The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the feed additive KemTRACE Chromium 0.4% MT, containing chromium propionate and a microtracer, is safe for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying/reproduction, turkeys for fattening, and turkeys reared for reproduction, as well as for consumers and the environment, when used at the proposed supplementation level of 0.4 mg chromium per kg feed. However, EFSA warned that the additive is irritant to the eyes and a dermal and respiratory sensitiser, posing a risk to users through any route of exposure.
The scientific opinion, adopted by EFSA's Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) on 1 July 2026 and published on 24 July 2026, updates previous assessments. An earlier opinion on 18 March 2021 had evaluated the safety and efficacy of chromium propionate (KemTRACE Chromium) for all growing poultry species but faced challenges in implementing a method for official control of added organic chromium in premixtures and feed. To address this, the applicant, Kemin Europa N.V., proposed incorporating a microtracer into the additive. In a subsequent opinion on 15 January 2025, the FEEDAP Panel could not conclude on the environmental safety of the microtracer for the groundwater compartment.
Following a request from the applicant accepted by the European Commission on 12 January 2026, the scope of the current assessment was narrowed. The applicant withdrew the application for minor poultry species and changed the additive from a liquid preparation (KemTRACE Chromium) to a solid preparation including the microtracer (KemTRACE Chromium 0.4% MT). The target species were reduced to chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying/reproduction, turkeys for fattening, and turkeys reared for reproduction. EFSA's new assessment, based on supplementary data submitted by the applicant, found that the additive is safe for the target species, consumers, and the environment, and has the potential to be efficacious as a zootechnical additive.
The opinion impacts several stakeholders. For poultry farmers, the additive offers a potential tool to improve growth parameters and carcass traits, but they must manage user safety risks through protective measures. Feed manufacturers face the need to incorporate the microtracer for compliance with official control methods, potentially increasing production complexity. EU regulatory bodies gain a clearer basis for authorisation decisions, though the unresolved groundwater safety issue for the microtracer may require further monitoring. Consumers are reassured of the additive's safety, with no concerns for the food chain. The European Commission is expected to consider this opinion in the authorisation process under Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.