Article 1
The substance specified in the Annex, belonging to the additive category ‘sensory additives’ and to the functional group ‘colourants’ is authorised as additive in animal nutrition subject to the conditions laid down in that Annex.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1486 of 2 September 2015 concerning the authorisation of canthaxanthin as feed additive for certain categories of poultry, ornamental fish and ornamental birds (Text with EEA relevance)
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/1486 of 2 September 2015 concerning the authorisation of canthaxanthin as feed additive for certain categories of poultry, ornamental fish and ornamental birds (Text with EEA relevance)
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
Article 2
1. The substance specified in the Annex and premixtures containing that substance, which are produced and labelled before 23 March 2016 in accordance with the rules applicable before 23 September 2015 may continue to be placed on the market and used until the existing stocks are exhausted. 2. Compound feed and feed materials containing the substance specified in the Annex which are produced and labelled before 23 September 2016 in accordance with the rules applicable before 23 September 2015 may continue to be placed on the market and used until the existing stocks are exhausted if they are intended for food-producing animals. 3. Compound feed and feed materials containing the substance specified in the Annex which are produced and labelled before 23 September 2017 in accordance with the rules applicable before 23 September 2015 may continue to be placed on the market and used until the existing stocks are exhausted if they are intended for non-food-producing animals.
Article 3
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .
Supplementary provisions
ANNEXSupplementary provisions
ANNEX Identification number of the additive Name of the holder of authorisation Additive Composition, chemical formula, description, analytical method Species or category of animal Maximum age Minimum content Maximum content Other provisions Maximum residue levels End of period of authorisation mg of active substance/kg of complete feedingstuff with a moisture content of 12 % Category of sensory additives. Functional group: Colourants (ii) substances which, when fed to animals, add colours to food of animal origin 2a161g — Canthaxanthin Additive composition Canthaxanthin. Triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) ≤ 100 mg/kg. Dichloromethane ≤ 600 mg/kg Characterisation of the active substance — Canthaxanthin — C 40 H 52 O 2 — CAS number: 514-78-3 — Canthaxanthin, solid form, produced by chemical synthesis. — Purity: — Assay: min. 96 % — Carotenoids other than canthaxanthin: not more than 5 % of total colouring matters. Method of Analysis ( 1 ) 1. For the quantification of canthaxanthin in the feed additive: spectrophotometry at 426 nm. 2. For the quantification of canthaxanthin in the premixtures and feedingstuffs: Normal Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to visible detection (NP-HPLC-VIS, 466 nm) Chickens for fattening and minor poultry species for fattening. — — 25 1. Canthaxanthin may be placed on the market and used as an additive consisting of a preparation 2. The mixture of canthaxanthin with other carotenoids and xanthophylls shall not exceed 80 mg/kg of complete feed. 3. For safety: breathing protection, safety glasses and gloves should be worn during handling. Poultry 15 mg canthaxanthin/kg liver (wet tissue) and 2,5 mg canthaxanthin/kg skin/fat (wet tissue) Laying poultry 30 mg canthaxanthin/kg egg yolk (wet tissue) 23.9.2025 Laying poultry and poultry reared for laying. 8 Identification number of the additive Name of the holder of authorisation Additive Composition, chemical formula, description, analytical method Species or category of animal Maximum age Minimum content Maximum content Other provisions Maximum residue levels End of period of authorisation mg of active substance/kg of complete feedingstuff with a moisture content of 12 % Category of sensory additives. Functional group: Colourants (iii) substances which favourably affect the colour of ornamental fish or birds 2a161g — Canthaxanthin Additive composition Canthaxanthin. Triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) ≤ 100 mg/kg Dichloromethane ≤ 600 mg/kg Characterisation of the active substance — Canthaxanthin — C 40 H 52 O 2 — CAS number: 514-78-3 — Canthaxanthin, solid form, produced by chemical synthesis. — Purity: — Assay: min. 96 % — Carotenoids other than canthaxanthin: not more than 5 % of total colouring matters. Method of Analysis ( 2 ) For the quantification of canthaxanthin in the feed additive: spectrophotometry at 426 nm. For the quantification of canthaxanthin in the premixtures and feedingstuffs: Normal Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to visible detection (NP-HPLC-VIS, 466 nm). Ornamental fish and ornamental birds except ornamental breeder hens. — — 100 1. Canthaxanthin may be placed on the market and used as an additive consisting of a preparation. 2. The mixture of canthaxanthin with other carotenoids and xanthopylls shall not exceed 100 mg/kg of complete feed. 3. For safety: breathing protection, safety glasses and gloves should be worn during handling. 23.9.2025 Ornamental breeder hens — — 8 ( 1 ) Details of the analytical methods are available at the following address of the European Union Reference Laboratory for Feed Additives: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eurl/feed-additives/evaluation-reports ( 2 ) Details of the analytical methods are available at the following address of the European Union Reference Laboratory for Feed Additives: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/eurl/feed-additives/evaluation-reports
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
What to look at next
Browse all EU Legal ActsEvery instrument by type and year, full text free to read section by sectionEuropean Union legislationEU Legal Acts by type and yearGrouped by instrument type and year of enactment, so you can find others of the same kindBrowse by type and yearEuropean Union: what this database coversWhich datasets are here, which official source they come from, and how current they areEuropean Union overview