A feed additive is an additive of extra nutrient or drug for

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

. Such additives include

vitamins A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrien ...

, amino acids,

fatty acids In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated and unsaturated compounds#Organic chemistry, saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an B ...

minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed ...

pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...

, fungal products and steroidal compounds. The additives might impact feed presentation, hygiene, digestibility, or effect on intestinal health.Merck Manual October 201
Nutritional Requirements of Beef Cattle
Page accessed March 18, 2015

Examples

Amino acids

Methionine, lysine, and

tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α-carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic ...

are commonly deficient in animal diets, so these amino acids are added to feed. In the case of methionine, 2-Hydroxy-4-(methylthio)butyric acid is often use in the place of methionine.

"Minerals"

Several elements enhance the growth characteristics of animals. Elements themselves are rarely used as additives but derivatives thereof.

Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide (EDDI) is a water-soluble salt derived from ethylenediamine and hydroiodic acid. It is a colorless to light yellow crystalline powder. The salt consists of the ethylenediammonium dication C2H4(NH3)22+ and iodide anio ...

(EDDI) is added to

pet food Pet food is animal feed intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for animals is a byproduct of the human food ind ...

and cattle feed to prevent

iodine deficiency Iodine deficiency is a lack of the trace element iodine, an essential nutrient in the diet. It may result in metabolic problems such as goiter, sometimes as an endemic goiter as well as congenital iodine deficiency syndrome due to untreated cong ...

. A controversial additive is

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, ...

, often supplied in the form of the

organoarsenic compound Organoarsenic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds containing a chemical bond between arsenic and carbon. A few organoarsenic compounds, also called "organoarsenicals," are produced industrially with uses as insecticides, herbicides, and fu ...

called roxarsone. It has been used in

poultry production Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion ch ...

to increase weight gain and improve feed efficiency, and as a

coccidiostat A coccidiostat is an antiprotozoal agent that acts upon Coccidia parasites. Examples include: * Amprolium * Arprinocid * Artemether * Clazuril * Clopidol * Decoquinate * Diclazuril * Dinitolmide * Ethopabate * Halofuginone * Lasalocid * M ...

. As of June 2011, it was approved for chicken feed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, Australia, and 12 other countries. The drug was also approved in the United States and elsewhere for use in

pigs The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus ...

. Because of the essential character of the cobalt-containing

vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in metabolism. It is one of eight B vitamins. It is required by animals, which use it as a cofactor in DNA synthesis, in both fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. ...

, cobalt compounds are used in animal feeds, especially for

ruminant Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The ...

Regulation

United States

Prior to the Animal Drug Availability Act 1996, animal feed was available in two fashions:

over-the-counter Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...

transacted, and by prescription from a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

. Its associated regulation introduced the concept of a medicated feed, which is also available over-the-counter. The terminology for

Veterinary Feed Directive A Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) is, under the law of the United States, a written authorization allowing animal keepers to use animal feed containing specified antibiotics in accordance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved directions ...

was introduced by the Act.

EU

According to EU Regulation 1831/2003, all feed additives to be placed on the market within the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

have to undergo a thorough approval process. Those who seek approval for the products as livestock food additives must submit them to the

European Food Safety Authority The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002, ...

(EFSA), the European Reference Laboratory, the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

and the member states. Evaluation criteria include safety for the animals, consumers and factory workers. For additives claiming an increase in "zootechnical" performance, sufficient empirical data must be presented to confirm those claims. The last category was banned in 2009 by the EU, and replaced with

probiotic Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria- host ...

alternatives.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feed Additive Food additives Excipients Livestock