Share your thoughts: Proposed new livestock feed ingredient - Sodium butyrate
Current status: Closed
This consultation ran from June 9, 2023 to July 9, 2023.
About the consultation
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking comments on the following proposed new single ingredient feed (SIF) description for sodium butyrate.
Background
The Feeds Regulations require a proponent to submit a pre-market application for SIFs that are new, have been modified such that they differ significantly from a conventional SIF, or are for a new purpose. The CFIA evaluates the information in the application to establish that the SIF is safe, effective, and labelled correctly.
Approved SIFs are currently listed and defined in Schedules IV and V of the Feeds Regulations, with appropriate guarantees, standards, and labelling requirements. The CFIA will be transitioning to the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT) that will be incorporated by reference into the Feeds Regulations, 2023 when they come into effect. In preparation for this new approach, the CFIA is consulting on new or amended SIFs so they can be added to the CFIT once it comes into effect. More information on this is available in the Notice to industry: Consultations on new or amended single ingredient feed descriptions.
About the assessment
The CFIA's Animal Feed Program has completed a detailed assessment of an application for the approval of a new SIF: sodium butyrate.
The assessment considered information related to:
- the safety of feeding this SIF to livestock with respect to animal health
- the safety of people who consume food derived from livestock that eat this SIF
- the safety of workers/bystanders exposed to this SIF
- environmental safety
- an assessment of the fit-for-purpose and efficacy for this SIF, for the intended livestock species
The results of the CFIA's evaluation of available scientific data supports the safety and efficacy of sodium butyrate and its intended purpose as a component of gut modifier products in complete feeds for swine and poultry. Therefore, the CFIA recommends sodium butyrate be approved as a new SIF and added to the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT), accordingly.
Proposed SIF description
The CFIA intends to add sodium butyrate to the CFIT under Subclass 6.19.3 (Gut modifier ingredients – Acids) of Class 6 (Non-nutritive ingredients) in part 1 of the CFIT with the following description:
Sodium butyrate (or sodium butanoate)
is the sodium salt of butyric acid, generally expressed as CH3(CH2)2COONa, and having the CAS# 156-54-7.
This ingredient is approved for use as a component of gut modifier products in an amount not to exceed 0.12% (1200 mg/kg) of the complete feed for swine and poultry.
It shall be labelled with the following statement:
- "This ingredient is approved for use as a component of gut modifier products in an amount not to exceed 0.12% (1200 mg/kg) of the complete feed for swine and poultry."
It shall be labelled with a guarantee for minimum percent sodium butyrate.
An ingredient number will be assigned at the time the SIF is added to the CFIT.
Additional information
Sodium butyrate is a well-defined chemical substance with no source specific concerns, and therefore is to be placed into part 1 of the CFIT. This SIF is approved as a component of gut modifier products in complete feeds for poultry and swine. The SIF description for sodium butyrate is similar to the descriptions for other acids (for example, butyric acid), that are approved for use as components of gut modifier products. Sodium butyrate is converted into butyric acid after ingestion, which is already approved as a component of gut modifier products for poultry and swine in the CFIT.
Sodium butyrate has a maximum inclusion rate (1200 mg/kg) that cannot be exceeded in complete feeds for swine and poultry. The maximum inclusion rate was set at 1200 mg/kg based on the maximum inclusion rate allowed for butyric acid (1000 mg/kg) and the conversion of sodium butyrate to butyric acid.
Who was the focus of this consultation
Animal feed stakeholders, including:
- suppliers of feed ingredients
- commercial feed manufacturers
- feed importers, distributors and retailers
- industry associations
- other government departments
- international trading partners
- veterinarians
All comments are welcome from industry, governments, the public, or other organizations or individuals.
How to participate
The CFIA is seeking feedback on the proposed description for sodium butyrate.
Stakeholders are encouraged to share comments if there are:
- concerns about the accuracy of SIF description
- additional scientific data that should be considered before the SIF is approved
Scientific questions or information will be reviewed by the CFIA evaluators for consideration in the assessment. Non-scientific input will be evaluated and appropriate ways of addressing it will be explored.
Comments can be sent by email to the Animal Feed Program at cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca. Please use "sodium butyrate" in the subject line of the email. The CFIA is asking for comments and feedback by July 9, 2023, 30 days from the date of this posting.
Next steps
The CFIA will review all of the comments received, if no significant scientifically valid concerns are raised, the CFIA will finalize the approval of sodium butyrate and issue the approval to the applicant. If there are significant concerns raised, the CFIA will evaluate the additional information and may, subject to the commenters consent, forward the comments to the applicant for their response. A what we heard report that summarizes the feedback received will be published.
The SIF will be added to the CFIT at the next update, following publication of the Feeds Regulations, 2023.
Related information
- Feeds Regulations
- Feeds Act
- Consultations on proposed regulatory and policy changes
- Notice to industry: Consultations on new or amended single ingredient feed descriptions
Contact us
Animal Feed Program (AFP)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y9
Email: cfia.afp-paa.acia@inspection.gc.ca
- Date modified: