February 19, 2016

 

Pancosma congress discusses non-nutrients for animals

 

The fifth edition of the Pancosma Worldwide Scientific Exchange (PWSE) saw the attendance of 60 distinguished scientists and leading players of the feed industry on February 3-4.

 

The event was held in Luzern, Switzerland.

 

Chaired by Dr. David Bravo, Pancosma's research director, the exclusive scientific congress involved discussions of the latest cutting-edge concepts in animal nutrition and health.

 

This year's PWSE was entitled "The 21st century animal nutritionist: the master of non-nutrition". It reflects a new addition to Pancosma's series of concepts for animal nutrition.

 

Building on the legacy of the revolutionary 'Gut Effects' concept first developed by the company, and promoted as Intelligent Gut Action®, Pancosma has pioneered a novel concept in animal nutrition: the role of non-nutrition as the future of animal nutrition.

 

The concept reveals the increasingly important role of a category of dietary compounds, called non-nutrients, and their effects, which extend beyond the benefits of nutrients to positively impact animal productivity. Non-nutrients, defined as substances with no nutritional value, can be integrated into nutritional strategies, to optimise the animal diet, maximise productivity and lower feed costs.

 

The event was divided into three sessions entitled "Altering the gut ecosystem: new target, new ways", "Phytonutrients as functional additives: removing the foo-foo, the dust, and the black box" and "Making sense of gut sensing". 

 

Speakers referred to evidences from studies to demonstrate the beneficial effects of non-nutrition on animal health and productivity.

 

"It is a fascinating revelation that besides nutrition, the diet also provides non-nutritional substances which impact animal physiology," Dr. Goetz Gotterbarm, CEO of Pancosma, said. "The progressive 21st century animal nutritionists must therefore be masters of non-nutrition, as they will use such dietary non-nutrients to alter hormonal secretion, immune function, or the metabolic capacity of the gut ecosystem in order to improve the health, production and welfare of the farm animal."

 

Gotterbarm added that the new strategic focus of Pancosma is to further develop "mastery" of non-nutrition as well as a "continuation of previously established gut effects."