What role does nutrition play in poultry production? Dr. Fernando Rutz, technical manager for Alltech Latin America, joins the Ag Future podcast to discuss the importance of a well-designed nutritional program for improving immunity and maximizing performance in poultry.

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Fernando Rutz hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Tom:            Welcome to Ag Future, presented by Alltech. Join us from the 2022 Alltech ONE Conference as we explore opportunities within agri-food, business and beyond.

                     I'm Tom Martin with the Alltech Ag Future podcast series. Dr. Fernando Rutz is a technical manager for Alltech in Latin America. He teaches physiology and monogastric nutrition at the Pelotas Federal University in Brazil. He's the author of several book chapters and newspaper articles and (is) a speaker at seminars and symposiums, both in Brazil and abroad. Dr. Rutz's research interests include organic minerals, enzymes and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and poultry nutrition and reproduction. He joins us to talk about nutritional solutions to digestive tract issues in poultry. Welcome, Dr. Rutz.

Fernando:     Thank you.

Tom:            Let's begin with this: How can a nutritional program improve immunity in poultry?

Fernando:     What happens in the field is that you have lots of challenges. You have a DNA that wants to be expressed, but you have a lot of challenges. What we have to find here is a balance in between the challenge and what we can do to help the bird. What are the challenges? The challenges are virus, bacteria, all the parasites you can find in the field. What can we do to help the bird? Then we have to find the (right) strategy there. This strategy would be (implemented) through nutrition, through cleanness and, I mean to say, the biosecurity that you can find for the bird. Also, how can you help the health of the bird using some management practices? About these management practices, I mean, good vaccination allows the little chick to have an opportunity to absorb all the yolk in which all the antibodies come from the mother to the little chick. That means — this is how we can help. We need a strategy over there to make it better for the bird.

Tom:            Let's say we have a strategy in place. How do nutrients interact with that immune system in the bird?

Fernando:     (In) two ways, I would say. (With) some nutrients, you can have a pro-inflammatory effect, and (with) some other nutrients, you have an anti-inflammatory effect. We have to go in between them. This is what you call immune modulation. Some other nutrients would just neutralize the free radicals that you have in the field.

Tom:            How important is it to find just the right nutritional balance to boost immunity on one hand while also providing the nutrition it takes to maximize performance?

Fernando:     Well, chicken really have different requirements. The lowest one would be, really, for performance, and the highest one is for immunity. First of all, we have to fulfill the requirement needs, and then, in the second place — and then give some extra nutrients, probably some more specific nutrients, (or) some specific feed additives, also, that can help the immune system to become better.

Tom:            Does Alltech produce products intended to play a role in fortifying the immune system?

Fernando:     Most of the products (produced by) Alltech will do it. Let me give you some examples. For example, we have organic minerals over here. About these organic minerals, one of them is called Sel-Plex organic selenium. With the Sel-Plex, it neutralizes free radicals. It's one of the ways it works. Another way it works is that it has a chemotaxis effect. That means to say it will bring all these neutrophils with the macrophage — which are cells that will fight off the disease — to the place in which a challenge is happening.

                     Another one would be zinc. Zinc is very important for the synthesis of proteins because it participates in a protein called the zinc fingers, mainly that. With the zinc, you form a barrier, help form a barrier against the microbes that want to penetrate. Not only that, we have also Viligen. (With) Viligen from Alltech, it does not allow the E. coli and the Salmonella bacteria to attach to the glycosphingolipids in the intestine, so they cannot colonize the intestine. Besides that, the Viligen, (as well as another Alltech solution called) Actigen, also acts on improving the acquired immune system and decreasing the inflammation.

                     The other product Alltech has that works very well in this one is called the Viligen. Viligen acts against the gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. With this Viligen mode of action, it acts (by) increasing the epithelial cells, which (are) a barrier in the intestine but also improve the mucus production. Improving the mucus production of a dairy (animal) will help the immunoglobulin A, which protects all the mucosa, (the) mucosal system. One more important point (about) this Viligen is that it increases the antimicrobial proteins (that are) produced by animal, by itself. These antimicrobial proteins have a very good effect, a very nice effect, against the gram-positive bacteria.

