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Reducing Salmonella pressure: Insights from a meta-analysis
In today’s poultry production chain, the traditional solutions used to control Salmonella are being phased out. A customised feed-farm-health approach is therefore needed to keep this pathogen under control. And this goes beyond just water and feed acidification.
BY BART D’HEER* AND ELLEN HAMBRECHT**, TROUW NUTRITION F
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ormaldehyde has historically been used to control Salmonella, but greater awareness of the potential harmful effects of this chemical to animals as well as humans at feed mills and farms has led many coun-
tries and companies to restrict or even ban its use. Similarly, concerns about rising levels of antimicrobial resistance have resulted in the restriction of the use of antibiotics to manage Salmonella threats. Chlorination or other chemical decontam- ination treatments of poultry carcasses are not the ultimate solution to this problem either. Although such interventions can reduce the bacterial load, they do not fully eliminate Salmonella. These end-of-pipe solutions are therefore dis- couraged in some countries as they are perceived to mask poor hygiene practices in processing plants and on farms. In Europe, carcass interventions with substances other than potable water are not permitted.
Empower natural defenses Selko®, the feed additive division of Trouw Nutrition, invests
in research to develop and validate alternative Salmonella control concepts. As part of an integrated and customised feed-farm-health approach, these concepts help to reduce the vertical and horizontal transmission of Salmonella in the poultry production chain and in that way help customers to safeguard their market access, reputation and product integ- rity. At Trouw Nutrition’s Poultry Research Centre in Spain and at various university partner locations around the globe, the alternative concepts are rigorously tested in various produc- tion environments and against a range of Salmonella sero- types. One of these thoroughly tested concepts is Fysal® Fit-4, a multifunctional blend of β-1,4 mannobiose, short and me- dium-chain fatty acids and microencapsulated butyrates, which we refer to as a ‘multifunctional concept’. Its mode of action goes beyond conventional approaches such as water and feed acidification as it aims to empower the natural de- fense mechanisms in the bird’s gut, thus impairing the coloni- sation and invasion of Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract.
The value of meta-analysis Several independent primary research trials focusing on the effects of the multifunctional concept on Salmonella in broil- ers were combined and statistically analysed in a meta-ana- lysis (Table 1). Conclusions drawn from meta-analyses have the advantage that they are statistically stronger than single studies because of the increased number of birds as well as a greater diversity of birds and study conditions. Five studies were included, involving three different Salmonella serotypes (S. Enteritidis, S. Heidelberg and S. Typhimurium) and a total of 1,700 birds (Cobb and Ross broilers). The studies were carried
Table 1 – The trials involved in the meta-analysis. Study Country
Research facility
Thailand Spain Brazil Spain Spain
Chulalongkorn University 2018 Typhimurium Trouw Nutrition
2017 Enteritidis
2017 Enteritidis 2016 Enteritidis
Mercolab Research Center 2017 Heidelberg Trouw Nutrition Trouw Nutrition
▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 29, No. 9, 2021
Inoculation Inoculation
Year Salmonella strain Infection Model Day of challenge Breed Inoculation Inoculation Seeder
7 and 8 8 and 9 3 to 14 7 and 8 8 and 9
Cobb Ross 308
Number of birds 350 264
Cobb Slow 520 Ross 308 Ross 308
480 440
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