Biomin receives positive EFSA opinion on Fumzyme

Biomin receives the first-ever EFSA positive opinion for a purified enzyme capable of biotransforming fumonisins. In their Scientific Opinion, EFSA concluded that it is safe not only for animals, humans and the environment, but also demonstrably efficacious in pigs.

EFSA acknowledged the product’s efficacy in degrading fumonisins to compounds of significantly lower toxicity in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. The sphinganine/sphingosine ratio, considered the most sensitive endpoint for fumonisin toxicosis, was included as an important parameter in several short- and long-term feeding studies conducted with pigs.

The trials consistently demonstrated that the addition of FUMzyme significantly reduced the sphinganine/sphingosine ratio of pigs fed fumonisin-contaminated diets with levels above and below EU guidance limits. Sphinganine/sphingosine values generally returned to levels seen in animals fed corresponding diets free from fumonisins. On this basis, EFSA concluded that FUMzyme has the capacity to biotransform fumonisins from contaminated pig feed at a minimum dose of 15 U/kg feed.

According to the latest BIOMIN Mycotoxin Survey 2013 in which more than 4,200 samples worldwide were analysed, fumonisins were found in 55% of all feed samples with an average contamination of over 1,400 ppb.

Climate change and the international trade in raw materials are two of several factors that increase fumonisin contamination of feed all over the world. By-products, used increasingly as feed ingredients, pose further challenges with recent findings showing 26,800 ppb of naturally occurring fumonisins in a US DDGS sample. Pig farmers not only suffer from unidentified losses in performance and immunosuppressive effects, but also species-specific clinical problems.

Fumzyme is available as part of the Mycofix product line.