Agar

In the current application an authorisation is sought under Article 4 for agar, under the category 1 ‘technological’, functional groups (c) 'emulsifiers’, (d) ‘stabilisers’, (e) ‘thickeners’ and (f) 'gelling agents’ according to Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. The authorisation is sought for pets and other non-food-producing animals.
According to the Applicant, the feed additive corresponds to the active substance. Agar is intended to be added directly to compound feed. A recommended maximum content of 5 % complete feed is proposed.
The EURL recommends for official control the above-mentioned methods described in the FAO JECFA monograph – as recommended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 231/2012 - to characterise the feed additive.
The Applicant did not provide experimental data or any analytical methods for the quantification of the feed additive in compound feed as the accurate determination of agar in this matrix is not achievable experimentally. Therefore, the EURL cannot evaluate nor recommend any method for official control to quantify agar in compound feed.
Further testing or validation of the methods to be performed through the consortium of National Reference Laboratories as specified by Article 10 (Commission Regulation (EC) No 378/2005 and relevant amendments) is not considered necessary.