May 15, 2006
Delacon conducts a phytogenic feed symphony in Vienna
An eFeedLink Exclusive
Vienna, Europe's indisputable capital of classical music and the birthplace of musical geniuses like Mozart, paid homage to a symphony of different kind on Friday (May 12)--one that showcases the performance of nature.
The Performing Nature Symposium, organised by Delacon, took place under a current climate of great interest among the global animal science community in alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), even as barely six months have passed since the European Union's full AGP ban on Jan 1 this year.
Some 150 participants and speakers from regions as diverse as Europe, South and North America, and Asia congregated in the Austrian capital for the one-day symposium on phytogenic feed additives. Sharing the limelight with a Latin America-EU congress taking place on the same day, this symposium was Vienna's other international conference, remarked Dr Hans-Jörg Schelling, vice-president of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in his opening address at the symposium.
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The one-day symposium was divided into three topical sessions on swine, poultry and the EU legislation. Notably, the swine section featured the most lectures--four in all compared with about two for poultry and EU legislation sections respectively--underscoring perhaps the challenges that swine producers in particular face with the phasing out of AGPs.
In a presentation on the different approaches to AGP replacements, senior researcher for pig nutrition Dr Paul Bikker of the Netherlands' Schothorst Feed Research, showed that a variety of factors can improve the performance of pigs even without the use of AGPs. He cited in particular organic acids as effective in improving the stomach functions of pigs and directly inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
High on the day's topic of discussion also was the use of herbs, spices, botanicals and extracts, and essentials oil as feed additives. Besides possessing antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, several studies cited showed their use linked to benefits like stimulating both the immune system and feed intake of animals. |
Dr Paul Bikker (right), senior researcher for pig nutrition from the Netherlands' Schothorst Feed Research |
Much still needs to be done in the field of essential oils, however. Of the estimated 3,000 essentials oils available, only 300 are currently being used, revealed swine nutritionist Dr Kim In-Ho of South Korea's Dankook University.
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Dr Kim In-Ho, swine nutritionist at South Korea's |
For sows, weaning and finishing pigs, Dr Kim further noted that essential oils were found to be "very suitable" compared with other phytogenic substances like flavonoids, saponins and tannins. Pointing to trials done of Fresta F Concentrate, Delacon's phytogenic feed additive for pigs, Dr Kim added that feed additives like Fresta could be successfully used together with antibiotic feed in countries in Asia to produce synergistic effects on animal performance, while reducing gaseous emissions like ammonia.
This synergy is perhaps the key reason why the potential of phytogenic feed additives continues to grow in Asia, says Dr Sze Eng Kian, Delacon's regional director for Asia in Malaysia, citing South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines as the region's key markets. Based on trials showing the benefits of Delacon's Fresta and Biostrong feed additives, Asia's livestock producers are beginning to view phytogenic substances like as part of longer-term cost cutting measures. |
"These products are also a form of production enhancement for food-producing animals," Dr Sze tells eFeedLink. "So that's how we promote it in Asia and elsewhere, rather than marketing it solely as an alternative to antibiotics. In fact in some countries, these botanical feed substances are already used together in synergy with antibiotics."
No doubt, pressure from importing markets like the EU is also accelerating the switch to non-antimicrobial feed substances among Asia's top integrators and meat exporters.
For the Brazilian experience, Dr Scheuermann of the National Centre for Swine and Poultry Research in Embrapa listed rosemary, oregano, clove and thyme as several essential oils with proven antibacterial properties for poultry. Examples from trials with Delacon's Biostrong in Brazil showed a higher nutritional value to feed ingredients, in addition to a growth promotion effect when used in corn-soybean type broiler diets and under warm rearing conditions.
The phasing out of antibiotics also brings to the fore the importance of farm management practices on animal performance. Factors such as stocking densities, ventilation, feeding space and house designs for instance, will have a greater influence on improving broiler production and chick performance through improved feed conversion and mortality, and even higher daily weight gain.
With a background of over 20 years in research on phytogenic feed additives, Delacon's first-ever seminar aimed to gather animal nutrition experts to discuss and share experiences on the use of non-antimicrobial substances, namely botanicals, as antibiotic replacements in feed.
As Dr Helmut Dedl, CEO and president of Delacon tells eFeedLink: "We want to learn about the efficiency of phytogenic feed additives, not only of Delacon products, but of plant substances in general and how they help support healthy, sustainable livestock production. We are here to see the impressive results that arise from the use of phytogenic feed additives not only in Europe, but all over the world."
The Performing Nature Symposium certainly did perform to that criterion.
The Delacon family and symposium speakers
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