                     I would tell you (about) one more (Alltech product). That is the Nupro. Nupro is a nucleotide-based product. It's a very rich nucleotide. It's extracted from the yeast and cells. The immune cells cannot synthesize all the nucleotides they need, so you provide them through the diet. That makes it very good for the chicken.

Tom:            Have there been recent innovations that have captured your attention and interest?

Fernando:     A lot. I would say a lot. Those that do call, more and more, my attention today is that — people are realizing that they need to interact, the whole areas need to interact. That means environment and nutrition, sanitation, everything that (is involved in animal production) needs to interact. Probably, where most people are putting the emphasis right now is in microbiology and how this microbiology can interact with the host. When I mean microbiology, I mean the one that is in the GI tract, the one that is in the skin, the one that is in the respiratory tract, because this microbiology can educate the immune system, so it's extremely important.

Tom:            Tell us about your research, Dr. Rutz, in the area of organic minerals. What's come from those studies that would be of interest and useful to poultry producers?

Fernando:     Well, we've been doing some interesting studies in that area. For example, (we) have shown that if you feed those organic minerals from the beginning to a rooster since (the time that) they are baby chicks, you improve the sperm cells' capability (and) motility when they are old. This is a big problem today in the industry. People start complaining that the roosters, when they get old, they cannot copulate well anymore, and they have not (got) good sperm cells.

                     Another important point that is that we've been working a lot with the total replacement of inorganic (with) bio-organic minerals — and with excellent results. (We’ve seen) 100% success when we talk about, for example, layers in terms of actual production. Besides that, we've been also working some with the skin-scratching stuff. If you add Bioplex zinc in combination with Sel-Plex (to the ration), you improve a lot the quality of the skin and, really, the carcass — (it will) really look like the silky carcass (as a result). That attracts a lot the attention of the client or the consumer when it goes to the supermarket.

Tom:            You've also concentrated on the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in poultry nutrition and reproduction. What have you learned?

Fernando:     Well, (there have been some) very interesting studies we have conducted over there. For example, if you talk about layers, with layers, you have a better yolk color and, also, you can enrich the egg with DHA. What's extremely important is omega-3 (in the animal product) for human beings later on to eat. For breeders, for roosters, you improve the fertilizing capacity of the sperm cells. We've been talking about this DHA all the time for human beings. Before we forget all about that, the DHA is also important for the chick. You have a decent amount of DHA in the brain of the chick, too. Some studies with swine have shown that if you use DHA for swine, the little piglets, they become smarter. They can go, then, and look for the teats (or) the sows better.

Tom:            Interesting. It's Dr. Fernando Rutz, the technical manager for Alltech in Latin America. Thank you so much for joining us.

Fernando:     Okay.

Tom:            For the Alltech Ag Future podcast series, I'm Tom Martin. Thank you for joining us. Be sure to subscribe to Ag Future wherever you listen to podcasts.

Alltech released its 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook today, highlighting global feed production survey data. Despite significant macroeconomic challenges that affected the entire supply chain, global feed production remained steady in 2022 at 1.266 billion metric tons (BMT) in 2022, a decrease of less than one-half of one percent (0.42%) from 2021’s estimates. The annual survey, now in its 12^th year, includes data from 142 countries and more than 28,000 feed mills.

Europe bore the brunt of the impact, including significant disease challenges, severe weather and the impacts of the invasion of Ukraine. The global COVID-19 pandemic has had major impacts on the agri-food sector, contributing to supply chain challenges and accelerating the adoption of new technology and environmental sustainability practices.

The top 10 feed-producing countries over the past year were China (260.739 million metric tons [MMT]), the U.S. (240.403 MMT), Brazil (81.948 MMT), India (43.360 MMT), Mexico (40.138 MMT), Russia (34.147 MMT), Spain (31.234 MMT), Vietnam (26.720 MMT), Argentina (25.736 MMT) and Germany (24.396 MMT). Together, the top 10 countries produced 64% of the world’s feed production, and half of the world’s global feed consumption is concentrated in four countries: China, the U.S., Brazil and India. Vietnam experienced a great recovery in terms of its feed tonnage in 2022, entering the top 10 ahead of Argentina and Germany and crowding out Turkey, which reported reduced feed tonnage. Russia overtook Spain, where there was a significant reduction in feed production.

