December 27, 2005

AGP ban the focus for year-end

With the ban on antibiotic growth promoters in the European Union starting on Jan 1, 1996, a Danish academic centre has focused on the alternatives available for the industry.

According to an announcement from the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, it is not enough to just use other feed additives and different feed processing methods as an alternative to antibiotics to promote growth and health, particularly to achieve a high growth rate. Instead, good management practices and high-quality feed components are crucial in producing the healthiest animals, researchers at the institute said.

According to the institute's department of animal health, welfare and nutrition, it is also important to distinguish between health and growth aspects. Demark has not used AGPs in animal feed since 1999.

Without antibiotics, the aim is to ensure a healthy gut flora in livestock to prevent health problems. In pigs, this is done by using beneficial organisms such as lactic acid bacteria that produce lactic acid via fermentation. The lactic acid can kill or inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, the institute said.

The fermentation process, however, takes time. The extra time can be gained by retaining the food in the stomach for longer to ensure fermentation. However, as the assimilation of nutrients takes place in the intestines, the animals do not actually benefit from the food while it is in the stomach.

The fermentation process also has a price in terms of energy demand, as the lactic acid bacteria require sustenance. The time and energy spent by the bacteria is the price the pig will have to pay in the battle against harmful bacteria.