Kurt and Geert Van de Mierop, CEOs of Nutrex: “In many animal production systems, feed is the largest single cost, and on-farm profitability depends on the relative cost and nutritive value of the available feed ingredients. Supplementing the feed with enzymes improves the nutritional value of feed ingredients, increasing the efficiency of digestion and nutrient absorption. This reduces the need for additional and costly feed inputs and supplements, leading to lower feed costs and better feed conversion, further reducing overall production costs and improving profitability for farmers and production facilities.”
As feed enzymes gain increasing importance in animal nutrition, Nutrex, a family-owned company based in Belgium, stands out with its innovative solutions. Recognized internationally as an expert in specialty feed additives, Nutrex operates in more than 50 countries worldwide. In this interview with the company’s CEOs, Kurt Van de Mierop and Geert Van de Mierop, we discussed the critical role of enzymes in enhancing animal health, gut integrity, feed efficiency, and sustainable production. In particular, we explored how Nutrex’s enzyme solutions, offered under the Nutrase® brand, deliver both performance and cost efficiency, helping producers improve profitability while reducing environmental impact.
Firstly, could you please explain the importance of feed enzymes and their intended use in animal nutrition?
Feed enzymes are a crucial component in livestock nutrition. They play a vital role in enhancing the digestibility of feed ingredients and improving nutrient utilization, ultimately leading to enhanced animal performance and overall health.
In feed, enzymes are used to break down complex molecules into smaller compounds, making nutrients more accessible for absorption or removing antinutritional factors. By targeting specific substrates, enzymes unlock the nutritional value of feed ingredients that might otherwise pass through the animal’s system undigested. This leads to improved growth, better feed conversion rates, but can also improve gut health.
These enzymes are classified into different categories based on their substrate and mode of action, including single enzymes such as xylanase, beta-glucanase and phytase, but they are also offered as multi-enzyme blends. Each type of enzyme plays a specific role in the digestive process, ensuring the efficient breakdown of nutrients or antinutritional factors.
Supplementing animal feed with enzymes has been shown to enhance overall animal health and performance. By improving nutrient utilization, enzymes support optimal growth, development, and reproduction. Livestock on enzyme-enriched diets demonstrate better feed conversion rates, increased weight gain, improved gut health and litter quality.
Additionally, enzymes help reduce environmental pollution by decreasing the amount of undigested nutrients excreted by animals, and by allowing the use of more diverse raw materials and by-products. This not only minimizes nutrient runoff into water bodies but also promotes the sustainability of animal production systems.
As Nutrex, you have an enzyme range that you offer under the Nutrase® brand. Could you give information about this enzyme range? How many types of products are there, and for which animal species and purposes are they used?
Nutrase®’s feed enzyme solutions are a powerful tool for advancing sustainable animal protein production, offering a multitude of benefits, including:
1. Improved nutrient utilization in feed
2. Lower feed cost
3. Stimulation of beneficial microflora
4. Enhanced overall health status of animals
5. Reduced environmental impact
Our product line includes various enzymes such as 6-phytase, endo-xylanase, and multi-enzymes blends, each targeting different feed components. Our 6-Phytase Nutrase® P helps release phosphorus from phytate, reducing the need for inorganic phosphorus supplements and minimizing environmental impact. Nutrase® BXP, our multi-enzyme blend, focuses on precisely breaking down complex carbohydrates, supporting optimal feed digestibility. On the other hand, Nutrase® Xyla HS, our purified endo-xylanase, targets arabinoxylans (AX), breaking down both water-soluble and especially water-insoluble AX fractions to improve the energy value of the feed.
These enzymes are used across multiple animal species, including poultry and swine to enhance animal production performance, improve feed digestibility, increase nutrient absorption and energy usage as well as reduce feed costs.
We know that enzymes have a very important role in intestinal health. Could you share with us the effects and benefits of Nutrase® enzymes on gut health?
Due to volatile feed prices, more unconventional feed sources are being introduced into livestock diets, making them more complex and variable. This can increase the amount and type of anti-nutritional factors, which can directly impact the microbiota composition and thereby also the animal’s gut health.
Nutrase® enzymes significantly contribute to gut health by breaking down these anti-nutritional factors and enhancing nutrient availability. Converting complex carbohydrates into more readily fermentable oligosaccharides can stimulate the development of certain bacteria which leads to a more balanced gut microbiota, improved digestion, and reduced gut inflammation. The result is better nutrient absorption, enhanced immune function, and overall improved health and performance of the animals. This reduces the need for undesirable interventions, such as antibiotics.
In conclusion: The Nutrase® enzymes influence gut health and nutrient supply principally through two mechanisms – direct reduction of anti-nutritional factors and by indirectly changing the intestinal environment to stimulate the beneficial microflora. Both result in a greater proportion of the diet being digested and absorbed.
Another issue you emphasize in your enzyme range is the reduction of production costs. How and to what extent can your enzymes reduce production costs?
In many animal production systems, feed is the largest single cost, and on-farm profitability depends on the relative cost and nutritive value of the available feed ingredients. If feed is not efficiently digested by the animal, there is a cost to both the producer and the environment.
Supplementing the feed with Nutrase® enzymes improves the nutritional value of feed ingredients, increasing the efficiency of digestion and nutrient absorption. The Nutrase® enzymes enable animals to derive more value from their feed.
This reduces the need for additional and costly feed inputs and supplements, leading to lower feed costs and better feed conversion, further reducing overall production costs and improving profitability for farmers and production facilities.
We estimate that you have conducted many trials for your Nutrase® enzyme range so far. If possible, could you share with us some of the results obtained both in terms of gut health and production performance?
