OPINION of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the state of knowledge on essential oils and plants of interest for phytotherapy and aromatherapy in food-producing animals and proposed human health risk assessment methodology ; État des connaissances sur les huiles essentielles et les plantes d’intérêt pour la phytothérapie et l’aromathérapie chez les animaux producteurs de denrées alimentaires et proposition d’une méthodologie d’évaluation des risques pour la santé humaine ; État des connaissances sur les huiles essentielles et les plantes d’intérêt pour la phytothérapie et l’aromathérapie chez les animaux producteurs de denrées alimentaires et proposition d’une méthodologie d’évaluation des risques pour la santé humaine: Avis révisé de l’AnsesRapport révisé d’expertise collective

Citation suggérée : Anses. (2022). État des connaissances sur les huiles essentielles et les plantes d’intérêt pour la phytothérapie et l’aromathérapie des animaux producteurs de denrées alimentaires et proposition d’une méthodologie d’évaluation des risques pour la santé humaine (saisine 2020-SA-0083). Maisons-Alfort : Anses, 284 p. ; This internal request followed on from the report on the “Inventory of alternatives to antibiotics aimed at reducing their use in animal husbandry” (Request No 2013-SA-0122) and from one of the conclusions of the report on the “Assessment of marketing authorisation applications for herbal veterinary medicinal products” (Request No 2014-SA-0081) concerning the primary challenge for MA applications for these substances: the lack of an appropriate maximum residue limit (MRL) status for the large majority of plants of interest in veterinary medicine. The issue of the MRL status of plants and herbal preparations, including essential oils (EOs), is fundamental for the preventive and curative phytotherapy and aromatherapy treatment of food-producing animals, both when assessing MA application dossiers and when prescribing a product for off-label use, for example an extemporaneous herbal preparation (principle of the “therapeutic cascade”, Art. L5143-4 of the French Public Health Code). In addition, the use of phyto/aromatherapy is becoming more and more widespread on farms, in response to the development of organic agriculture and the need to reduce the use of antibiotics (One Health, Ecoantibio plan), and also due to the development of xenobiotic resistance in all pathogens.The development of phyto/aromatherapy in food-producing animals requires a prior MRL assessment of plants and herbal preparations, including EOs, in order to guarantee a safe consumer exposure level. This assessment is the responsibility of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). In a context where efforts are being made to control resistance to antibiotics and other classes of xenobiotics and to find therapeutic ...