Safety of hexamethylene tetramine for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses.
Abstract: 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 hexamethylene tetramine (HMTA) for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses. In 2015, the FEEDAP Panel delivered an opinion on the safety and efficacy of HMTA. In that opinion, the Panel noted that the residues of HMTA in the silage amounted to about 5% of the inclusion level of 600 mg HMTA/kg fresh ensiling material. Since the HMTA residues in silage were analysed as formaldehyde, it was not possible to quantify the contribution of formaldehyde and HMTA to the residues. In the absence of a qualitative and quantitative characterisation of the residues, the Panel could not conclude on the safety of HMTA for the target species. Based on the results of a new study in which HMTA was measured in silage, the concentration of HMTA dropped below the limit of quantification of 6 mg HMTA/kg silage, which corresponds to ~ 1% of the HMTA inclusion level in the fresh ensiling material. However, the formaldehyde concentration was not analysed in the silage. In the absence of a qualitative and quantitative characterisation of the residues, the Panel cannot conclude on the safety of HMTA for the target species.
© 2020 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority.
Publication Date: 2020-02-14 PubMed ID: 32874222PubMed Central: PMC7447868DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6012Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research seeks to clarify the safety of hexamethylene tetramine (HMTA), a substance used in animal feed, for different types of animals. Unfortunately, due to an inability to accurately measure the residues of HMTA and formaldehyde in the animal feed used in this study, the researchers could not conclusively determine if it is safe for the animals to consume.
Background and Aim of the Study
- This research was performed upon the request of the European Commission, focusing on the substance hexamethylene tetramine (HMTA) used in animal feed. The study was meant to evaluate the safety of HMTA for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits, and horses.
- In 2015, the FEEDAP (Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed) delivered an opinion on HMTA’s safety and efficacy. During that time, they found that about 5% of the 600 mg HMTA/kg of fresh ensiling material ended up as residues in the silage. However, they were unable to clearly identify the ratio of residues between formaldehyde and HMTA, leading to an inconclusive opinion on the safety of HMTA.
Methods and Findings of the Study
- To clarify this issue, a new study was conducted, aiming to measure the concentration of HMTA in the silage. It was found that the concentration of HMTA in the silage was below the quantifiable limit of 6 mg HMTA/kg, which is approximately only 1% of the initial HMTA volume in the fresh ensiling material.
- Beyond this, the study did not analyze the concentration of formaldehyde in the silage. Hence, without a proper qualitative and quantitative characterization of the residues of both HMTA and formaldehyde, the researchers were unable to reach a conclusion about the safety of HMTA for the target animals.
Implications of the Study
- Due to these inconclusive results, further research is needed to accurately identify and measure the residues of HMTA and formaldehyde in the animal feed. Understanding this would help gain insights about the safety levels of HMTA for various animal species.
- Given that HMTA is being used widely in animal feed, this marks an important area for research and regulation. Its implications also extend to human health, considering that these animals are often part of the human food chain.
Cite This Article
APA
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Dusemund B, Kouba M, Kos Durjava M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M, Ramos F, Sanz Y, Villa RE, Woutersen R, Aquilina G, Bories G, Gropp J, Nebbia C, Innocenti ML.
(2020).
Safety of hexamethylene tetramine for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses.
EFSA J, 18(2), e06012.
https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6012 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
References
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Wang J, Zhang X, Chen M, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Liu J. Modulating Reaction Kinetics Using an Electrolytic Method to Achieve Efficient Vehicle Identification Number Reappearance. Micromachines (Basel) 2025 May 15;16(5).
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