Indeed, all our enzyme products have been extensively tested in a variety of trials across different feed types and conditions. These trials consistently demonstrated significant improvements in both gut health and production performance.
For Nutrase® Xyla HS and Nutrase® BXP, results showed a reduction in feed conversion ratio (FCR) by up to 4-5%, optimizing feed utilization and lowering production costs. Additionally, growth rates improved by an average of 4-6%, reflecting enhanced nutrient absorption and better overall gut health.
In trials with Nutrase® P, significant enhancements were observed in key performance parameters. Phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) digestibility improved by 5-7%, contributing directly to better bone mineralization, as evidenced by a 6% increase in bone ash content. While Nutrase® P primarily focuses on improving P and Ca digestibility, it also consistently demonstrated improvements in feed conversion ratio and growth performance.
These findings highlight the proven efficacy of Nutrase® enzymes in delivering measurable benefits for producers worldwide, improving both animal health and operational efficiency.
What makes your enzyme portfolio different from its counterparts in the market? Apart from gut health and production efficiency, what critical advantages would you like to point out for your enzyme range?
• Versatility: Our enzyme range is specially designed to work with a variety of feed ingredients, which enables producers to incorporate alternative, often more cost-effective, feed ingredients without compromising on nutritional value. By doing so, we help producers optimize their feed formulations, reduce costs, and maintain high standards of animal nutrition and health.
• Animal welfare: Improved nutrient absorption and gut health lead to better overall animal health and welfare. Healthier animals are more productive and require fewer medical interventions, which is beneficial for both the animals and the producers.
• Sustainability: Nutrase® enzymes stand out due to their high specificity and efficiency in breaking down feed components. This results in fewer nutrients being released into the environment, saving producers money while providing sustainable benefits for both the animals and the planet.
In conclusion, our products are supported by rigorous research and development, ensuring they meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy. Our commitment to innovation and quality makes our enzyme range a reliable choice for enhancing animal nutrition.
In 2024, you received approval from the European Commission for the use of Nutrase® P in poultry feed. Could you please explain this product and the significance of the approval? What are the features that make this product stand out?
Nutrase® P is a highly efficient phytase enzyme that has been approved by the European Commission for use in poultry feed. This approval is significant as it validates the safety and efficacy of Nutrase® P, allowing its use for all poultry species for fattening or reared for laying and ornamental birds.
Nutrase® P is a unique bacterial 6-phytase that efficiently releases phosphate from phytate, thereby improving phosphorus digestibility and reducing the need for phosphate addition in the feed.
Nutrase® P key benefits include:
• Increased digestive efficiency: Nutrase® P, as a potent 6-phytase enzyme, helps release phosphorus from phytate, resulting in better absorption of essential nutrients such as phosphorus, calcium and other minerals. This contributes to improved growth and productivity.
• Improved feed conversion: Enhanced nutrient uptake allows poultry farms to utilize their feed more efficiently, reducing feed conversion costs and improving the sustainability of poultry production.
• Environmentally friendly: Nutrase® P reduces the amount of undigested phytate in manure. This has a positive impact on the environment by reducing phosphorus leaching into soil and water.
• Safe and reliable: The enzyme has been thoroughly tested and found to be safe for both poultry and consumers. The European registration confirms the quality and reliability of Nutrase® P.
Finally, what would you like to add?
We are thrilled about the European approval of Nutrase® P and remain committed to advancing our research and development efforts to bring innovative and cost-effective nutritional solutions (feed improvers and drinking water solutions) to the livestock industry.
Nutrition isn’t just essential for humans. The role of functional feed additives in enhancing the productive value of monogastric and ruminants’ diets is undisputed. Our products, specifically designed for animal feed, have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness by:
– enhancing feed digestibility
– efficiently releasing nutrients
– improving gut health
– elevating overall performance
In conclusion, we extend our gratitude to our partners, researchers, and customers for their trust and collaboration. Together, we are making strides towards a more efficient and sustainable future in animal nutrition.
About Kurt and Geert Van de Mierop
Belgian entrepreneurs Kurt and Geert Van de Mierop are the Managing Directors of Nutrex, a family-owned company that specializes in research-based feed additives and drinking water products for the livestock production industry. With complementary experience and expertise, they are focused on advancing the company as the second generation of leadership, following in the footsteps of their father, Leo Van de Mierop.Under their joint leadership, Nutrex continues to expand well beyond its European origins, exporting its specialty products to more than 55 countries outside of the EU. Building on the foundation established by their father, Kurt and Geert are guiding Nutrex’s transformation into a globally recognized authority in specialty feed additives.
Nutrex focuses on alternatives to antimicrobial growth promotors, continually investing in innovative approaches to enhance feed efficiency, promote intestinal health and address various challenges—including toxin management, suboptimal immune function, and respiratory disorders.
A significant achievement during their tenure was the opening of Nutrex’ new headquarters in Olen, Belgium in 2020 where the company operates a state-of-the-art production facility and boasts robust research and development capabilities. This facility greatly increases Nutrex’s production capacity and flexibility while ensuring high-quality outputs, essential for meeting the growing global demand for effective nutritional solutions in animal feed.
With a strong international presence and an extensive partner network, Nutrex remains committed to quality and scientific excellence. Kurt and Geert continue investing in the development of premium quality feed additives and drinking water products that consistently deliver value to their customers. Their integrated approach brings together R&D, production, marketing, and sales at the Olen headquarters, reinforcing Nutrex’s dedication to quality, innovation, and long-term growth.
