SPECIAL STORY 40 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE September 2022 become contaminated with pathogens. Every operation, raw material and feed formulation has different needs and challenges." Oldnall continues, "Contaminated feed can reach multiple houses and barns within a single operation, extending its influence across an entire operation. It is more common to see a disease start with a single subset of animals and then observe it spreading horizontally through animals in close contact. When we see disease resulting from feed-source pathogens, we see a more immediate distribution throughout the operation." FEED PATHOGEN CONTROL PROGRAMS EFFECTIVELY MITIGATE FEED-SOURCE PATHOGENS Clean feed is an effective tool within a comprehensive biosecurity program designed to prevent disease. Mitigating feed-source pathogens and successfully achieving animal performance and productivity goals require reduced microbial loads and pathogen prevalence in feed and feed ingredients. Producing and utilizing clean feed with fewer feedsource pathogens, spoilage organisms and a lower microbial load equip feed and food producers in achieving operational performance and productivity goals. Feed sanitizers and organic acids blends are commonly used to mitigate enteric pathogens. Producers rely on them to mitigate feed-source pathogens and reduce incoming challenges at the source, ultimately maximizing the nutritional value of feed. Organic acids are efficient at acidifying feed, creating a hostile environment for bacterial pathogens including Salmonella and E. coli, and reducing the pathogenic load of raw materials and finished feeds. Organic acid-based solutions that remain in the feed post-pelleting work by reducing the pH in the digestive system, making it a less conducive environment for pathogenic bacteria, eventually leading to bacterial cell death. Some organic acids blends such as Fortrol®, Anitox's latest specially formulated feed pathogen control solution, reduce feed-source pathogen transmission and lowers the microbial load of feed following pelleting and processing. Oldnall explains, "Managing feed as a fomite and achieving animal performance and productivity goals require implementing effective feed pathogen control that reduces the microbial loads and pathogen prevalence found in feed and feed ingredients. The variable risk associated with feed and feed ingredients demands solutions that allow producers to manage their specific risks. Whether applied to feed and feed ingredients on a routine basis, as a corrective treatment for Salmonella-positive feed material or used to flush mills and ingredient processing facilities, Fortrol® enables producers to protect feed value and mitigate risk. It can be used flexibly and independently at various inclusion rates or in combination with a feed sanitizer such as Finio®." Feed sanitation requires using bactericidal compounds at low inclusion rates to control microbial contamination and offer long-lasting protection against feed recontamination. Feed sanitizers have been repeatedly shown to effectively reduce Salmonella contamination in feed. For example, a study performed by the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) determined that a formaldehyde-free feed sanitizer controlled Salmonella in feed at 1 kg/MT. Feed sanitizer, Finio, depicted as product A demonstrates efficacy against Salmonella at 1.0 kg/MT and demonstrates a clear dose-response reaching 98.5% at 2.5kg/MT. (Photo Credit: Gosling et al., 2021) Source: Gosling, R. J., Mawhinney, I., Richardson, K., Wales, A., & Davies, R. (2021, January 27). Control of salmonella and pathogenic E. coli contamination of animal feed using alternatives to formaldehyde-based treatments. MDPI. Retrieved February 23, 2022, from https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/2/263/htm
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