Antibiotic Concerns Prompt a Different Approach

Dr. Shirish Nigam

MD - EW Nutrition India Pvt Ltd
Overview

Ban of AGP‘s in European Community

Feed quality influencing factors

 Quality of used raw materials
 Anti-nutritional factors (ANF‘s)
 Technical feed quality
 Nutrient content and digestibility
 Additives
 Enzymes
 Probiotics and Prebiotics
 Organic acids
 Secondary plant compounds

Take-Home Message
Antimicrobial Growth Promotors (AGPs)

 When Sweden joined the EU in 1995, they maintained

their total ban on AGPs from 1986 based on the
safeguard clause (an exemption from the Acquis Com.)
 In 1996: First scientific proof of cross-resistance in a
Dutch turkey farmer
 Political discussion on EU level started somewhere in the
second half of the 90s
 Relatively quickly political agreement reached (mainly
initiated by The Netherlands and Sweden) that the use of
antimicrobials as growth promotors (AGPs) is unwanted
(‘used to disguise management failures’)
Prohibition on AGPs in Europe

1997: EU ban on Avoparcin

1998: ban on Carbadox and Olaquindox in The Netherlands
(safeguard clause)
1999: EU ban on Tylosin, Spiramycin, Virginiamycin and
Bacitracin-Zinc
In 1999 Sweden applied for the safeguard clause for the
remaining AGPs (Flavophospholipol, Avilamycin, Monensin
and Salinomycin)
Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003: total ban on all remaining
AGPs as from 01.01.2006
Use of selected coccidiostats is still allowed
The use of some antibiotics as therapeutic VMP is still
allowed (only after prescription by a veterinarian)
Prohibition on AGPs in Europe

Challenge: how to support health in GIT and performance?

Solution: Bundle of different actions needs to be considered.

Feed quality influencing factors

Feed measures can‘t replace

Hygiene on farm
Biosecurity in the barns

 important actions of farmers to keep the flock in the best

possible health condition.
Quality of used raw materials

Hygienic status of raw materials

Microbial contamination should be as low as possible

Load with mycotoxins must be considered closely

→ High standard in manufacturing practice, in the

chain from field to storage and feedmill
→ Grain and corn should be cleaned technically
before used as raw material for feed production
→ Specifically adjusted use of Mycotoxin risk
Managment tool
Mycotoxins – influence of sieve cleaning actions

Source: Persak, P.; Jarnjak,M. (2015)

 Feeding The GIT – complex environment

Crop: pH 5.5
50 min
Gizzard Jejunum
Colon 20 – 30 min
Proventiculus 25 min
90 min (including
gizzard)

Caeca
infrequent emptying
up to 24 h – 48 h

Duodenum
5 – 8 min Ileum IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
50 – 70 min Rapid inflammatory response
(12 h – mammals 3 to 4 days)
10
epithelial turnover rate 48 to 96 h
 Dysbacteriosis

Optimal digestion rate leads to reduced amount of nutritive

substances for bacteria
absorbed nutrients

starch

fat

protein

less bacteria

11
Graphic according Bedford (2002),
 Dysbacteriosis

Incomplete digestion leads to higher amount of nutritive

substances for bacteria in the caecum / colon
less absorbed nutrients

Acute Effect:
• Dysbacteriosis
starch • Insufficient feed
conversion
fat
Longterm Effect:
protein • Increased production
of endogenous
enzymes
• Immune reaction
• Growth of organs
related to digestion
• Consumption of
more bacteria nutrients (energy)

12
Graphic according Bedford (2002),
Influences on physical properties of feed

Grinding process Components

- Technology - Materials
- Screen perforation - Structure e.g. premixes
- distance hammer - sieve - Structure e.g. byproducts

Effect on structure of the feed and

physical properties in feeding systems
and the GIT
- Particle size distribution -

Agglomeration
- Pelleting
- Pelleting technique
- Granulation and screening
 Technical feed quality

Prediction of pellet quality by „Feed Pellet Quality Factor (FPQF)“

Ingredient FPQF Ingredient FPQF Ingredient FPQF

Corn 5 Soybean meal 4 Corn gluten meal 4
Barley 5 Fish meal 4 Ground nut meal 8
Wheat 8 Sunflower meal 6 Guar meal 7
DDGS 5 Linseed meal 7 Rice bran 2
Brewers grains 3 Coconut cake 5 Vit./Min. premix 2.5
Oil -40 Palm kernel meal 6 Binder: lignin 50
Molasses 7 Rape seed meal 6

Source: FARAHAT, M. (2015): Good pellet quality – does it makes sense?

http://www.allaboutfeed.net/Processing/Pelleting/2015/7/Good-quality-feed-pellets-Does-it-make-sense-1785760W/
Technical feed quality

Source: KLEINE KLAUSING, H. (2011): Aspects of feed structure and technological treatment of grain on intestinal health
IFF Feed Processing Conference at Victam International 2011 Cologne - 03 May 2011
Nutrient content and digestibility

(1) Adapted to the different production phases

(2) According to actual practical-scientific knowledge,

published by the breeding companies

(3) Formulating on basis of digestible nutrients, especially AA

(4) Considering actual knowledge on support of health in GIT

through fermentable fiber in the diets
Anti-nutritional factors (ANF‘s)

→Protease inhibitors
→Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP‘s)
→Phytate

How to handle such challenges?

