A focus within the poultry and feed industries is to remove or reduce reliance on antibiotics. Feed additives could be an alternative to antibiotics, but the main challenge is they need to perform consistently under commercial conditions. A probiotic that has a consistent action and can enhance animal resilience is an excellent alternative and can ensure the sustainability of poultry production.
BY AURÉLIE MOAL, GLOBAL MARKETING MANAGER, HEALTH BY NUTRITION AND PASCAL THIERY, HEAD OF APPLIED NUTRITION & FEED TECHNOLOGY, ADISSEO
T
he reduction and elimination of antibiotics has been surveyed* as being the greatest challenge to feeding programmes by the poultry industry. This year, 24% of the respondents have reported that
their operations are antibiotic free (ABF), that is 3% more than the previous year. A further 25% stated that 50% of their poultry production was ABF. However, new EU regulations on veterinary medicines and medicated feeds will come into force at the end of January 2022. One of the main objectives of this legislation is to: “strengthen the EU’s actions to fight antimicrobial resistance through specific measures, thus ensuring a prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials in animals, including reserving certain antimicrobials for the treatment of infections in people.” This aim, along with consumer pressure, means that ABF production is expected to continue to grow. Around 60% of broiler production in the USA is ABF. This practice is also growing in Latin America and Asia, particularly in those countries that export to the EU and China.
Challenges The industry faces two significant poultry health challenges because of antibiotic reduction/elimination: necrotic enteritis and coccidiosis. Alternative feed additives that promote beneficial microbiome and support the immune function and gut barrier have a role to play in such challenges. Improved gut health and animal resilience will also help poultry deal with these challenges. A well-developed gut and optimal microbiome help support poultry performance and enable birds to deal with challenges better – in turn reducing the need for antibiotics. Gut health is important for both the immune function and nutrient absorption, both of which have a positive impact on the
health and growth of poultry. The use of probiotics has grown as ABF production has increased, along with a greater understanding of the importance of a healthy gut microbiome.
Dependable product The main concern when replacing antibiotics is inconsistent results from feed additive alternatives. The survey respondents utilised and/or combined probiotics (64%), with organics acids (61%), enzymes (57%) and phytogenics (51%). They reported that probiotics showed a good level of efficacy (72% in 2020), as did organic acids (69% in 2020). In 2021, 59% of the interviewed people were planning to increase their use of probiotics; however, not all probiotics are the same. Alterion is a complete probiotic solution for poultry, specifically designed to deliver a consistent performance. Developed by Adisseo, an expert in animal nutrition, in collaboration with Novozymes, the world leader in biological solutions, the product is the result of a stringent selection process: over 900 AAFCO-listed bacterial strains were screened, before testing their activities in vitro and in vivo.
Consistency throughout In spore form, Bacilli are naturally protected from pressure, acidity and temperature. The most stable strain – Bacillus subtilis DSM 29784 – was chosen to provide superior safety, stability, effectiveness and functioning. This naturally occurring bacterial strain is harmless for animals and humans and does not contain antibiotic resistance genes, which is vital for the safety of the product and to preserve the health and welfare of animals. Thanks to an innovative formulation, probiotic spores are ‘glued’ onto calcium carbonate particles. This advanced process ensures a low level of dust, low segregation of the
A well-developed gut and optimal microbiome help support poultry performance and enable birds to deal with challenges better.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
▶ ANTIBIOTIC REDUCTION | DECEMBER 2021
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