21.12.2017

The EU Commission's proposal to deny authorization of formaldehyde as a feed additive for use as a preservative and hygiene condition enhancer has been backed by a qualied majority of EU countries.
The Commission’s draft regulation claimed the advantages of formaldehyde did not compensate for the inherent health risks for users handling the substance despite an EFSA opinion concluding the substance could be authorized as long as adequate control measures are implemented to limit the risks for workers. 
Following reclassication of formaldehyde from a biocide to a feed additive in 2013, the EC supported a reauthorization of the substance, already on the EU market for the past 20 years. Due to the failure of the EU-28 to agree on the re-authorization, approval expired in 2015.