NEWS 10 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2022 Probiotics can help reduce use of antibiotics A peer reviewed article by University of Bologna establishes bacillus-based probiotics as a promising strategy to help tackle the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance, while also reducing the incidence of post-weaning diarrhea in pigs by 30% and mortality in broilers by 6–8%. The article, “Bacillus spp. Probiotic Strains as a Potential Tool for Limiting the Use of Antibiotics and Improving the Growth and Health of Pigs and Chickens”, confirms the positive effects of probiotics, also known as direct fed microbials (DFM), in young pigs and broilers. These special microbes demonstrate a broad array of modes of action, including direct and indirect inhibition of potentially harmful organisms. The scientific findings support the global recognition of the need to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock production, as antibiotic resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. The new review includes potential modes of action, and the effects on the performance and health of pigs (weaned piglets, lactating and gestating sows) and broilers. “Basically, this thorough review confirms the power of good bacteria,” states Kim Muller Christensen, Senior Vice President, Animal & Plant Health, Chr. Hansen, underlining that it includes several strains and products and not only those offered by the global bioscience leader itself. A just published review of 131 scientific articles evaluates the effectiveness of Bacillus strains as probiotics, and as a potential strategy for reducing the use of antibiotics in monogastric animals. FEFAC estimates that industrial compound feed production in the EU will reduce by 4–5 million tons in 2022, mostly because of the spread of animal diseases and the continuing global grain market rally fuelled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The European Compound Feed Manufacturers’ Federation (FEFAC) released its estimates for industrial compound feed production in the European Union (EU) for 2021 and outlook for 2022. The EU compound feed production (EU27) for farmed animals in 2021 is estimated at 150,2 million tons, an increase of 0.03 % compared to 2020, according to data provided by FEFAC members. Except for the pig feed sector, all other sectors managed to stabilize/or slightly increase their production despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, global grain market rally, supply chain disruptions and spread of animal diseases in 2021. Following the 2021 EU critical pig meat situation, facing challenges of reduced meat demand in key export markets (sanitary import ban & Asia-Pacific’s recovery from ASF), high costs for feed grains, the impact of African Swine Fever and significantly increased 2020 production, the pig feed production decreased by -1.5% in 2021. The countries most affected were particularly Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary. The Netherlands and Belgium have continued depopulation of their pig herds in order to lower agricultural environmental emissions. Looking at the market outlook for 2022, the EU pig and poultry sector are expected to reduce their EU compound feed production expected to reduce by 4-5m tons in 2022
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