**Executive Summary**
This document authorises acacia gum as a feed additive for all animal species, classified as a technological additive under the functional groups 'emulsifiers' and 'stabilisers'. This authorisation is subject to specific conditions outlined in the Annex. Transitional measures allow for the continued use of existing stocks of the additive and related feed products until they are exhausted, with specific deadlines for food-producing and non-food-producing animals. The Regulation enters into force twenty days after publication.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Authorisation of Acacia Gum**
* Acacia gum is authorised as a feed additive for all animal species.
* It is classified under the additive category 'technological additives' and the functional groups 'emulsifiers' and 'stabilisers'.
* The authorisation is subject to the conditions specified in the Annex.
**Conditions of Use and Safety**
* Acacia gum is considered safe for animal species, consumers, and the environment under the proposed conditions of use.
* However, it is identified as a potential dermal and respiratory sensitiser, and exposure via these routes is considered a risk.
* Appropriate protective measures must be taken to prevent adverse effects on the health of users.
**Transitional Measures**
* Feed additive, premixtures, compound feed, and feed materials produced and labelled before 1 October 2026 (for additive/premixtures) or 1 April 2027/2028 (for compound feed/materials) in accordance with previous rules, may continue to be placed on the market and used until existing stocks are exhausted.
* Specific deadlines apply for food-producing animals (until 1 April 2027) and non-food-producing animals (until 1 April 2028) for compound feed and feed materials.
**Technical Specifications and Requirements**
* The Annex details the composition, analytical methods, and maximum/minimum content for acacia gum.
* It specifies maximum levels of acacia gum per kg of complete feed for various animal species and categories.
* For users, directions for use, storage conditions, and heat treatment stability must be indicated for the additive and premixtures.
* Feed business operators must establish operational procedures and organisational measures to address potential risks associated with the use of acacia gum, including the use of personal protective equipment if risks cannot be eliminated.
**Entry into Force**
* This Regulation enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Impact Analysis**
**Feed Additive Producers and Suppliers**
* **Impact:** Must comply with the new classification, conditions of use, and safety requirements for acacia gum. They need to ensure their products meet the specifications outlined in the Annex.
* **Action Required:** Update product labelling and documentation to reflect the new authorisation and conditions. Ensure compliance with the new specifications by relevant dates.
**Feed Business Operators (Compound Feed Manufacturers, etc.)**
* **Impact:** Must ensure that compound feed and feed materials containing acacia gum comply with the new authorisation and maximum content limits. They need to manage existing stocks according to the transitional measures.
* **Action Required:** Implement operational procedures and organisational measures to manage risks associated with acacia gum, including the use of protective equipment if necessary. Ensure compliance with the transitional measures for placing products on the market.
**Users of the Additive and Premixtures (e.g., Farmers)**
* **Impact:** Need to be aware of the potential risks associated with acacia gum and implement protective measures during handling and use. They also need to adhere to the maximum content levels in animal feed.
* **Action Required:** Follow the directions for use and implement necessary safety precautions, including the use of personal skin, eye, and breathing protective equipment where risks are identified. Ensure feed containing acacia gum meets the specified maximum content.
**Consumers of Animal Products**
* **Impact:** The safety of acacia gum for consumers is assessed as satisfactory under the proposed conditions of use.
* **Action Required:** No direct action is required; the measures are in place to ensure safety.
**Regulatory Authorities and Enforcement Bodies**
* **Impact:** Responsible for overseeing the implementation and enforcement of this Regulation.
* **Action Required:** Monitor compliance with the authorisation conditions, transitional measures, and safety requirements. Ensure that feed additive producers and feed business operators adhere to the regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003: The primary law governing additives for use in animal nutrition, outlining authorization procedures and re-evaluation processes.
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2026/540: The specific regulation authorizing acacia gum as a feed additive, detailing conditions and classifications.
Council Directive 70/524/EEC: An earlier directive under which acacia gum was initially authorized as a feed additive.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): The body responsible for providing scientific opinions on the safety and efficacy of feed additives.
Acacia gum: The substance being authorized as a feed additive, classified as a technological additive under the functional groups 'emulsifiers' and 'stabilisers'.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2026/540 12.3.2026
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION(EU) 2026/540
of 11 March 2026
concerning the authorisation of acacia gum as a feed additive for all animal species
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on
additives for use in animal nutrition(1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 provides for the authorisation of additives for use in animal nutrition and for the
grounds and procedures for granting such an authorisation. Article 10(2) of that Regulation provides for the
re-evaluation of additives authorised pursuant to Council Directive 70/524/EEC(2).
