November 13, 2003

 

 

Probiotics As a Feed Additive Developed by French & Canadian Animal Nutrition Company

 

Cooperation between French animal nutrition company Nutriway and Canadian Lallemand, specialising in yeasts for human consumption (baking, fermented and beverages) and animal nutrition, has developed probiotics as a feed additive.

 

Probiotocs are defined as living micro-organisms, which provides in sufficient quantity, have positive effects on the health of the host by improving the microbial balance.

 

Probiotics have also proved to be good to human beings. Probiotics are consumed daily through yogurt, nutritional supplements and medicines. They have an important role to play in human and animal health in the coming years.

 

Concerning animal health, probiotics have been used for more than 10 years and have shown their efficacy in many different environments around the world.

 

In Vietnam, Lallemand and Nutriway carried out a trial this year on a pig farm in association with the Animal Breeding Technical Institute to evaluate the effects of Levucell SB (the brand name for the yeast species Saccharomyces boulardii) on the health condition of piglets. The yeast has a unique mode of action in the digestive tract by protecting and stimulating positive intestinal flora against pathogens responsible for digestive troubles.

 

The results from this trial showed that Levucell SB had a strong control of digestive troubles for piglets, allowing the farmer to reduce the use of antibiotic treatments.

 

This indicates that it is possible to naturally control the health of sows during maternity and to improve piglets' performance during post-weaning and fattening periods.

 

This trial confirms the two targets shared by Nutriway and Lallemand are --  to contribute to the reduction of digestive troubles in the piglet by providing an economically preventive tool in respect to local breeding techniques, as well as to propose natural solutions to increase animal performance while strictly respecting the safety of the animal, the consumer and the environment.

 

Hence, probiotics represent a necessary investment for the modern farmer who wishes to integrate hygiene into the management of his or her farm.

 

France's Nutriway was established in Vietnam in 1997, which is specialised in animal nutrition. Currently, it possesses 100 employees with a factory in Bien Hoa and has sales and technical centres in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

 

Nutriway has become one of the leaders in the market for premix (mix of vitamins and minerals) and feed additives (probiotics, enzymes) in Vietnam.

 

The company is also a specialist in providing technical services for feedmills, such as feed analysis, formulation, nutrition and veterinary consultancy.

 

Canada's Lallemand operates 10 production sites throughout the world and has commercial networks in 14 countries with an annual turnover of C$350 million.