ISSUE FOCUS 56 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2026 A CRISIS WITHOUT HEADLINES – ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AMR has quietly become one of the most pressing global threats of our time. Once considered a breakthrough in animal agriculture, antibiotics were used to grow and treat animals and aid the rapid scaling of animal farms. Antibiotics have been routinely mixed with animal feed over the last few decades. This has created an incubator for superbugs that are resistant to treatment to thrive in. These superbugs are not just confined to farms. They move through soil and water runoff and thrive. They reach humans through food and spread through direct contact between animals and people. Consequently, infections are becoming harder and harder to treat. Approximately 1 million people die of AMR each year and the number is only growing. While antibiotics are a double-edged sword, it is unlikely and unethical to stop using antibiotics. That leaves us with the option to find a way to build systems beyond antibiotics. BIOTECH TO THE RESCUE? The bridge between nutrition and AMR resilience is being paved by biotech. It allows for nutrition to function as a preventive, biologically aligned intervention. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, biotechnology provides an arsenal of tools that enable better nutrition for animals. There have been numerous advances in fermentation, enzyme technology, and microbial products; furthermore, precision biomolecules can truly change the feed game. They ensure that nutritional feed can cause fewer health disruptions, improve survival, and provide more stable economics. In an industry where predictability is as important as innovation, biotech has enabled exactly that. By turning traditional feed into a powerful preventive tool, biotech is reimagining nutrition as a first line of defence. In the years ahead, a bag of feed will represent a bioengineered ecosystem. It will be a customized formula designed to promote gut health and elevate productivity naturally. The future of preventive health is in the feed mill, the fermentation tank, and the genetics lab. INSECTS AND CIRCULAR BIORESOURCES Feed formulation is undergoing a strategic pivot, and diversification is the hot topic of conversation. Plant protein concentrates, microbial biomass, algae-derived lipids, and insect-based ingredients are being used, not as replacements for conventional inputs, but as ingredients in diversified portfolios. Within alternative protein sources, insect-derived ingredients offer a compelling case. They contain high protein content, balanced amino acid profiles, and functional lipids. The cherry on top is that insects require relatively little land and water. Sure, alternatives exist, but the question for nextgen nutrition is if they can deliver commercially viable results every single time across contexts and geographies without birthing new vulnerabilities. THE NEW SILK ROAD: A great example of a commercially viable bio-circular ingredient is silkworm pupae. A byproduct of sericulture, silkworm pupae are at the heart of our work at Loopworm. Sustainability elevates them as a circular economy star. With established supply chains and proven nutritional value, they are transforming animal feeds for trout, salmon, shrimp, poultry, and swine. Typically, they contain 50–60% crude protein and 20–30% lipids, and deliver better digestibility along with bioactive compounds that support immune function and stress tolerance. These pupae are high-performance ingredients that boost productivity and fortify immunity. Photo: Loopworm
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==