Profile
Sebastian Marten is responsible for the Enzymes and Eubiotics business at DSM in Switzerland. He previous- ly worked in multiple management roles at Syngenta and Sud-Chemie. Mr Marten holds an MBA degree in marketing, finance and internation- al management from the German University of Münster.
become the engine of enzyme development in the world by stay- ing in your comfort zone.” It was about 10 years ago that DSM and Novozymes started thinking of new possibilities of enzyme use. “About 5 years ago we started to push for a new enzyme, which led to the Balancius product,” Mr Marten explains. The central question was if there was an enzyme out there that could target the so called peptido- glycans. “These are the main components of bacterial cell debris, which are continuously released into the gastrointestinal tract as
“Balancius is the first of a new class of enzymes. We look for an extension of our product portfolio each year.”
bacterial cells divide and die. These remnants of dead cells are abundant and except from being wasted they can form a layer on the inside of the gut wall, preventing optimal nutrient absorp- tion. The main thought was to hydrolyse and use the nutrients from the dead cells and as a bonus we get rid of the digestive inefficiency that is caused by the dead cell debris layer in the gut.” Due to regulatory processes Balancius was first launched in Latin
America and in the US in September 2018. Only recently the Euro- pean ESFA body approved the product. “Now it is available in all EU countries, as well as South Africa, Serbia, Nigeria and Moldova. “The phased introduction confirmed the mode of action which we already saw in our trails. The product has a positive impact on litter quality, breast meat quality and overall growth potential of the birds. In trails we measured an improved feed conversion ra- tion by 4-6 points.” According to DSM calculations based on the FAO’s estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in chicken produc- tion, Balancius could reduce emissions by an estimated 9 million tons globally, the equivalent of 3.7 million cars being taken off the road. Mr Marten: “As said, sustainability is one of our key goals and in this product it goes hand in hand with animal performance and welfare.” According to Mr Marten, DSM has years of R&D advantage on its competitors with Balancius. “It really is a breakthrough innova- tion. For a company that is as conservative in it’s statements as ours, that is a bold statement. We are confident about our work and the results with customers.” With broilers as a starting point and with evaluation of customer results in full swing, DSM is now looking at the possibilities of the enzyme in other species. “More trail work has to be done, as we want to make sure that the prod- uct works.” And it does not stop there: “There is more in our R&D pipeline and with that I don’t mean the classical enzymes. Balan- cius is the first of a new class of enzymes. We look for an extension of our product portfolio each year, but that will happen only when we are confident we have the right product in hand. Quality and reliability of the products always come first at DSM.”
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