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Feed supplements – acceptable nutritional messages

This information outlines the nutritional messages the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) will consider as being words to the effect of ‘to supplement diets where levels may be low’.

These nutritional messages are relevant for blocks, licks, premixes or supplements where the product is marketed to maintain normal physiology rather than to modify an animal’s physiology. A nutritional message is a message that sets out in general terms the nutritional consequences for good health of the intake of a nutrient.

If you believe there are other nutritional messages or nutrients that may not require registration, you can submit details of the required nutrient with your proposed nutritional messages. The acceptability of these nutrients or the messages will be assessed by the APVMA on a case-by-case basis.

1. Vitamins

Vitamin

Acceptable nutritional messages

Vitamin A (retinol)
  • Has a role in maintaining normal vision, skin, bones and muscles
  • Has a role in maintaining normal growth processes
  • Involved in normal reproductive performance
  • Has a role in maintaining integrity of skin and mucous membranes

Vitamin D
(D2 – ergocalciferol)
(D3 – cholecalciferol)
  • Has a role in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus
  • Has a role in normal growth and health of bones and teeth

Vitamin E (tocopherol)
  • Is an antioxidant

Vitamin K (menadione)
  • Has a role in maintaining normal blood clotting processes

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
  • Has a role in maintaining healthy cartilage, tendons and bone

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
  • Has a role in the metabolism and maintenance of normal muscle and nerve function
  • Has a role in assisting in the maintenance of normal appetite and bodyweight

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
  • Required for normal general metabolism and growth
  • Has a role in maintaining integrity of skin, mucous membranes

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
  • Has a role in normal general metabolism, nervous system function and vision
  • Involved in red blood cell formation
  • Has a role in maintaining normal healthy skin and vision

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)
  • Has a role in general metabolism and nervous and reproductive function
  • Has a role in blood cell production

Folic acid
  • Involved in general metabolism
  • Involved in the formation of red and white blood cells and haemoglobin
  • Has a role in blood cell production

Pantothenic acid
  • Has a role in normal energy metabolism, reproduction, growth and nerve function
  • Involved in transmission of nerve impulses
  • Needed for health of skin and hair

Biotin
  • Has a role in general metabolism
  • Has a role in maintaining integrity of skin, hair and hooves

Choline
  • Involved in metabolism of fats
  • Has a role in transmitting nerve impulses

Inositol
  • Has a role in the metabolism of fats and integrity of hair and coat
  • Has a role in maintaining a normal healthy coat

Niacin
  • Involved in general metabolism and red blood cell formation
  • Has a role in maintaining normal healthy skin and hair condition

2. Minerals

Mineral

Acceptable nutritional messages

Calcium
  • Has a role in normal growth and maintenance of bones, teeth, nervous system, muscle function, blood clotting mechanism and cardiac function

Chromium
  • Has a role in the regulation of glucose metabolism

Cobalt
  • Involved in the formation of vitamin B12 and subsequent formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin
  • Has a role maintaining normal nerve cell function

Copper
  • Has a role in iron metabolism, bone development and maintenance of elastic connective tissue

Iodine
  • Has a role in normal thyroid function
  • Is a component of thyroid hormones which regulate metabolic processes including hair growth

Iron
  • Has a role in maintaining normal metabolism
  • Is a component of haemoglobin in red blood cells

Manganese
  • Has a role in general metabolism and development of bone, cartilage and connective tissue
  • Involved in normal blood clotting
  • Has a role in maintaining normal growth, reproduction and lactation

Molybdenum
  • Has a role in general metabolism

Phosphorus
  • Has a role in general metabolism and nerve function
  • Involved in the normal formation of bones, muscles and teeth

Selenium*
  • Has a role in preventing cellular oxidation
  • Necessary for normal growth and fertility

Sulfur
  • Has a role in general metabolism and protein synthesis
  • Has a role in maintaining healthy hair, skin and hooves
  • Has a role in maintaining normal healthy joints

Zinc
  • Has a role in general growth and metabolism
  • Required for normal bone and cartilage development
  • Involved in maintaining the integrity of skin and mucous membranes, hair and hooves and in wound healing
  • Has a role in maintaining a normal healthy coat

* For selenium supplement products to not require registration they also must comply with the following:

  • The concentration of selenium in the product must not require the product to be included in schedule 4 or 7 of the current Poisons Standard. For selenised yeast products, the concentration of selenium in the complete feed must not exceed a maximum of 0.2 milligrams per kilogram
  • The dose of selenium to the animal must be less than or equal to 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of body weight
  • The appropriate signal headings and warning statements required by the current poisons standard must be used on the product label
  • The product label should also contain a cautionary statement such as:
‘Excessive tissue levels of selenium are toxic. Care should be taken to avoid over-supplementation from this product and/or concurrent use of other products containing selenium (such as pasture top dressing, pellets, drenches or vaccine containing selenium). If blood selenium levels are high this product should not be used. Users can determine an animal’s selenium status by consulting their veterinarian.’

3. Electrolytes

Electrolyte

Acceptable nutritional messages

Sodium and chloride
  • Has a role in maintaining normal electrolyte balance in body tissues during heavy exercise
  • Has a role in recovery after strenuous exercise

Potassium
  • Has a role in maintaining cellular integrity and healthy nerve and muscle function
  • Involved in the normal digestion and utilisation of dietary nutrients
  • Has a role in muscular contraction, nerve function and relaxation of the heart muscle

Magnesium
  • Has a role in general metabolism and the formation of bone and teeth
  • Involved in maintenance of nervous function

4. Amino acids

Amino acids

Acceptable nutritional messages

Arginine
  • Has a role in promoting release of metabolic hormones – insulin; growth hormone
  • Involved in the immune response
  • Is a component of urea cycle

Histidine
  • Involved in normal growth

Isoleucine
  • Involved in normal protein synthesis and energy production

Leucine
  • Has a role in normal protein synthesis and energy production

Lysine
  • Has a role in normal protein synthesis

Methionine
  • Aids liver in detoxification mechanisms

Phenylalanine
  • Has a role in normal protein synthesis

Threonine
  • Required for normal growth, feed conversion and nitrogen balance in tissues

Tryptophan
  • Has a role in normal growth
  • Involved in synthesis of niacin (vitamin B3)

Valine
  • Has a role in normal energy metabolism and protein synthesis

5. Fatty acids

Fatty acid

Acceptable nutritional messages

Linolenic acid – a combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (also called omega 3 essential fatty acid)
  • Has a role in maintaining a normal healthy skin and/or coat
  • Is a source of extra energy for animals

Linoleic acid (also called omega 6 essential fatty acid)
  • Has a role in maintaining a normal healthy coat
  • Is a source of extra energy for animals
URL: 
https://apvma.gov.au/node/10616
Content last updated: 
1 July 2014
Content last reviewed: 
13 July 2022

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