 Processing of raw materials  toasting, expansion, extrusion

 Addition of selected enzymes like phytase, glucanase,
xylanase, ….
Feeding

In animal nutrition the following groups of additives are often

used to balance microflora in order to have a positive influence
on gut stability and intestinal health:

 Enzymes
 Prebiotics
 Probiotics
 Organic acids
 (Essential oils)
 Secondary plant compounds (standardized combination
of extracts from e.g. essential oils and other plant parts)
Enzymes

Use of enzymes is common in European poultry diets

→ Phytase
→ Xylanase, Glucanase and combination of them
→ Protease

They appear to be important as part of an integral approach

to animal health that is less reliant on antibiotic
compounds.
Probiotics and Prebiotics

Probiotics
→Balancing intestinal microflora by …..
→competitive exclusion and antagonism
→taking influence on digestive enzyme activity
→stimulating immune system
Prebiotics
→Non-digestible ingredients taking beneficially influence on
microbiota in the GIT
→ substrate for beneficial gastrointestinal microbes
→ Able to alter microflora and reduce colonization of pathogens
→ FOS and MOS
→ Hydrothermally processed fiber-rich raw materials
 „fermentable fiber“
Organic acids

Use of organic acids in feeding is popular in the EC.

→Maintenance of hygienic status of feed raw material or

complete feed.
→Achieving a positive influence on digestion in the stomach.

Which organic acids should be used for which target?

Does feed composition influence efficacy of organic acids?

Organic acids

How to evaluate organic acids?

g/mol pKA
Propionic acid (C3H6O2 ) 74,1 4,90
Butyric acid (C4H8O2 ) 88,1 4,80
Sorbic acid (C6H8O2) 112,1 4,80
Acetic acid (C2H4O2) 60,0 4,76
Lactic acid (C3H6O3) 90,1 3,87
Formic acid (CH2O2) 46,0 3,75
Citric acid (C6H8O7) 192,4 3,14

strong acids pKA -1,74 – 4,5

medium acids pKA 4,5 – 9
weak acids pKA 9,0 – 15,74
Organic acids

Feed composition and efficacy of organic acids

Protein content  buffer capacity

 Limited protein content  AA digestibility and protein
source

Calcium content and source  buffer capacity

 Partly use of organic calcium source
 Phytase and limited content of Ca and P
Organic acids in animal feed

The supplementation of the right organic acids at the right

doses in animal feed can ….

 decrease microbial count (bacteria and fungi) in the feed

 take positive influence on animal performance
 reduce colonization of pathogens in the intestine

But practical experiences show even so that ….

 only doses of at least 3 to 5 kg liquid formic acid or

combination of formic and lactic acid (80/20) per MT animal
feed can be effective
 usually liquid organic acids on an inorganic carrier (e.g. 55 to
65 % formic acid on silicate) in low doses of 1 to 3 kg per MT
animal feed are ineffective and doesn’t make sense
Organic acids in drinking water

The supplementation of the right organic acids at the right

doses in drinking water can lead to ….

 decreased microbial count (bacteria and fungi) in the

drinking water
 increased animal performance
 reduced colonization of pathogens in the intestine

But practical experiences show even so that ….

 only doses of at least 0.5 to 2.5 kg liquid organic acids like

formic acid or combination of formic and lactic acid (80/20)
per 1000 liter drinking water can be effective
Secondary plant compounds

Groups
Phenolic and polyphenolic substances
Essential oils
Tanning agents
Bitter and pungent substances
Alkaloids and saponins

MOA
Stimulation of sensor cells in GIT  activation of digestion
Increase of permeability of cell membrane of the bacteria
Degradation of the enzyme system of the bacteria
Increase of anti-oxidative activities
 Combining expanding + extrusion: LTCL

LTLC (Long Term Conditioning and Liquification)

Unique technology for processing feed materials to change their properties
(nutrition-wise and physical)

Refined product
with improved
nutritional value

HIGH PRESSURE
SHEAR FORCES
TEMPERATURE
MOISTURE TIME

feed materials
Combining expanding + extrusion: LTCL

Principle of LTLC (Long Term Conditioning and Liquification)

