no environmental risk from the use of these additives. Efficacy was not tested because the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L. and its preparations are already recognized to flavour food.

Overview of Research Intent and Ingredients

• The research was carried out by the EFSA at the behest of the European Commission, with the goal of determining the safety and efficacy of anise oil and anise tincture as sensory additives in feeds for various animals.
• The additives are derived from the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L., a plant commonly known as anise. The two forms assessed were anise oil and anise tincture.

Safety Assessment of Anise Derivatives

• EFSA found that the additives did not present a high safety concern at the proposed usage levels for different animal breeds and species, including horses, laying hens, and fattening chickens and turkeys.
• However, caution is needed due to the presence of estragole, a compound present in anise oil and tincture at a concentration of at least 1%. Estragole is classified as potentially causing genetic defects and cancer.
• Due to these risks, both additives should be considered irritants to skin and eyes, and could cause dermal and respiratory sensitization.

Environmental and Consumer Safety Considerations

• The research found that usage of these additives in animal feed did not pose a significant risk to the environment.
• The usage of these additives was not expected to pose a high concern for consumers. In other words, the ingestion of products from animals fed with these additives is not likely to cause harmful effects in humans.

Efficacy of Anise Derivatives

• The EFSA did not conduct further efficacy tests as the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L. and its preparations are already known to be flavoring substances in food. This implied that they would have similar effects when used in animal feed.