April 23, 2007

Probiotics market seen to grow over AGP ban

The ban on antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in the European Union (EU) and its possible prohibition in the United States may increase potentials of the European animal feed probiotics market in the next five years, according to a new report.

As one of the most promising alternatives to antimicrobials for animal health and increase efficiency of nutrient utilisation, probiotics have been demonstrated to have an equivalent efficacy to synthetic AGPs (AGP). AGPs are previously used as prophylactics to restrain growth and activity in all gut microflora species before they were completely banned in Europe in January last year.

The antimicrobial ban resulted to a financial difficulty for EU monogastric animal feed as it competes with countries that can still use in-feed antimicrobials to protect against diseases such as scour and necrotic enteritis.

The use of probiotics can help reduce the significant increase in therapeutic antimicrobials administered on monogastric animals since the antimicrobial ban. The US' probable ban on AGP could also boost the European animal feed probiotics in the next five years.

Although the acceptability of probiotics has mounted in the last few years, concerns still exist regarding their efficacy and reliability.