Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum (DSM 3676 and DSM 3677) and Lactobacillus buchneri (DSM 13573) as a silage additive for pigs, poultry, bovines, sheep, goats, rabbits and horses

Two strains of Lactobacillus plantarum and one of Lactobacillus buchneri are each intended to improve the ensiling process at a dose of 1x108 CFU/kg fresh matter. Both speciesare considered by EFSA to be suitable for the Qualified Presumption of Safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the strains has been established and as no antibiotic resistance was detected, the use of the strains in the production of silage is presumed safe for livestock species, consumers of products from animals fed the treated silage and for the environment. The additives are non-irritant to skin and eyes. Although users at the farm level are exposed to the additive only for a short period of time, given the particle size distribution and proteinaceous nature of the additives, the active agents should be considered to be skin/respiratory sensitisers. Studies with laboratory-scale silos are described for each strain, lasting at least 90 days, made using forage samples of differing dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrate content. In each case, silos containing treated forage were compared to identical silos containing the same untreated forage. Both strains of L. plantarum have the potential to improve the production of silage by increasing lactic acid content and the preservation of nutrients, by reducing the pH. This was demonstrated in a range of easy and moderately difficult to ensile forage material. L. buchneri has the potential to increase acetic acid concentration and consequently to improve aerobic stability in a wide range of forages with a dry matter content between 40-65 %.