NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Organic trace minerals improve animal production sustainability
In animal feed industry there are many challenges surrounding organic trace elements. Ultimately, they play an important role in sustainability as they can help to reduce environmental impact while preserving the welfare of workers in the production chain. They also enable better quality products in line with public health regulations to be produced for the end consumer.
BY MIEKE ZOON AND CÉLINE ROBIN, PANCOSMA T
he animal production industry is facing increased pressure from legislators and consumers to provide sustainable meat, eggs and dairy products. This cre- ates new challenges: supporting animal health and
welfare while reducing carbon footprint, improving produc- tion efficiency while reducing the use of antibiotics and, final- ly, improving quality while remaining economically competi- tive. 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, fertility and health or immunity, and the high quality of final products. In commercial diets, trace minerals are often supplemented in inorganic form. This is an easy choice as legal limits still al- low high levels of supplements and they are generally inex- pensive. Because of their limited bio-availability, high doses are needed to meet nutritional requirements. This often re- sults in an imbalance and environmental pollution. Supple- mentation with more bio-available organic trace minerals such as B-TRAXIM glycinates may offer a better solution to support sustainability because this choice makes sense for every stakeholder along the feed production chain, right up to the end consumer.
Sustainability along the production chain In premix production, organic trace minerals guarantee safety from a health point of view. “ Inorganic minerals often have
28 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 6, 2020
many fine particles, smaller than 100 micron, that can cause lung damage if inhaled by workers. Because of the absence of dust, glycinates from Pancosma are safer to use, thus con- tribut ing to the welfare of production workers. As feed is by far the highest cost component in livestock sys- tems, it is important to ensure that diets are formulated with an optimum cost to benefit ratio. Therefore, trace minerals that do not offer an adequate return on investment (ROI) will be the most expensive, regardless of the cost. Studies suggest that binding Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn with amino acids and pep- tides can enhance the bio-availability of these trace minerals, thereby leading to better overall livestock performance in terms of improved milk production, growth, accumulation in tissues, reproduction and general health status. Moreover, this enhanced bio-availability allows dietary mineral supple- mentation to be reduced by up to 50% while still maintaining performance. We can therefore expect that animals will easily achieve their genetic potential while minimising trace miner- al supplementation and excretion. Although trace minerals do not directly affect quality param- eters, they can still influence them. Iron influences the colour of red meats, while as part of the antioxidant system, Cu, Zn and Mn are important for cell integrity, notably after slaugh- ter to limit drip loss. In the dairy industry, a lower somatic cell count has been established with the use of organic Zn, result- ing in greater profitability of the milk 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 so contribute to animal welfare. Finally, trace elements accumulate well in tissues which fits in with the United Nations’ human health pro- gramme that encourages trace element accumulation in meat products to meet the particular needs of the human population.
Reducing environmental impact Owing to high supplementation, elements concentrated in manure are accumulated in the soil where they may pose a
PHOTO: HANS PRINSEN
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