Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1784 of 9 September 2025 concerning the authorisation of capsaicin as a feed additive for all animal species
Date: 2025-09-09
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: animal feedingstuffs, flavouring, market approval








L_202501784EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/1784


10.9.2025







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2025/1784
of 9 September 2025
         
concerning the authorisation of capsaicin as a feed additive for all animal species
(Text with EEA relevance)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition (1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 provides for the authorisation of additives for use in animal nutrition and for the grounds and procedures for granting such an authorisation.












(2)


In accordance with Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003, an application was submitted for the authorisation of capsaicin. That application was accompanied by the particulars and documents required under Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.












(3)


The application concerns the authorisation of capsaicin as a feed additive for all animal species, requesting that additive to be classified in the category ‘sensory additives’ and in the functional group ‘flavouring compounds’.












(4)


The European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) concluded in its opinion of 18 March 2025 (2) that, under the proposed conditions of use, capsaicin is safe for all animal species, consumers and the environment. It also concluded that capsaicin is a respiratory and skin irritant and is assumed to be an eye irritant. Capsaicin is not dermal sensitiser. Finally, any exposure to capsaicin to users is considered a risk. The Authority further concluded that since capsaicin is recognised to flavour food and its function in feed would be essentially the same as that in food, no further demonstration of its efficacy is considered necessary. The Authority did not consider that there is a need for specific requirements of post-market monitoring. The Authority also verified the report on the method of analysis of the feed additive in feed submitted by the Reference Laboratory set up by Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.












(5)


In view of the above, the Commission considers that capsaicin satisfies the conditions, as provided for in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. Accordingly, the use of that additive should be authorised for all animal species. Capsaicin is an additive that has zootechnical and medicinal effects, such as positive effects in performance or protection against certain pathogens. In order to prevent the use of doses of the additive which could potentially lead to such zootechnical or medicinal effects on animals, it is necessary to establish a maximum content for capsaicin in feed. In addition, the Commission considers that appropriate protective measures should be taken to prevent adverse effects on the health of the users of the additive.












(6)


The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1

Authorisation

The substance specified in the Annex, belonging to the additive category ‘sensory additives’ and to the functional group ‘flavouring compounds’, is authorised as an additive in animal nutrition, subject to the conditions laid down in that Annex.


Article 2

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following 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, 9 September 2025.


For the Commission


The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN
            





(1)  
            OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, p. 29, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2003/1831/oj.

(2)  
            EFSA Journal 2025; 23:e9340, https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9340.




ANNEX













Identification number of the feed additive


Additive


Composition, chemical formula, description, analytical method


Species or category of animal


Maximum age


Minimum content


Maximum content


Other provisions


End of period of authorisation




mg of the active substance/kg of complete feedingstuff with a moisture content of 12 %





Category: sensory additives. Functional group: flavouring compounds





2b92458


Capsaicin



Additive composition

Capsaicin
Solid form

Characterisation of the active substance

Capsaicin
Produced by chemical synthesis
Chemical formula: C18H27NO3

CAS number: 404-86-4
FEMA number: 3404
Purity: min. 98 %
(E)-capsaicin (trans-capsaicin) to (Z)-capsaicin (cis-capsaicin) (E)-/(Z)-capsaicin ratio: ≥ 6:1

Analytical method
 (1)

For the determination of capsaicin in the feed additive, premixtures and compound feed: high performance liquid chromatography coupled to spectrophotometric detection
(HPLC-UV)


Poultry


 


 


6,5 








1.


The additive shall be incorporated into the feed in the form of a premixture.










2.


In the directions for use of the additive and premixtures, the storage conditions and stability to heat treatment shall be indicated.










3.


For users of the additive and premixtures, feed business operators shall establish operational procedures and organisational measures to address potential risks resulting from their use. Where those risks cannot be eliminated by such procedures and measures, the additive and premixtures shall be used with personal skin, eye and breathing protective equipment.






30 September 2035




Ornamental birds


 


 


6,5 




Porcine species


 


 


6,5 




Ruminants and camelids


 


 


6,5 




Equines


 


 


6,5 




Leporids


 


 


6,5 




Salmonids and minor finfish


 


 


6,5 




Ornamental fish


 


 


6,5 




Dogs


 


 


6,5 




Cats


 


 


5,3 




Other species and categories


 


 


5,3 






(1)  Details of the analytical methods are available at the following address of the Reference Laboratory: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/eurl-fa-eurl-feed-additives/eurl-fa-authorisation/eurl-fa-evaluation-reports_en.



ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1784/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)