Safety of vitamin D₃ addition to feedingstuffs for fish

During 2012-2014, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) issued three opinions on the safety and efficacy of vitamin D₃ for all animal species and concluded that no safety concern was identified for the use of vitamin D₃ for fish at the maximum authorised content of 0.075 mg/kg feed. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority made available to the Commission some studies on the safety of vitamin D₃ for fish and consumers at substantially higher levels (1.5 mg/kg feed) than those proposed by EFSA. The European Commission asked EFSA to review the information provided to estimate if it would be possible to increase the current levels of vitamin D₃ in feed for fish. The increasing use of plant-based feed materials in aquaculture feeds could induce a decrease in vitamin D₃ content in feedingstuffs. However, there is no evidence that the current total (background + supplemented) maximum EU content of vitamin D₃ may cause any appreciable risk of deficiency in salmonids. The possible contribution of vitamin D₂ in plant-based ingredients to the total vitamin D intake is considered to be low, although it cannot be reliably estimated. The FEEDAP Panel concludes that a total level of 1.5 mg vitamin D₃/kg compound feed is safe for salmonids with a margin of safety of at least 10. For other fish, insufficient data are available to conclude on the safety of a total level of 1.5 mg vitamin D₃/kg feed. Although the assessment of safety for the consumer is impaired by uncertainties concerning the transfer of vitamin D₃ from feed to fish flesh, it was concluded that an increase of total vitamin D content in fish feeds up to 1.5 mg/kg feed would not lead the tolerable upper intake level to be exceeded even in high consumers.