Key observations from the survey:

• Feed production increased in several regions, including Latin America (1.6%), North America (0.88%) and Oceania (0.32%), while Europe decreased by 4.67%, Africa by 3.86% and the Asia-Pacific region also dropped 0.51%.
   
• Globally, increases in feed tonnage were reported in the aquaculture, broiler, layer and pet food sectors, while decreases were reported in the beef, dairy and pig sectors.
   
• Although it experienced a narrow reduction in feed production, China remains the largest feed-producing country in the world, followed by the United States and Brazil.

Notable species results:

• The poultry sector experienced increases in both layer and broiler feed production.
  • Avian influenza, other diseases and the high costs of raw materials affected the layer sector in many markets, especially in Asia, Europe and Africa. On the other hand, growth in the sector was boosted due to bigger challenges in other sectors that led to increased demand for eggs. Overall, layer-sector feed production increased by 0.31%.
     
• • While the overall tonnage in the broiler sector increased by 1.27%, there were significant differences from country to country. Overall, feed production growth in the broiler sector was reported mainly from the Middle East, North America and Latin America.
     
• Pig feed production was down globally in 2022 by almost 3%. ASF and high feed prices depressed pig production in many countries. However, in Vietnam, China, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico, better pork prices and other market conditions led to growth in the sector.
   
• Dairy feed tonnage decreased by 1.32%, mainly due to the high cost of feed combined with low milk prices, which caused farmers to reduce their numbers of cows and/or rely more on non-commercial feed sources. Some exceptions included Ireland, where drought caused farmers to rely more on commercial feeds, and New Zealand, where milk prices were higher.
   
• Beef feed production decreased slightly by 0.34% globally. The downward trend continued in Europe, but increases were seen in almost all other regions. In Australia, the reduction in feed tonnage was a result of plentiful grass and not a reflection of any changes in the demand for beef.
   
• The aquaculture sector experienced a total global feed production growth of 2.7%. The Top 5 aquaculture feed countries are China, Vietnam, India, Norway and Indonesia. Significant increases were reported in China, Brazil, Ecuador, the Philippines and the U.S. Aquaculture feed production was one of a few sectors that saw growth in Europe.
   
• Pet feed production had the highest increase among the sectors, with a global average 7.25% rise in production. This significant increase is largely due to the rise in pet ownership amid the COVID-19 pandemic. North America and Europe continue to be the top pet feed-producing regions.

Notable regional results:

• North America reported an increase of 0.88% (2.272 MMT) and the U.S. remained the second-largest feed-producing country globally, behind China. Growth was reported in the broiler, beef and pet food sectors.
   
• Latin America experienced growth of 1.6% (3.006 MMT), and Brazil remained the leader in feed production for the region and ranked third overall globally. Most of the growth was reported by Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
   
• Europe saw the largest decrease in feed production of 4.67% (-12.882 MMT) in its feed production due to issues that include the invasion in Ukraine and the spread of animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF) and avian Influenza (AI).
   
• Asia-Pacific remained flat as decreases reported in China, Pakistan, Thailand and Malaysia were offset by increases in Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia and South Korea. The region is home to several of the top 10 feed-producing countries, including China, India and Vietnam.
   
• Africa experienced a decrease of 3.86% in feed tonnage (-1.718 MMT), mainly because of reductions reported in Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Nigeria. South Africa, on the other hand, saw an increase of more than 2%, and Namibia also reported higher feed tonnage in 2022
   
• The Middle East region is up significantly at 24.7% (6.301 MMT), as a result of more accurate reporting and efforts by the Saudi Arabian government to increase broiler production as part of its Vision 2030 plan.
   
• Oceania was flat, with a small reduction reported by Australia that was offset by a slight increase reported by New Zealand.

Alltech works together with feed mills and industry and government entities around the world to compile data and insights to provide an assessment of feed production each year. Compound feed production and prices were collected by Alltech’s global sales team and in partnership with local feed associations in the last quarter of 2022. These figures are estimates and are intended to serve as an information resource for industry stakeholders.

To access more data and insights from the 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, including an interactive global map, visit alltech.com/agri-food-outlook.

To accelerate innovation and keep Alltech at the leading edge of smarter, more sustainable solutions for agriculture, the company has formed a new Innovation Department, appointing Dr. Kyle McKinney as vice president of innovation and Dr. Rebecca Delles as innovation & analytics manager.  The team will be responsible for horizon scanning to meet the needs of tomorrow’s customers, rigorously challenging ideas before investment and bringing new technologies to market.

