Rosemary Oil in Feed Becomes a Specification and Occupational-Safety Issue

The new European authorisation of rosemary essential oil as a feed additive shows how an apparently simple ingredient becomes a specification task for the meat chain. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2113 classifies the product as a sensory additive in the functional group of flavouring compounds and authorises its use for all animal species under defined conditions. For poultry for fattening, pigs for fattening, ruminants, sheep and goats, maximum levels in complete feed are set by species and category.

The decision is not a blanket approval for any rosemary oil. The regulation describes the composition, including markers such as 1,8-cineole and camphor, and establishes maximum values for methyleugenol and estragole. The oil must be incorporated through a premixture; directions for use must specify storage conditions and heat-treatment stability. Combined use with other additives must also respect a cumulative limit for certain p-allylalkoxybenzenes.

For feed manufacturers, integrated operations and meat producers, the key point is operational and documentary control. Compliance rests on raw-material identity, dosage, mixture compatibility and batch traceability—not on the commercial name “rosemary”. The Commission also did not authorise use in drinking water under this functional category. EFSA did not expect a consumer risk from animal products under the proposed conditions, but identified handling risks for users: skin, eye and respiratory irritation or sensitisation. The authorisation therefore turns the flavouring ingredient into a combined issue of formulation, analytical control and occupational protection.