(2) Acacia gum was authorised without a time limit in accordance with Directive 70/524/EEC as a feed additive for all
animal species in the category ‘emulsifying and stabilizing agents, thickeners and gelling agents’. That substance was
subsequently entered in the Register of feed additives as an existing product, in accordance with Article 10(1), point
(b), of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.
(3) In accordance with Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 in conjunction with Article 7 thereof, an
application was submitted for the re-evaluation of acacia gum as a feed additive for all animal species. The applicant
requested the additive to be classified in the additive category ‘technological additives’ and in the functional groups
‘emulsifiers’ and ‘stabilisers’. The application was accompanied by the particulars and documents required under
Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. The applicant withdrew the application for the functional groups
‘thickeners’ and ‘gelling agents’.
(4) The European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) concluded in its opinion of 24 June 2025(3), which revised its
opinion of 17 September 2022(4), that, under the proposed conditions of use, acacia gum is safe for all animal
species, consumers and the environment. The Authority also concluded that acacia gum is a potential dermal and
respiratory sensitiser, and any exposure by dermal or inhalation routes is considered a risk. The Authority further
concluded that acacia gum is efficacious as an emulsifier and in stabilising emulsions over time, which would
support its efficacy as a stabiliser. The Authority also verified the report on the method of analysis of the feed
additive in feed submitted by the Reference Laboratory set up by Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003.
(5) In view of the above, the Commission considers that acacia gum satisfies the conditions provided for in Article 5 of
Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003. Accordingly, the use of that substance should be authorised. In addition, the
Commission considers that appropriate protective measures should be taken to prevent adverse effects on the health
of the users of the additive.
(1) OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, p. 29, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2003/1831/oj.
(2) Council Directive 70/524/EEC of 23 November 1970 concerning additives in feeding-stuffs (OJ L 270, 14.12.1970, p. 1, ELI: http://
data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1970/524/oj).
(3) EFSA Journal, 23(7), e9542, https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9542.
(4) EFSA Journal2022; 20(4):7252, https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7252.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/540/oj 1/6EN
OJ L, 12.3.2026
(6) Since safety reasons do not require the immediate application of the modifications to the conditions of authorisation
of the substance concerned, it is appropriate to provide for a transitional period for interested parties to prepare
themselves to meet the new requirements resulting from the authorisation.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on
Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Authorisation
The substance specified in the Annex, belonging to the additive category ‘technological additives’ and to the functional
group ‘emulsifiers’ and ‘stabilisers’, is authorised as an additive in animal nutrition, subject to the conditions laid down in
that Annex.
Article 2
Transitional measures
1. The feed additive acacia gum, as authorised pursuant to Directive 70/524/EEC and premixtures containing this
additive, which are produced and labelled before 1 October 2026 in accordance with the rules applicable before 1 April
2026 may continue to be placed on the market and used until the stocks concerned are exhausted.
2. Compound feed and feed materials containing the feed additive referred to in paragraph 1, which are produced and
labelled before 1 April 2027 in accordance with the rules applicable before 1 April 2026 may continue to be placed on the
market and used until the stocks concerned are exhausted if they are intended for food-producing animals.
3. Compound feed and feed materials containing the feed additive referred to in paragraph 1, which are produced and
labelled before 1 April 2028 in accordance with the rules applicable before 1 April 2026 may continue to be placed on the
market and used until the stocks concerned are exhausted if they are intended for non-food producing animals.
Article 3
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 11 March 2026.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
2/6 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/540/ojANNEX
Minimum Maximum
content content
Identification
Name of the Composition, chemical formula, Species or category of Maximum End of period of
number of the Other provisions
additive description, analytical method animal age mg active substance/kg authorisation
additive
complete feed with 12 %
moisture content
Category: technological additives. Functional group: emulsifiers
1c414 Acacia gum Additive composition Turkeys for - - 375 1. In the directions for use of 1 April 2036
fattening the additive and
Acacia gum
premixtures, the storage
Chickens for - - 278
Solid form conditions and stability to
fattening or reared
Purity: heat treatment shall be
for laying or for
indicated.
Loss on drying: ≤ 10 % reproduction
Total ash: ≤ 4 % Minor poultry for 2. For users of the additive and
fattening or reared premixtures, feed business
Acid-insoluble matter: ≤ 1 %
for laying or for operators shall establish
Acid-insoluble ash: ≤ 0,5 % reproduction operational procedures and
organisational measures to
Ornamental birds
Characterisation of the active substance address potential risks
resulting from their use.
Poultry for laying or - - 415
Acacia gum is a dried exudation
Where those risks cannot be
for reproduction
obtained from the stems and branches
eliminated by such
of strains of Acacia senegal(L) Porcine species for - - 600 procedures and measures,
Willdenow or closely related species of fattening the additive and
Acacia(family Leguminosae). premixtures shall be used
Piglets of porcine 500
It is constituted by high molecular with personal skin, eye and
species
weight polysaccharides, whose sugar breathing protective
chain is made of neutral sugars Sows of porcine - - 729 equipment.
