Carotenal, Ethyl Ester of Β-Apo-8’-Carotenoic Acid, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Concluding Remarks
The EFSA Journal (2009) 1098, 1-48 SCIENTIFIC OPINION Safety of use of colouring agents in animal nutrition1 Part III: β-apo-8’-carotenal, ethyl ester of β-apo-8’-carotenoic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin and concluding remarks Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (Question No EFSA-Q-2003-060) Adopted on 12 May 2009 ∗ PANEL MEMBERS Georges Bories, Paul Brantom, Joaquim Brufau de Barberà, Andrew Chesson, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, Bogdan Debski, Noël Dierick, Jürgen Gropp, Ingrid Halle, Christer Hogstrand, Joop de Knecht, Lubomir Leng, Sven Lindgren, Anne-Katrine Lundebye Haldorsen, Alberto Mantovani, Miklós Mézes, Carlo Nebbia, Walter Rambeck, Guido Rychen, Atte von Wright and Pieter Wester SUMMARY Following a request from the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety of use of colouring agents in animal nutrition. β-apo-8’-carotenal (trans-β-apo-8’-carotenaldehyde, known also as CI Food Orange 6) occurs abundantly in nature, although in very low concentrations. The effective feed concentration to colour egg yolk is 40 mg β-apo-8’-carotenal kg-1 complete feed for laying hens. However, when a red-pigmenting carotenoid like canthaxanthin is additionally used, the same effect will be reached with 10 mg β-apo-8’-carotenal kg-1 complete feed. Data for skin pigmentation are not available. Very limited information is available concerning the metabolic fate of β-apo-8’-carotenal in poultry. Dietary β-apo-8’-carotenal is deposited in the egg yolk as its oxidation product β-apo- 8’-carotenoic acid.
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