SUSTAINABILITY ▶▶▶
Organic trace minerals improve production sustainability
The animal production industry is facing increased pressure from legislators and consumers to provide sustainable products. This creates new challenges.
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BY MIEKE ZOON PRODUCT MANAGER AND CÉLINE ROBIN JUNIOR PRODUCT MANAGER PANCOSMA
ome challenges the industry is facing are supporting animal health and welfare while reducing one’s car- bon footprint and improving production efficiency while reducing the use of antibiotics. Trace minerals
such as copper (Cu), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn), are essential micronutrients. They not only support growth performance, but are also needed for good development, fer- tility and health or immunity as well as ensuring the high quality of final products. In commercial diets, trace minerals are often supplemented in inorganic form. This is an easy choice as legal limitations still allow high levels of supple- ments and they are generally inexpensive. Because of their limited bioavailability, however, high doses are needed to ful- fill requirements. This often results in an imbalance of nutri- ents and environmental pollution. Supplementation with more bioavailable organic trace minerals such as B-TRAXIM® glycinates may offer a better solution to support sustainabili-
ty. This choice makes sense for every stakeholder along the feed production chain right up to the end consumer.
Sustainability within the production chain In premix production, organic trace minerals are a guarantee of safety from a health point of view. Inorganic minerals are often really fine particles with fractions under 100 microns that can cause lung damage if breathed in by the worker. With a larger particle size, glycinates from Pancosma are safer to use due to the absence of dust and they therefore contribute to the welfare of workers. As feed is by far the highest cost components in livestock systems, it is important to ensure that diets are formulated with an optimal return-to-cost ratio (RCR). Therefore, trace minerals that do not deliver an ade- quate return on investment, are the most expensive, regard- less of cost. Studies suggest that binding Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn with amino acids and peptides can enhance the bioavailabili- ty of these trace minerals, thus leading to better overall per- formance such as improved milk production, growth, accu- mulation in tissues, reproduction and general health status in livestock. Moreover, this enhanced bioavailability allows a re- duction up to 50% of dietary mineral supplementation to be achieved while maintaining performance. We can therefore expect that animals will easily achieve their genetic potential with minimal trace mineral supplementation and excretion. Although trace minerals do not directly affect quality parame- ters, they can still influence them. Iron influences the color of beef meat. Cu, Zn and Mn as part of the antioxidant system, are important for cell integrity, notably after slaughter, to limit drip loss. In the dairy industry, a lower somatic cell count has been established with the use of organic Zn, resulting in more profitable milk margins and a safer product for the consumer. In the meantime, by meeting basic physiological needs, es- sential trace elements reduce the incidence of diseases relat- ed to trace element deficiencies and thus contribute to animal welfare. Finally, trace elements accumulate well in tissues, which is directly in line with the United Nations health pro- gramme, which encourages trace elements accumulation in meat products to meet particular needs of the population.
10 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 2, 2020
PHOTO: MISSET
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