(galactose, arabinose and rhamnose) species
and acidic sugars (glucuronic acid) and/
Veal calves (milk - - 1 164
or their salts.
replacer)
CAS No: 9000-01-5
Ovines - - 1 100
Caprines
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/540/oj
3/6
OJ
L,
12.3.2026
ENMinimum Maximum
content content
Identification
Name of the Composition, chemical formula, Species or category of Maximum End of period of
number of the Other provisions
additive description, analytical method animal age mg active substance/kg authorisation
additive
complete feed with 12 %
moisture content
Analytical method(1) Ruminants (other - - 1 100
than ovines and
For the characterisation of Acacia gum
caprines) and
(feed additive):
camelids for
— European Pharmacopoeia fattening or reared
monograph 0307 or 0308, and for milk production
or for reproduction
— Commission Regulation (EU)
No 231/2012(2)and the Equids
corresponding tests in the FAO
Cats
JECFA Compendium
Ruminants (other - - 715
than ovines and
caprines) and
camelids for milk
production or
reproduction
Leporids - - 440
Food-producing 1 257
finfish
Dogs - - 1 320
Ornamental fish 4 889
Other animal - - 278
species
(1) Details of the analytical methods are available at the following address of the Reference Laboratory: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/eurl-fa-eurl-feed-additives/eurl-fa-authorisation/eurl-fa-
evaluation-reports_en.
(2) Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 of 9 March 2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the
Council (OJ L 83, 22.3.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj).
4/6
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/540/oj
EN
OJ
L,
12.3.2026Minimum Maximum
content content Identification
Name of the Composition, chemical formula, Species or category of Maximum End of period of
number of the Other provisions
additive description, analytical method animal age mg active substance/kg authorisation
additive
complete feed with 12 %
moisture content
Category: technological additives. Functional group: stabilisers
1c414 Acacia gum Additive composition Turkeys for - - 375 1. In the directions for use of 1 April 2036
fattening the additive and
Acacia gum
premixtures, the storage
Chickens for - - 278
Solid form conditions and stability to
fattening or reared
heat treatment shall be
Purity: for laying or for
indicated.
reproduction
Loss on drying: ≤ 10 %
Minor poultry for 2. For users of the additive and
Total ash: ≤ 4 %
fattening or reared premixtures, feed business
Acid-insoluble matter: ≤ 1 % for laying or for operators shall establish
reproduction operational procedures and
Acid-insoluble ash: ≤ 0,5 %
organisational measures to
Ornamental birds
address potential risks
Characterisation of the active substance
resulting from their use.
Poultry for laying or - - 415
Acacia gum is a dried exudation for reproduction Where those risks cannot be
eliminated by such
obtained from the stems and branches
Porcine species for - - 600 procedures and measures,
of strains of Acacia senegal(L)
fattening the additive and
Willdenow or closely related species of
premixtures shall be used
Acacia(family Leguminosae). Piglets of porcine 500
with personal skin, eye and
species
It is constituted by high molecular breathing protective
weight polysaccharides, whose sugar Sows of porcine - - 729 equipment.
chain is made of neutral sugars species
(galactose, arabinose and rhamnose)
and acidic sugars (glucuronic acid) and/ Veal calves (milk - - 1 164
or their salts. replacer)
CAS No: 9000-01-5 Ovines and caprines - - 1 100
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/540/oj
5/6
OJ
L,
12.3.2026
ENMinimum Maximum
content content
Identification
Name of the Composition, chemical formula, Species or category of Maximum End of period of
number of the Other provisions
additive description, analytical method animal age mg active substance/kg authorisation
additive
complete feed with 12 %
moisture content
Analytical method(1) Ruminants (other - - 1 100
than ovines and
For the characterisation of Acacia gum
caprines) and
(feed additive):
camelids for
— European Pharmacopoeia fattening or reared
monograph 0307 or 0308, and for milk production
or for reproduction
— Commission Regulation (EU)
No 231/2012 and the Equids
corresponding tests in the FAO
Cats
JECFA Compendium
Ruminants (other - - 715
than ovines and
caprines) and
camelids for milk
production or
reproduction
Leporids - - 440
Food-producing 1 257
finfish
Dogs - - 1 320
Ornamental fish 4 889
Other animal - - 278
species
(1) Details of the analytical methods are available at the following address of the Reference Laboratory: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/eurl-fa-eurl-feed-additives/eurl-fa-authorisation/eurl-fa-
evaluation-reports_en.
6/6
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/540/oj
EN
OJ
L,
12.3.2026