EFSA FEEDAP — L-methionine (C. glutamicum KCCM 80245 + E. coli KCCM 80246) for all animal species
Source: EFSA FEEDAP scientific opinion, EFSA Journal 2022;20(4):e07247 (DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7247), retrieved 2026-08-06 via Europe PMC OA full-text XML. Paraphrase of an EFSA opinion that the source XML tags CC-BY-ND; per project COPYRIGHT_POLICY only facts/numbers/proper-nouns are quoted verbatim, sentences rewritten.
Editorial context (read this before using the data point)
This is the EFSA FEEDAP jurisdiction on the nutrient/additive L-methionine (C. glutamicum KCCM 80245 + E. coli KCCM 80246) — one of four nutrient-safety opinions in this batch (Task L). Read with the efsa nutrient endpoints and AAFCO/FEDIAF provisions for the same nutrient.
Key findings (paraphrase; numbers and proper nouns verbatim from source)
- Production strains are C. glutamicum KCCM 80245 and E. coli KCCM 80246; viable cells and recombinant DNA were not detected in the products, so the strains raise no safety concern.
- Used to compensate for L-methionine deficiency in feed, the additive is safe for the target species and safe for consumers and the environment.
- The Panel has concerns on amino acids in drinking water (hygiene; imbalance risk when given simultaneously via feed).
- User safety: not irritant to skin/eyes, not a dermal sensitiser, no inhalation toxicity — but L-methionine ≥ 90% is a user risk due to respiratory endotoxin exposure.
- It is an efficacious source of the essential amino acid L-methionine for non-ruminants; ruminants need protection against ruminal degradation.
Pet-food relevance
L-methionine is an essential amino acid and typically the first-limiting one in cat and dog diets. The positive safety conclusion plus the drinking-water caveat and the ≥90% user-risk warning are the usable formulator/handling takeaways.
Scope note / honest gap
Paraphrase of an EFSA opinion; source XML licence tag was CC-BY-ND, so this topic quotes only data points verbatim and rewrites prose. Full characterisation and tolerance statistics are not reproduced.