Combined advantages of a moist extrusion like in

a HTST extruder (intensive material
transformation), and of an expander (only
product cooling, no drying)
Energy transfer via steam, mechanical energy, pressure; expansion of
the material
Characteristic changes in the matrix structure of the products
Modification of the starch granula as well, as the structural carbohydrates
like NDF / ADF right down into molecular range
Enlargement of the starch granula surface and far-reaching desintegration
of the semi-cristalline and cristalline structure of the amlyopectin and
amylose resp. of the cristalline carbohydrate structure in NDF / ADF-rich raw
materials
Significant reduction of ANF‘s
Broiler feed formulation “fermentable fiber”
% BR 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4 g/kg BR 1 BR 2 BR 3 BR 4
Dry matter 890 890 891 891
Corn 35,000 39,995 42,294 43,988 ME poultry MJ/kg 12,3 12,5 12,8 12,9
LTCL cooked corn 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 ME poultry kcal/kg 2938 2986 3057 3081
Crude protein 221,131 199,608 184,684 175,884
LTCL cooked soybeans 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 Digestible protein 193,32 174,388 160,564 152,462
LTCL cooked sunflowermeal 6,000 6,650 8,330 9,000 Lysine 14,04 12,5 11,264 10,32
LTCL cooked canola expeller 6,091 6,683 8,337 9,333 Methionine 5,68 5,922 4,92 4,78
M+C 9,523 9,5 8,37 8,153
Soybean meal 46 18,050 11,632 5,676 2,372 Threonine 9,161 8,5 7,481 7,018
Limestone 1,426 1,467 1,210 1,195 Tryptophane 2,651 2,326 2,111 1,986
Valine 10,412 9,397 8,748 8,369
Soy oil 0,706 0,813 1,718 1,922 Arginine 14,724 13 11,826 11,146
MCP 0,844 0,811 0,759 0,661 SID Lysine 12,7 11,262 10,057 9,135
Lysine sulphate 70% 0,480 0,466 0,433 0,369 SID Meth 5,36 5,623 4,624 4,487
SID M+C 9,525 9,569 8,469 8,271
Methionine-HA 0,264 0,323 0,210 0,200 SID Thr 8,382 7,809 6,839 6,404
Premix 497 0,250 0,250 0,240 0,240 SID Try 2,408 2,114 1,911 1,793
SID Val 9,525 8,599 7,996 7,646
Premix 499 0,250 0,250 0,240 0,240 SID Arg 13,531 11,948 10,861 10,233
Sodium bicarbonate 0,200 0,230 0,230 0,230 Crude fats & oils 66,164 68,894 79,702 82,811
Salt 0,117 0,130 0,073 0,074 C 18:2 31,042 32,316 37,331 38,662
C 18:3 3,295 3,372 4,096 4,273
Pigment 40 0,050 0,100 0,100 0,100 Crude fiber 44,037 47,175 53,332 56,537
L-Threonine 0,072 0,090 0,041 0,026 NDF 139,475 141,528 146,96 149,972
ADF 66,03 65,546 68,846 70,444
Coccidiostat premix 0,060 0,060 0,060
Starch 310,107 341,028 355,231 365,718
NSP Enzymes 250 g/t 0,025 0,025 0,025 0,025 Sugar 39,045 38,107 38,796 39,087
Secondary plant compounds 0,015 0,015 0,015 0,015 Crude ash 56,36 54,207 49,394 46,963
Ca 9 9 8 7,8
Phytase 100 g/t 0,010 0,010 0,010 0,010 P 6,7 6,469 6,372 6,152
Available P 4,4 4,3 4,2 4
Na 1,7 1,82 1,6 1,6
K 9,812 8,769 8,038 7,617
Cl 1,527 1,6 1,24 1,245
Mg 1,503 1,39 1,392 1,385
Take-Home Message
There‘s not the „one measure-solution“ – a bundle of different actions in feed
quality, feed processing and formulation concepts must be taken.

Innovative feed formulation without antibiotics means …..

• Considering SID AA – not only the first three to four ones

• Continous evaluation of the different raw materials and their quality on basis
of digestible nutrients (even SID AA as well as further nutrients)

• Take care for support of digestion in gizzard and controlled passage rate 
particle size in feed!

• Support digestion of usually not or less digestible substances in feed 

Phytin-P and „NSP“  use the right enzymes

• Support the balance of the microflora in the whole GIT and the performance
figures in a natural way  alternative feed additives like secondary plant
compounds from natural sources, based on farm-specific consultation
Thank you for your attention.
Dr. Shirish Nigam
Shirish.nigam@ew-nutrition.com
Dr. Heinrich Kleine Klausing
EW Nutrition GmbH
kk@ew-nutrition.com