The EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) is to re-evaluate its opinion on the use of zinc oxide, a move which has been welcomed by NPA.
When the committee originally made its “shock recommendation” in December 2016 to ban zinc oxide from piglet feed, the NPA was a prominent voice in arguing that the environmental risk from using the product is outweighed by the benefits it delivers for piglet health in addressing post-weaning diarrhoea.
“We welcome the announcement that the CVMP will now review its opinion on banning zinc oxide, which we have always insisted is not justified by the evidence in front of us,” said NPA chief executive Zoe Davies (pictured above).
“We will continue to argue that the huge benefits of using zinc oxide in piglet feed far outweigh any environmental costs, which can be mitigated by either adopting a regional approach or reducing inclusion levels.”
The re-evaluation time-frame runs for up to 60 days from February 6, suggesting a final opinion will be reached by the beginning of April.