“Our new Innovation Department will serve as an important hub of connection, collaborating with our global sales team and customers to identify opportunities, piloting new innovations with our operations and sales teams and successfully launching new innovations into the market with the support of teams throughout our organization,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “This is an exciting development in our effort to exploit more of Alltech’s capabilities and ultimately deliver on our ambitions for Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.”

Since 2018, Dr. McKinney has served as the Global Director of Alltech’s Enzyme Management platform. Prior to that role, he spent three years in Costa Rica focused on leveraging Alltech Crop Science technologies to control disease and reduce chemical applications. While there, he helped establish a fermentation lab to evaluate microbial solutions for disease control. He also worked in Alltech’s applications research program for more than a decade, playing an instrumental role in the design of Alltech True Check™, an in vitro digestion system that evaluates diets and the impacts of feed technology in monogastric animals. Dr. McKinney received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural biotechnology from the University of Kentucky, his master’s degree in brewing and distilling fermentation technology from Heriot-Watt University and his Ph.D. in agricultural biotechnology from Harper Adams University.

Dr. Delles has supported Alltech as a research scientist since 2013. Her focus has been on the impact of nutritional strategies on the oxidative stability of fresh meat products and the role of nutrition on inflammaging (the impact of inflammation on the aging process) in companion animals. She received her bachelor’s degree in medical technology at the State University of New York at Fredonia and her master’s, Ph.D. and MBA from the University of Kentucky.

For more information, visit alltech.com.

Alltech is pleased to announce that Dr. Roy Brister has joined the team as a Strategic Poultry Advisor. With nearly four decades of experience in the poultry industry, he will focus on supporting sales and technical teams, bridging the gap between suppliers and poultry integrators, and driving new research. He is also passionate about creating actionable steps that help the poultry industry meet its sustainability goals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Brister to our team,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Dr. Brister exemplifies our Alltech values, including lifelong curiosity. He is committed to producers’ profitability and to the nutrition and wellbeing of poultry. To this, he brings both sound science-based practice and the rigorous pursuit of innovative approaches that can achieve greater performance and sustainability.”

Dr. Brister began his career as a technical nutritionist at Nutrius Inc./Diamond Shamrock and later Spring Valley Farms, the latter of which was acquired by Tyson just months after he joined. His 37 years at Tyson Foods included roles as director of nutrition and feed milling. He specializes in nutrition and feed milling management and is particularly interested in growth modeling as an innovative technology that can help producers achieve increased efficiency and sustainability. He is also interested in alternative ingredients that support circular nutrition and in utilizing data to guide critical decisions.

Born and raised in Texas, he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education from Texas A&M University and went on to receive a master’s degree and Ph.D. in poultry science from Texas A&M University.

Dr. Brister will be attending the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) at the Alltech booth in Hall B, booth #4507. For more information about Alltech, visit alltech.com.

Alltech is proud to continue to partner in the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program. Applications are now open for new mentors of any gender and for female mentees from across the global food and agriculture sector. Now in its third year, the free-to-join program matches applicants based on their preferences, which can include gender of mentor, areas of expertise, language and industry sector, and offers opportunities for women in food and agriculture to develop meaningful industry connections.

“Over the past few years, all of us have come to more deeply value the power of human connection,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “A commitment to the growth and development of another person unleashes energy, inspires ideas and empowers both individuals to have a greater impact. We view our involvement in the Women in Food & Agriculture mentorship program as an investment not only in the lives of women but in the future of agriculture as the industry most integral to the nourishment and vitality of our planet.”

Findings from the annual WFA survey and ongoing feedback from all levels of the food and agriculture sector consistently suggest that a hurdle to greater success for women in the global agri-food industry is a lack of mentorship opportunities. To tackle this issue, WFA launched its Mentorship Program. In partnership with Alltech in 2022, the initiative grew with 320 industry representatives matched across two cohorts. Now in 2023, the program will be open for applicants year-round with two matching sessions taking place to help even more women in food and agriculture progress their careers. The initiative has supported a variety of people around the world from CEOs of agribusinesses to small-scale farmers, from academics to ag-tech professionals, with sector representatives paired with mentors that complement their professional objectives.

