COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGUL ATION (EU) 2021/506 
of 23 March 2021 
concer ning the author isation of methanethiol as a feed additiv e for all animal species 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUR OPEAN COMMISSION, 
Havi ng regar d to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
Havi ng rega rd to Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 Sept ember 2003 on 
additives for use in animal nutr ition (1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1) Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 provid es for the author isation of additives for use in animal nutr ition and for the 
grounds and procedures for granting such author isation. Article 10(2) of that Regulation provides for the 
re-evaluation of additives author ised pursuant to Council Directive 70/524/EEC (2). 
(2) Methanethiol was author ised without a time limit, in accordance with Directive 70/524/EEC, as a feed additive for all 
animal species. This additive was subsequently entered in the Regist er of feed additives as an existing product, in 
accordance with Article 10(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. 
(3) In accordance with Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 in conjunction with Article 7 thereof, an 
application was submitted for the re-evaluation of methanethiol as a feed additive for all animal species. 
(4) The applicant requeste d the additive to be classifie d in the additive catego ry ‘sensor y additives ’ and in the functional 
group ‘flavouring compo unds ’. That application was accompan ied by the particulars and documents required under 
Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. 
(5) The European Food Safety Authority (‘the Author ity’) concluded in its opinions of 17 Apr il 2013 (3) and 
30 Sept ember 2020 (4) that, under the proposed conditions of use, methanethiol does not have an adverse effect on 
animal health, human health or the environment. It also concluded that the additive should be considered as irritant 
to skin and eyes and to the respirato ry tract and no conclusions could be drawn on skin sensitisation. Theref ore, the 
Commission considers that appropr iate prot ective measures should be take n to prevent adverse effects on human 
health, in particular as regar ds the users of the additive. The Authority does not consider that there is a need for 
specifi c requirements of post-market monitoring. It also verified the repor t on the methods of analysis of the feed 
additives in feed submitted by the Reference Laborat ory set up by Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. 
(6) The assessment of methanethiol shows that the conditions for author isation, as provided for in Article 5 of 
Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003, are satisfi ed. According ly, the use of methanethiol should be author ised as specifi ed 
in the Annex to this Regulation. 
(7) Restr ictions and conditions should be provided for to allow better control. Since safety reasons do not require the 
setting of a maximum cont ent and taking into account the re-evaluation performe d by the Author ity, a 
recommended content should be indicate d on the label of the additive. Where such cont ent is exceeded, certain 
information should be indicated on the label of premixtures. 
(8) The fact that the use of the substance concer ned in wate r for drinking is not author ised does not preclude its use in 
compo und feed which is administe red via wate r. 
(1)OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, p. 29.
(2)Council Directive 70/524/EEC of 23 November 1970 concer ning additives in feedingstuffs (OJ L 270, 14.12.1970, p. 1).
(3)EFSA Journal 2013;11(5):3208.
(4)EFSA Journal 2020;18(11):6288.EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union L 102/4                                                                                                                                           24.3.2021   (9) Since safet y reasons do not require the immediate application of the modifications to the conditions of author isation 
of methanethiol, it is appropr iate to allow a transitional period for interest ed parties to prepare themselves to meet 
the new requirements resulting from the author isation. 
(10) The measures provid ed for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committ ee on 
Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGUL ATION: 
Article 1 
Author isation 
The substance specified in the Annex, belonging to the additive cate gory ‘sensor y additives’ and to the functional group 
‘flavouring compounds’, is author ised as an additive in animal nutr ition, subject to the conditions laid down in that Annex. 
Article 2 
Transitional Measures 
1. The substance specified in the Annex and premixtures containing this substance, which are produced and labelled 
before 13 October 2021, in accordance with the rules applicable before 13 Apr il 2021, may continue to be placed on the 
mark et and used until the existing stoc ks are exhaust ed. 
2. Com pound feed and feed mat erials containing the substance as specified in the Annex, which are produced and 
labelled before 13 Apr il 2022, in accordance with the rules applicable before 13 Apr il 2021, may continue to be placed on 
the mark et and used until the existing stoc ks are exhaust ed, if they are intended for food-producing animals. 
3. Com pound feed and feed mat erials containing the substance as specified in the Annex, which are produced and 
labelled before 13 Apr il 2023, in accordance with the rules applicable before 13 Apr il 2021, may continue to be placed on 
the mark et and used until the existing stoc ks are exhaust ed, if they are intended for non-f ood-producing animals. 
Article 3 
Entr y into force 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day followi ng that of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, 23 Marc h 2021.  
For the Commission 
The President 
Ursula VON DER LEYEN     EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 24.3.2021                                                                                                                                           L 102/5   ANNEX 
Identification 
number of the 
additive Additive Composition, chemical formula, descr iption, 
analytical method Species or 
categ ory of 
animal Maximum 
age Minimum 
conten t Maximum 
conten t 
Other provisi ons End of period of 
author isation mg of active substance/kg of 
complet e feedingstuff with a 
moisture conten t of 12 % 
Categor y: sensor y additiv es. Functional group: flavour ing compounds. 
2b12003 Methanethiol Additive composition 
Methanethiol 
Char acter isation of active substance 
Methanethiol 
Produced by chemical synthesis 
Purity: min. 98 % 
Chemical formula: CH 4S 
CAS number: 74-93-1 
FLAVIS No 12.003 All animal 
species - - - 1.The additive shall be incor porat ed 
into the feed in the form of a 
premixture. 
2.In the directions for use of the 
additive and premixtures, the 
stora ge and stability to heat 
treatment shall be indicated . 
3.On the label of the additive the 
follo wing shall be indicated: 
‘Recommended maximum 
conte nt of the active substance of 
compl ete feedingstuff with a 
moisture conte nt of 12 %:  
0,05 mg/kg.’ 
4.The functional group, the 
identif ication number , the name 
and the added amount of the 
active substance shall be 
indicated on the label of the 
premixtures, if the following 
conte nts of the active substance 
in compl ete feedingstuff with a 
moisture content of 12 % are 
exceed ed: 0,05 mg/kg 13.4.2031 
Analytical method (1) 
For the identification of methanethiol in 
the feed additive and flavouring 
premixtures: 
Gas chromat ography mass spectrometr y 
with retention time locking GC-MS-RT L. EN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union L 102/6                                                                                                                                           24.3.2021   5.For users of the additive and 
premixtures, feed business 
operat ors shall establish 
operational procedures and 
organisational measures to 
address poten tial risks by 
inhalation, dermal contact or 
eyes contact. Where those risks 
cannot be eliminated or reduced 
to a minimum by such procedures 
and measures, the additive and 
premixtures shall be used with 
personal prote ctive equipment, 
including breathing, skin and eye 
prote ction. 
(1) Details of the analytical methods are avail able at the follo wing address of the Reference Laboratory : https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eurl/feed-additives/evaluation-repor tsEN Offi cial Jour nal of the European Union 24.3.2021                                                                                                                                           L 102/7