Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Miya-Gold (R) (Clostridium butyricum) for turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding

Miya-Gold (R) is the trade name for a feed additive based on a single strain of Clostridium butyricum. EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of the product Miya-Gold (R) when used with turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding at a dose of 1.25 x 10(8) colony-forming units (CFU)/kg feed. The product was characterised in a previous opinion on chickens for fattening. At that time, safety for the consumers, users of the product and the environment was assessed and found not to give rise to concerns. Subsequently, new data based on the analysis of whole genome sequence have been provided. As a consequence, the present opinion considers the elements of safety assessment related to the new genomic data, the new target species and the efficacy of the product when used with turkeys for fattening and turkeys reared for breeding. The extension of use for turkeys and the new data on the whole genome sequence of the C. butyricum strain do not raise issues which would lead to revision of the conclusions on the safety of the product for consumers, users and the environment reached in previous opinions. Miya-Gold (R) is safe for turkeys for fattening at the recommended dose of at 1.25 x 10(8) CFU/kg feed. Safety established in turkeys for fattening applies to turkeys reared for breeding. A meta-analysis pooling data from four trials showed significant improvement in daily weight gain and feed to gain ratio when Miya-Gold (R) was supplemented at the minimum recommended dose of 1.25 x 10(8) CFU/kg feed. The FEEDAP Panel concludes that the additive has the potential to improve performance in turkeys for fattening at the recommended dose. This conclusion can be extended to turkeys reared for breeding. (C) European Food Safety Authority, 2014