Animal feed additive regulation in the Common Market: rules, principles and ideas.

The fundamental factors which govern legislation relating to the use of additives are examined. The rules advocated are as follows: 1) All additives unless licensed remain strictly prohibited. 2) There must be a severe but realistic appraisal of additives to be authorised, taking into account the interests of the farmer and the health of the consumer, particularly in respect of cumulative toxicity and relay toxicity. 3) Periodic revision of licenses is necessary in the light of experience acquired and of new scientific knowledge. 4) Strict regulation of veterinary dispensing is necessary and it should not be possible to use prohibited additives through the lack of such a regulation. In other respects the veterinarian should prescribe substances which might leave residues only when there is adequate time for their disappearance before slaughter or in animals where the products are not for human consumption. 5) It should be possible to monitor all regulations. 6) It should be impossible to use compounds or drugs similar to those already authorized without new investigations and experiments on such additives. 7) Guidelines must be produced. Such European guidelines are now being discussed by a committee of experts. We hope that such guidelines will be studied by the FDA and a Joint Committee will be organised with the European Commission for relevant discussions.