“We are very pleased to again have Alltech supporting the 2023 WFA Mentorship Program,” said Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, global chair of WFA. “Mentorship is vital in supporting women across food and agriculture in developing their careers, we’ve had very positive feedback from both mentors and mentees. Many of our mentors joined the initiative as a selfless act of support for equality in our sector, but realized they got as much out of the experience as the mentees. This is such an exciting opportunity to learn about yourself, develop your skills and support an important initiative that is working to improve diversity, equality and inclusion in the food and agriculture industry.”

For those interested in taking part in the 2023 Mentorship Program, WFA is looking for mentors of any gender who have at least one year of experience in the food and ag sector. During matching, WFA will ensure all mentors have more work experience than mentees, so this should not be a barrier to mentors applying. Potential mentees should be women working in the food and ag industry who would benefit from help, guidance and support from a senior sector representative.

Alltech believes that inclusion cultivates creativity, drives innovation and is essential to the company’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty^TM. In 2019, Alltech selected Gender Equality as one of the nine United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to which the company committed to advancing.

Applications are open now for the Women in Food & Agriculture (WFA) Mentorship Program, supported by Alltech. For more information and to apply to be a mentor or mentee, visit https://wfa-initiative.com/mentorship-program/.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – Alltech is transforming its annual Alltech ONE Conference (ONE) in 2023 into a series of international events that will invite collaboration on the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry. Instead of welcoming the world to Alltech’s home in Lexington, Kentucky, as it has for the past 38 years, the Alltech ONE World Tour will bring the ideas and inspiration of the ONE Conference to communities throughout the world.

Stops are planned in Brazil, Canada, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, the Middle East the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, the United States and Vietnam, providing the opportunity for more people than ever to experience the power of ONE and to hear from experts on trending topics in the agriculture industry. Additional stops are expected to be announced in 2023.

“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “This special edition of the ONE will endeavor to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty.”

While Alltech looks forward to bringing the international conference home to Kentucky in 2024, the 2023 ONE World Tour is a unique opportunity to discuss the future of agriculture with stakeholders all over the world, offering both a global and local perspective for attendees. It will unite changemakers and thought leaders in unique forums to discuss the future, examining regional and local market trends in agriculture, business, health and nutrition.

Alltech will release more details about its international tour stops and event dates in the coming weeks. Visit one.alltech.com for more information and to subscribe to notifications on tour updates.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Similar to 2021, widespread drought throughout Europe during the 2022 growing season has directly impacted the presence of moulds and mycotoxins in new crop grains and forages. Mycotoxins are produced by certain species of moulds and are a concern for livestock producers as they can influence feed quality and subsequent animal health and performance. The Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis uncovers the true threat mycotoxins pose to animals and producers. To determine the most accurate representation of mycotoxin risk across Europe, Alltech has again collaborated with SGS, a global leader in mycotoxin testing and certification. Data for this programme has been collected for key feed ingredients on a regional level, and analysis indicates moderate to high levels of mycotoxin risk.

The results of the 2022 analysis are based on over 1,000 samples of the most common grains and forages produced and used in the European livestock industry. Samples have been collected from farms or animal feed production sites in 20 different countries, offering a representative picture of the contamination risk in all regions, with an overall moderate to high risk.

''Generally, the current results look very similar to the analysis we performed in 2021, with the aflatoxin issue in Central and Southeastern Europe dominating the headlines and creating the greatest challenge for feed and livestock producers to manage,” said Dr. Radka Borutova, European technical support manager with the Alltech Mycotoxin Management team. “Although this analysis gives a robust assessment of the mycotoxin risk in Europe this year until you actually test the ingredients that you are using in your business, it can be difficult to implement an effective control plan.’’

Key results from the Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis include:

• 100% of samples contained mycotoxins, with 79% containing 2 or more
• On average, each sample contained 4.5 mycotoxins
• Aflatoxins, type B trichothecenes, fumonisins and emerging mycotoxins are the most dominant groups detected
• 67 corn samples exceeded aflatoxin regulatory limits for feed usage (>20 ppb)

The aflatoxin challenge in corn

For the second year running, aflatoxin contamination of corn in Central and Southeastern Europe is a dominant issue for feed and livestock producers to consider as they begin to purchase and use ingredients during the coming feeding season. Aflatoxin is a warm-weather toxin, and the widespread extreme heat conditions during the main growing season are likely to have contributed to the levels appearing in corn samples.

