Feed Additives Vs Feed Materials In The EU: Key Differences, Regulations & Compliance (2025 Update)

In the European Union (EU), ingredients used in animal feed are strictly regulated to ensure safety, transparency, and animal welfare. These ingredients fall under two main categories: Feed Additives and Feed Materials.

While both categories are essential in animal nutrition, they differ in purpose, authorization process, and regulatory obligations. Understanding these differences helps feed manufacturers, nutrition companies, and ingredient suppliers choose the correct regulatory pathway to bring their products to the EU market.

What Are Feed Additives?

Feed additives are ingredients intentionally added to animal feed to achieve specific technological, nutritional, or physiological effects.

They are designed to:

• Improve feed quality or digestibility
• Enhancing animal health or performance
• Improve the quality of animal-derived products (e.g., milk, eggs, meat)

Authorization Process

Unlike feed materials, feed additives require formal authorization before entering the EU market. This authorization ensures that the additive is safe, effective, and traceable.

Two types of authorizations exist under Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003:

1. Applicant-Specific Authorizations

These are granted exclusively to the applicant and apply to:

• Zootechnical additives – Enhance animal performance, such as digestibility enhancers or gut flora stabilizers.
• Coccidiostats and histomonostats – Used to control protozoan parasites like Eimeria or Histamines.
• Additives derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Key benefit: Data exclusivity — competitors cannot use the applicant’s data for their authorization.

2. Generic Authorizations

These apply to broader additive categories including:

• Technological additives (e.g., preservatives, antioxidants, binders)
• Sensory additives (e.g., colorants, flavorings)
• Nutritional additives (e.g., vitamins, amino acids, minerals)

Each authorization remains valid for 10 years, after which a renewal application must be submitted at least one year before expiry.

What Are Feed Materials?

Feed materials are ingredients that directly meet the nutritional requirements of animals. They are the foundation of most feed formulations and include grains, oilseeds, minerals, proteins, and plant extracts.

Unlike feed additives, feed materials only require notification, not premarket authorization.

Once notified through the EU Feed Materials Register, they can be marketed immediately — though post-market regulatory reviews may occur, and unsafe ingredients can be removed.

Feed Materials Catalogue (Commission Regulation (EU) No 68/2013)

This regulation provides a detailed catalogue that includes:

• Feed material name and number
• Description and origin
• Compulsory declaration (composition and characteristics)

Examples of Feed Materials

Feed materials cover a wide variety of sources, such as:

• Cereal grains (wheat, maize, barley)
• Oil seeds and fruits (soybean meal, sunflower)
• Legumes, tubers, roots (peas, potatoes)
• Fermentation by-products (yeast cultures, organic acids)
• Milk products (why powder, lactose)
• Minerals and trace elements (limestone, salt, phosphates)

There’s also a miscellaneous category for substances such as sugars, starches, fatty acid derivatives, and glycerin.

Only the first business introducing new feed material must register for it. Once it’s listed, other manufacturers can use the same registration if the ingredient is identical.

Feed Additives vs Feed Materials: The Key Differences

In short, feed additives serve a technological or functional purpose, while feed materials fulfill nutritional needs — though some may also exhibit additive-like properties.

Ensuring Compliance and Market Readiness

Before placing any feed ingredient on the market, companies must ensure compliance with:

• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
• EU Feed Hygiene Regulation (EC) No 183/2005
• Feed Additive Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003
• Feed Materials Catalogue (EU No 68/2013)

Documentation should demonstrate:

• Safety for animals, humans, and the environment
• Accurate labeling and traceability
• Compliance with purity and composition standards

At Maven Regulatory Solutions, we assist manufacturers and suppliers with:

• Determining the correct regulatory classification (additive vs material)
• Preparing and submitting feed additive dossiers for EFSA review
• Managing feed material notifications and documentation
• Supporting renewal applications and post-market compliance

The Future of Feed Regulation in the EU (2025 Outlook)

The EU continues to strengthen its oversight of animal nutrition products to ensure safety, transparency, and sustainability. In 2025, trends include:

• Increased data transparency in EFSA evaluations
• Focus on sustainable, non-GMO feed ingredients
• Adoption of biotech and fermentation-based feed sources
• Stricter traceability and labeling requirements

By staying ahead of these regulatory updates, feed manufacturers can ensure faster approval timelines and market access across the EU and global regions.

Conclusion

The distinction between feed additives and feed materials is essential for regulatory success in the EU. While additives require formal authorization and detailed EFSA review, feed materials only need notification under the Feed Materials Register.

Choosing the right category early in product development saves time, reduces compliance risks, and ensures smooth entry into the European market.

At Maven Regulatory Solutions, we specialize in helping global clients navigate EU feed regulations, prepare dossiers, and achieve compliance with confidence.