Opinion of the Scientific Panel on contaminants in the food chain [CONTAM] related to cadmium as undesirable substance in animal feed.
Jan Alexander, Herman Autrup, Denis Bard, Angelo Carere, Lucio Guido Costa; Jean-Pierre
Cravedi, Alessandro Di Domenico, Roberto Fanelli, Johanna Fink-Gremmels, John Gilbert,
Philippe Grandjean, Niklas Johansson, Agneta Oskarsson, Andrew Renwick, Jirí Ruprich, Josef
Schlatter, Greet Schoeters, Dieter Schrenk, Rolaf van Leeuwen, Philippe Verger.
Acknowledgment
The Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain wishes to thank George Bories, Bruce
Cottrill, Jean-Pierre Cravedi, Wolfgang Dekant, Johanna Fink-Gremmels, Karl Honikel, Gerard
Keck, Josef Leibetseder, Martha Lopez Alonso and Anne-Kathrine Lundebye Haldorsen for the
contributions to the draft opinion.
No abstract available
Contamination of animal feed materials by cadmium cannot be entirely avoided given its prevalent occurrence in the environment. Current statutory maximum levels for feedstuffs successfully prevent toxic effects in farm animals. Dietary cadmium exposure affects the absorption of trace elements, particularly that of copper resulting in an apparent copper deficiency in ruminants. In turn, high copper supplementation of feeds for pigs was considered to comprise the risk of an undesirable cadmium accumulation in the liver and kidneys, whereas zinc supplementation of feed reduces cadmium bioavailability. Within the EU maximum levels have been set for trace elements in animal diets, including copper and zinc (Commission Regulation (EC) 1334/2003). If these permissible levels are not exceeded, the overall tissue burden of cadmium is unlikely to exceed the maximum levels set for foods from animal origin under the conditions of current agricultural practice. Ruminants and horses, however, may be exposed during their entire lifespan to cadmium present in pastures. In distinct regions, this may result in an undesirable cadmium accumulation particularly in kidneys. The frequent consumption of kidney tissue from older animals (cattle and horses), as well as the frequent consumption of liver and kidneys from wildlife may thus contribute significantly to the overall human exposure.
Cadmium, animal feeds, animal toxicity, feed supplements, residues.