Wheat and barley

Mycotoxin levels in wheat and barley are less than those contained in corn. While the average number of mycotoxins detected in many corn samples is above 5, in small grains, it is typically closer to 3 This variance is reflected in the risk equivalent quantity (REQ) and the risk of feeding these ingredients to specific species and animal groups. For instance, in sows and gilts, this year’s corn samples represent moderate to higher risk of mycotoxins, but when small grains are fed to the same animals, the mycotoxin risk is deemed to be lower.

Straw

Although widely used in ruminant diets and swine bedding, contamination of straw with mycotoxins is often overlooked. However, as testing in Denmark continues to reveal, straw samples primarily contain higher levels of mycotoxins. DON is the leading mycotoxin of concern and is likely resulting from a combination of pre- and post-harvest contamination. The problem can be exacerbated when straw is left in the field for a prolonged period, exposed to rain and dampness.

Forages

In all regions of Europe, grass and corn silage samples contained levels of mycotoxins that would be deemed higher risk for use in dairy production. The presence of elevated levels of Penicillium toxins are seen as the main contributor to this risk.

Risk to specific animal groups

• Pig producers should be aware that the corn risk level based on the average REQ for breeding sows and young piglets is deemed to be moderate to high, while the risk coming from small grains (wheat and barley) is low, with certain pockets of moderate to high risk.
• When the mycotoxin corn contamination levels are applied to poultry, the mycotoxin risk for breeding birds, broilers and layers is moderate, while the risk coming from small grains (wheat and barley) is low.
• In ruminants, the results from the corn and forage samples analysed so far indicate a moderate to high risk in dairy cows.

Alltech will host a webinar with Dr. Radka Borutova and other members of Alltech’s Mycotoxin Management team on December 7, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. GMT to review the results of the Alltech 2022 European Harvest Analysis. Register for the webinar via this link and for more information about Alltech Mycotoxin Management solutions, visit knowmycotoxins.com.

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, Nov. 18-24, seeks unified action to reduce drug-resistant pathogens

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development today, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In 2019, nearly 5 million human deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial AMR, of which 1.3 million human deaths were directly attributable to bacterial AMR.

Each year, the FAO dedicates the week of Nov. 18-24 to raising awareness of the deadly consequences of AMR. The theme of this year’s World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is “Preventing microbial resistance together.”

“AMR is a threat to humans, animals, plants and the environment. It affects us all,” the FAO says on its website. “That is why this year's theme calls for cross-sectoral collaboration to preserve the effectiveness of these important medicines.”

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to the antimicrobial agents used against them. As a result, antibiotics and other antimicrobials become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

Antimicrobials and antibiotics have been used for both disease prevention and treatment in humans and in animals, and for improving growth rates in food-producing animals. The misuse and overuse of antimicrobials are accelerating the development and spread of AMR worldwide.

The agri-food sector is severely affected by antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, which can lead to economic losses, a decline in livestock production, poverty, hunger and malnutrition across the globe, the FAO said. There has been a global movement in recent years to reduce antimicrobial use in livestock production, in which antimicrobials are used extensively to address gut health issues.

Dr. Richard Murphy, research director at Alltech's European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland, said AMR is a persistent problem challenging the industry. He spoke about AMR during a recent Ag Future podcast with Tom Martin.

“The agriculture industry has made great strides in moving toward reductions in antibiotic usage, restricting their usage even further. But when you look at the year-on-year data, even though the usage of antimicrobials and antibiotics has decreased, we tend not to see a similar decrease in the prevalence of resistance among pathogens that would have human resonance — E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter,” Dr. Murphy said.

As steps are taken to move toward antibiotic-free systems, producers are faced with the dilemma of controlling pathogens and AMR at the same time.

“Rather than focusing solely on antimicrobial resistance, we need to focus on the pathogens, because of the high-level prevalence of antimicrobial resistance that's present in those pathogens,” Dr. Murphy said.

Alltech’s researchers are focused on trying to understand the link between pathogen control and the control of antimicrobial resistance, he said. They are also focused on how to utilize the gut microflora to control pathogens.

