Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Avizyme 1505 (endo‐1, 4‐beta‐xylanase, subtilisin and alpha‐amylase) as feed additive for laying hens

Avizyme 1505 is an enzyme preparation containing endo‐1, 4‐beta‐xylanase (xylanase) produced by a genetically modified strain of Trichoderma reesei , subtilisin produced by a genetically modified strain of Bacillus subtilis and alpha‐amylase (amylase) produced by a genetically modified strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens . Avizyme 1505 is marketed in a dry powder form containing a minimum guaranteed of 1500 xylanase, 20000 subtilisin and 2000 amylase U/g. The product is to be used as a zootechnical additive for laying hens, under the functional group of digestibility enhancers. The safety aspects of the use of this product have been previously established; the FEEDAP Panel thus considers that the safety aspects other than those related to the new target species are covered in the previous assessments. Therefore, the present opinion is focused on the safety and efficacy of Avizyme 1505 as feed additive for laying hens. Based on the results obtained in a tolerance trial in laying hens, the FEEDAP Panel concluded that Avizyme 1505 is safe for laying hens at the recommended dose. Three performance trials were considered. The results showed that the supplementation of the feed with the additive permitted to obtain a better feed to egg mass ratio in two trials, a higher egg production in one trial and a higher egg mass production in another trial when used at an intended dose of 300 xylanase, 4000 subtilisin and 400 amylase U/kg feed. However, the FEEDAP Panel notes that the analysed concentrations for xylanase and subtilisin were in accordance with the intended values whereas those for amylase were about five times higher.