September 6, 2012
MELOFEED, the collaborative project by Lallemand and Bionov, aimed at reducing antibiotic use in animal feed, is granted government funding of EUR 2.9 million (US$3.66 million) by the Inter-ministry Unique Fund (FUI).
The objective of the project is the development and marketing of innovative animal feed ingredients extracted from melons. The MELOFEED project aims at developing a range of nutritional ingredients for animal nutrition. The product range will be based on the unique properties of an antioxidant molecule, Superoxyde Dismutase (SOD), which is naturally present in a specific variety of melons.
Its preventive use in animal nutrition should help reinforce the sanitary status and natural defences of farmed animals, and contribute to enhancing farms' overall performances. Primary target species are swine, poultry and aquatic species. Future developments will also concern ruminants and horses.
The technological and industrial alternatives that will be developed during the project shall enable to help manage oxidative stress and inflammatory states and their consequences, in particular in cases of viral or bacterial infections or physiological challenges (e.g. weaning or fecundation). By supporting immunity, this development is in line with the present regulatory guidelines of antibiotic usage reduction in animal production.
Moreover, initial experimental validation studies have shown that SOD can also help improve fecundity, newborn maturity, as well as the quality of animal end-products.
Innovations issued from the project will be patented and their early development will take into account future market needs and expectations at scientific, technological, regulatory and economic level.
The MELOFEED project is a three-year program that combines the complementary expertises and know-how of Bionov (project leader) and Lallemand. It will also benefit from the expertise of INRA Toxalim group (Toulouse), the scientific partner of the project. The MELOFEED project has also been approved by several French Competitiveness clusters in the agrifood sector (QUALIMEDITERRANEE, PEIFL and AGRIMIP).
The project comprises of 3 main parts. The first part is the development of specific cultivation methods and industrial processes, formulation and galenic, in order to optimise the production of an existing ingredient based on concentrated melon juice for animal nutrition (Melofeed®, distributed by Lallemand Animal Nutrition).
Secondly, in vitro studies and documentation about the modes of action and biological effects of Melofeed® will be carried out. The last stage involves the vlidation in animal production setting of the ingredient's benefits, including immunity, reproduction, maturity and performance, among others.
Bionov is a small private French company founded in 1999 and based in Avignon, in the South of France, is the world leader in active ingredients extracted from melon. Bionov has developed an expertise and industrial know-how in eco-friendly process of solvent-free extractions based on green chemistry; as well as in micro-encapsulation.
BIONOV possess several patents and the only plant able to produce SOD industrially for the nutraceutical and cosmetic markets. Moreover, the company has a proprietary variety of long-life melon which contains very high levels of SOD. The company also possess and controls its own melon production fields in the South of France, as well as its dedicated processing site and R&D laboratory.