“If you can expand the richness and the diversity of the gut microflora, that enables the GI tract to self-police. You tend to get what's known as colonization resistance,” he said. “You get greater resistance to pathogen colonization of the GI tract. We found in multiple studies across multiple species that we can effect changes. We can bring about increases in species richness (and) in gut microflora diversity with the use of mannan-based prebiotics — mannan-rich fraction, for instance.”

A path toward antibiotic-free production

The use of alternative products designed to regulate and support the gut environment and its microflora will assist the move to antibiotic-free production, said Dr. Jules Taylor-Pickard, director of the Alltech® Gut Health Management platform. Among those products are feed enzymes, organic minerals, yeast-cell wall derivatives such as mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) and mannose-rich fractions (MRF), functional nutrients and probiotics.

Alltech’s Gut Health Management offers a path to antibiotic-free production that begins with its Seed, Feed, Weed program.

“Seed, Feed, Weed is just that: It’s seeding the gut with favorable organisms, it’s feeding those favorable organisms and it’s weeding out the unfavorable or the bad organisms,” Dr. Taylor-Pickard explained.

The second step is the antibiotic reduction program, through which a team of experts helps develop an action plan to assist producers with reducing antibiotic use on-farm. The goal is to significantly reduce or even make prophylactic (preventative) and metaphylaxis antibiotic use (treating an entire group without evidence of disease) redundant.

The third step helps producers with the transition to operating without antibiotics by improving gut health and utilizing holistic nutrition and management practices across all stages of production.

There is no “silver bullet” solution for reducing AMR, Dr. Murphy said. It can be quite difficult to develop programs whereby you remove antibiotics and replace them with a single compound or a single nutritional additive.

“When we think about replacement of antibiotics, we will need to take into consideration multiple factors or dimensions, such as animal management and facility hygiene; diet certainly is going to be absolutely critical, and nutritional components play a huge role in transitioning away from antibiotic use and in transitioning toward antibiotic-free production systems,” he said.

Building a more resilient agri-food system

As part of WAAW, the FAO issued calls to action for farmers, food chain workers and consumers, policymakers, animal health and agriculture professionals and others.

“The challenges of AMR are complex and multifaceted, but they are not insurmountable,” the organization said.

Among its key calls to action during WAAW, the FAO is asking agri-food systems to:

• Implement prevention measures (biosecurity, sanitation, hygiene, etc.) to reduce the need for antimicrobials in animals and antimicrobial pesticides in plants.

• Use diagnostic tests to assist surveillance efforts and design successful interventions to reduce AMR.

• Use science-based evidence to identify, manage and mitigate AMR risks.

• Improve access to expert advice, prescriptions, appropriate antimicrobials to reduce production and productivity losses, and build more resilient agri-food systems.

• Provide a system-wide approach to keeping crops healthy, resorting to chemical pesticides only as a last resort.

The FAO is challenging policymakers to commit resources to tackle AMR and meet national AMR action plan targets. It is also asking agriculture professionals to share information on best practices for reducing the use of antimicrobials.

[Dong Nai, Vietnam] – Alltech, a global leader in the agriculture industry, opened its newest Bioplex^®plant today, the first organic mineral production facility in Vietnam. The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant is Alltech’s eighth mineral production facility worldwide. The plant’s production capacity is 7,000 metric tons per year, and it has the potential to create 100 new jobs, while being conveniently located to serve local customers and support import/export activity.

Alltech is one of the world’s largest producers of organic minerals for animal nutrition. The company has committed significant resources into organic trace mineral production, quality control and research, as trace mineral nutrition is essential to animal health.

Alltech’s Bioplex^® range of minerals are supported by more than 21 years of research and offer higher bioavailability to animals than inorganic minerals. The minerals are readily absorbed, stored and utilized by the animal, supporting overall health, immune status and reproductive function. Furthermore, because Alltech’s organic minerals are better utilized by animals, producers are able to achieve more with less. Mineral excretion from animals through manure is also reduced, resulting in less environmental impact.

“Our organic mineral program reflects our focus on sustainability in all aspects, from the health of the animal and the nutrition of the meat, milk and eggs produced to the economic well-being of the producer and the impact we have on our planet’s land and water,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Our investment in enhancing our mineral production in Asia reflects our confidence in the market’s continued growth and our alignment with our customers’ commitment to better nutrition from farm to market.”

