March 29, 2017

DSM answers top two questions at VIV Asia

How can you help us reduce the cost of feed? What are you doing for 'antibiotic-free'? These were the top two questions DSM had to answer at VIV Asia 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand, Dr. Fidelis Fru, Marketing and Nutritional Solutions Director of DSM Animal Nutrition and Health, told eFeedLink.

"Regarding reducing the cost of feed, we have an extensive product portfolio which can help our customers achieve significant savings of up to $15-20/tonne through displacement of expensive nutrients such as protein and phosphorus as well as energy. These savings can shift into both directions depending on the cost of raw materials. As to the 'antibiotic-free' discussion, which DSM has long anticipated, this was extensively covered in our symposium held just prior to VIV Asia. We believe that 'antibiotic-free' production is of course possible, but success requires a holistic approach, including changes to bird management, for e.g. increased down-time between flocks, improved biosecurity and optimisation of nutrition to support the health and resilience of animals," Dr. Fru said.

He was also quick to stress that nutrition was highly relevant to the 'antibiotic-free' discussion.

Regional Technical Manager of Asia Pacific for swine at DSM, Dr. Megan Edwards, also joined in the discussion. "We are continuously reminding our customers on the necessity and importance of vitamins to give the animals a solid foundation which in combination with an adequate macro-nutrition and management will give the animals good health status and improved innate resilience to diseases. When prophylactic antibiotics are removed from the diet excellent performance can be maintained through strategic use of feed enzymes and adjacent technology such as eubiotics," Dr. Edwards said.

Dr. Fru added, "Feeding the appropriate vitamin level is pivotal. At DSM we have recently released our new OVN™ (Optimum Vitamin Nutrition) guidelines on the levels of vitamins to use for optimum performance under varying applications. Reducing the industry's reliance on prophylactic antibiotics through the use of optimum vitamin nutrition is a key nutritional component for success. We also combine this with our broad eubiotics product range and enzyme solutions portfolio coupled with worldwide knowledge and experience in the field thereby helping our customers make the transition away from prophylactic antibiotic use. When it comes to reducing feed costs we are very well positioned to help our customers with our enzyme technology and nutritional advice. Our Alliance with Novozymes has allowed us to truly innovate in this area resulting in a portfolio of products and solutions that help control and close nutrient gaps and realizing significant value for the industry." 
 

Continuing its focus on "Innovation with Global Products and Local Solutions" since the last VIV Asia 2015, Dr. Fru said that these are the current, and will remain the future, strategic elements for DSM. "We are now implementing this strategy across the region which is basically fostering our customer interface, spending more time listening to our customers, discussing with them to find out what their needs are and fulfilling these needs.

The "antibiotic-free production" trend across Asia Pacific is, in part, driven by regulations but even more importantly by consumers. As a nutritional company, we are continuing to develop concepts and strategies capitalising on our nutritional knowledge, our broad science-based product portfolio and beyond, to ensure that we can assist our customers and the industry to move toward a more sustainable position on the use of antibiotics in a profitable way," highlighted Dr. Fru.

Dr. Fru also shared that DSM hires two main categories of experts. Firstly, product experts, who educate the market on DSM's "global products". These are solid science-based products, that are developed by a highly skilled central R&D organisation, stemming from DSM's understanding of the megatrends in the industry. Secondly, nutritional or species experts, like Dr. Edwards, who use their specific technical expertise to work together with the product experts to come up with appropriate market or customer-specific nutritional solutions termed "local solutions".

"We are strongly rooted in science and our customers and the industry know this. Having this proven science-based approach and worldwide reach has enabled us to bring multiple new innovations to the industry over time and we are well set up to continue to do so," stressed Dr. Fru.