Peppermint, wild thyme and sage tinctures in feed for 10 years: Regulation (EU) 2026/1822 sets marker specifications — thujone up to 0.0132% in sage tincture — and methods: spectrophotometry, GC-FID, HPLC-UV
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1822 of 24 July 2026, published on 27 July, authorises until 16 August 2036 tinctures of peppermint (2b282-t), wild thyme (2b455-t) and sage (2b414-t) as flavouring compounds in feed for all animal species. They had previously been authorised without a time limit under Directive 70/524/EEC; use in water for drinking was not permitted.
- The tinctures are obtained from dried leaves (peppermint and wild thyme also from aerial parts) by prolonged extraction with water and ethanol, pressing and filtration. Specifications: peppermint tincture — dry matter 1.84–1.85%, total polyphenols ≤ 0.1020% (as gallic acid equivalents), flavonoids ≤ 0.0261% (as hyperoside equivalents), menthol ≤ 0.0021%, menthone ≤ 0.0010%, rosmarinic acid ≤ 0.00099%; wild thyme tincture — thymol ≤ 0.000020%, carvacrol ≤ 0.000043%.
- Sage tincture: dry matter 1.75–1.78%, polyphenols ≤ 0.328%, flavonoids ≤ 0.0482%, thujone ≤ 0.0132%, camphor ≤ 0.0130%, 1,8-cineole ≤ 0.0070%, rosmarinic acid ≤ 0.0662%. In the five batches analysed for EFSA, thujones (a mixture of α- and β-thujone, ratio not given) ranged from 0.0124% to 0.0132%, and polyphenols determined spectrophotometrically at 760 nm averaged 0.314%.
- Methods for characterising the additives: spectrophotometry for total polyphenols and flavonoids, gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) for menthol and menthone, thymol and carvacrol, and thujone, camphor and 1,8-cineole, and HPLC with UV detection for rosmarinic acid.
- No maximum contents were set; the label states a recommended maximum content, e.g. for sage tincture 35 mg/kg complete feed for chickens for fattening, 164 mg/kg for dogs and 500 mg/kg for ornamental fish. EFSA considered the tinctures irritant to skin and eyes and skin and respiratory sensitisers. Additives and premixtures labelled before 16 February 2027 under the previous rules may be sold until stocks are exhausted.