Poultry gets the spotlight at BIOMIN's World Nutrition Forum 2014
The poultry-specific discussion session on Day 2 of the Forum saw the largest number of participants, compared to other species-specific discussion sessions. Clearly, many were keen to keep up with the latest developments in poultry and poultry feed production. After the session, eFeedLink spoke to Mickael Rouault who chaired the session. He is also technical and marketing director EMEA of BIOMIN. We also spoke to Philip Smith, senior nutritionist at Tyson Foods.
Mickael Rouault (Left) and Philip Smith (Right)
How do you define sustainable poultry production?
Rouault: First, we have to be profitable, which is a prerequisite in pursuing sustainability in other areas.
Next, in terms of environmental sustainability, I think that Europe is more advanced than the rest of the world. For example, environmental regulations in European countries like the Netherlands and Denmark are very, very strict.
Third, the social pillar of sustainability is the hardest to define. I think that the sustainability model described by Juliette Protino (scientific and technical officer at Synalaf, France) during the poultry-specific discussion is a good model when assessing the social aspects of sustainability. Since the model was designed for France, we would have to tailor it for other countries. But it is a reliable model overall.
What are some of the recent developments in sustainable feed formulation for poultry?
Rouault: One is, apart from the development of natural growth promoters like essential oils, acidifiers and probiotics, that of mycotoxin risk management. It is increasingly becoming an inter-disciplinary subject, involving both animal nutrition and veterinary science.
How do you convince farmers in developing countries to buy high-end mycotoxin products when cheaper local brands are out there in the market?
Rouault: I think we have to get them to think in terms of return on investment rather than cost. They can use large amounts of a cheaper product, but if the product is ineffective, it will still be ineffective no matter how much you use. On the other hand, even if an effective product is more expensive than average, it can still ultimately save costs for the farmer should his or her flock get sick due to poor mycotoxin risk management.
Moreover, the fact that our products Mycofix® Secure, BIOMIN® BBSH 797 and FUMzyme® got EU registrations should give farmers a sense of assurance that these products will work even when mycotoxins detected are at the ppm or even ppb levels.
And perhaps it is worth mentioning that a lot of the product assurance offered out there in the market is not yet at the scientific level.
What are the latest product developments in amino acids that are geared toward improving gut health?
Smith: Certain forms of amino acids, like lysine hydrochloride, reduce the crude protein content in the gut, thereby reducing the risk of mycotoxin contamination, and also knock back bad bacteria. Of course acid products improve digestibility as well. Novus's Alimet and Adisseo's Rhodimet are some examples.
Currently, the four most commercially available amino acids are lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan. When prices of these four acids come down, we may be able to cost-effectively change the amino acid diet even more to include other acids like isoleucine, leucine, valine and arginine.
What about developments in overcoming anti-nutritional factors in poultry feed?
Smith: One of them is developing soybean with low trypsin inhibitor content. The current practice is to heat soybeans to get rid of the trypsin inhibitor, which damages other proteins in the bean itself.
Another area of development is in phytases, which break down phytates in corn which otherwise chelate nutrients such as proteins, amino acids and minerals.
NSP enzymes, which include xylanases and glucanases that release nutrients from grain such as wheat and barley, are another area of development.
From a marketing perspective, how do poultry companies set themselves apart from competitors?
Smith: Companies are getting their antibiotic-free and animal welfare programmes audited by third parties to meet the demands of their customers - other than the USDA's own poultry grading programme.
Companies are also moving into niche markets such as vegetarian-diet, organic, antibiotic-free and free-range poultry.
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