Vitamin A is essential for vision, growth differentiation and proliferation of a wide range of epithelial tissues, bone growth, reproduction and embryonic development.
The tolerance data for the target species do not indicate a concern for animal safety considering the maximum values set in EU regulations for food producing animals and also for pets.
All consumer exposure calculations demonstrated that liver is the only food of animal origin for which consumption poses a risk to adult consumers.
This risk could be considerably reduced, but not eliminated, if the new levels proposed by EFSA for a reduction of the maximum vitamin A content of feedingstuffs were respected.
These proposals are:
Pigs: piglets (weaned or suckling) 16 000 IU/kg complete feed;
Pigs for fattening 6 500 IU/kg complete feed; and sows 12 000 IU/kg complete feed.
Poultry: chickens (including all minor poultry species) in the first 14 days of life and turkeys in the first 28 days of life 20 000 IU/kg complete feed;
All poultry (for fattening, reared for laying, laying and breeding) 10 000 IU/kg complete feed.
Milk replacers for all mammalian species: 25 000 IU/kg milk replacer.
Calves for rearing in the first four months of life, lambs and kids for rearing in the first two months of life 16 000 IU/kg complete feed; cattle, sheep and goats for fattening 10 000 IU/kg complete feed.
Dairy cows: 200 000 IU vitamin A per cow per day.
Rabbits, horses, salmonids and pets: no maximum content is proposed.
Vitamin A is required for normal growth and development.
Vitamin A (in physiological concentrations) stabilises the cell membrane, stimulates the synthesis of certain proteins by acting on transcription and possesses an electron transfer capacity.
Vitamin A is essential for vision, growth differentiation and proliferation of a wide range of epithelial tissues, bone growth, reproduction and embryonic development.
Vitamin A is present in the diet as preformed vitamin A and its esters, and it can also be derived from dietary carotenoids, mainly beta-carotene.