Feed production in Vietnam increased nearly 7% in 2021, according to the Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, the company’s annual global feed production survey. Vietnam’s total feed production in 2021 was 18.5 million metric tons, led by the swine sector with 7.84 million metric tons, an increase of nearly 20% over 2020. Aqua feed production increased 40% in 2021 to 6 million metric tons, broiler feed increased 9% to 2.12 million metric tons, layers feed production increased 11.7% to 2 million metric tons and dairy increased 22% to 520,000 metric tons.

Consistent with Alltech’s purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™, the production facility in Vietnam was engineered to reduce the environmental impact of production:

• The use of CNG versus fuel oil, a common fuel source in Vietnam, is expected to reduce the mineral plant’s nitrogen dioxide emissions by 80% and carbon monoxide emissions by 87.5%.
• The facility uses high-pressure clean-in-place (CIP) pumps for tank cleaning, reducing wastewater by 50%. Its dust collection system is 99% efficient.
• The use of invertor motors saves electricity consumption by 5% by utilizing variable frequency drive (VFD), which also allows for the control of speed and torque to reduce chances of mechanical failures.
• The production system uses fluid bed drying (FBD) technology, which requires 48% less thermal consumption than conventional spray dryers.
• The facility is certified by ISO 22000:2018, which sets out the requirements for a food safety management system.
• Organic trace minerals are more bioavailable to the animal, contributing to improved animal health. Because more of the minerals are taken up by the animal, mineral excretion through manure is reduced, minimizing environmental impact on land and water.

The new facility also utilizes the Alltech Q+ (Quality Plus) Program, a mineral quality control program unique to Bioplex trace minerals that guarantees quality, safety and performance in every batch. Alltech Q+ sets the industry standard, enabling Alltech to offer a global quality guarantee to customers using Bioplex trace minerals around the world. It forms an integral part of the Alltech Quality System (AQS), which was designed to meet or exceed all global market regulatory standards and ensures that proper approvals and analyses are performed for suppliers, raw materials and finished goods.

For more information about Bioplex and the Alltech Mineral Management program, visit alltech.com/mineral-management.

-Ends-

Photo download: https://creative.alltech.com/share/36CF2D1A-3FDC-47B7-98D853CD784A0048/

Photo caption: Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, at the opening of the new Bioplex^® plant today, the first organic mineral production facility in Vietnam.

Photo download: https://creative.alltech.com/share/FAB039AC-F890-485D-AE3D6B4762348D17/

Photo caption: Alltech opens Vietnam’s first organic mineral production facility.

Left to right: Mr. Lai Xuan Sam, Deputy Director, Sonadezi; Dr. Mark Lyons, President and CEO, Alltech; Mr. Duong Tat Thang, General Director of the Livestock Production Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Mr. Jonathan Wilson, President, Alltech Asia Pacific; and Mr. Keith Gribbins, Director of Operations, Alltech Asia Pacific.

Beta Bugs Ltd. is an insect genetics company developing and distributing black soldier fly breeds to the insect farming sector. Dr. Thomas Farrugia, CEO of Beta Bugs Ltd., joins the Ag Future podcast to discuss how this ag-tech startup is using genetics to increase the size and survivability of black soldier flies in order to meet the growing demand for insect protein in aqua, pig and poultry feed.

The following is an edited transcript of the Ag Future podcast episode with Dr. Thomas Farrugia hosted by Tom Martin. Click below to hear the full audio or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Tom:            Welcome to Ag Future, presented by Alltech. Join us from the 2022 Alltech ONE Conference as we explore opportunities within agri-food, business and beyond.

                     Dr. Thomas Farrugia is the CEO of Beta Bugs Limited, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He founded Beta Bugs after identifying an opportunity for improved genetics in the rapidly developing insect farming industry. I'm Tom Martin. I'd like to welcome you, Dr. Farrugia, to this episode of the Alltech Ag Future podcast series.

Thomas:       Thank you, Tom. Happy to be here.

Tom:            I have so many questions for you. First, where do you find yourself in this tension between the human aversion to insects versus the potential of insect protein production in the food chain?

Thomas:       With humans, there's going to be a “yuck” factor. I think that's perfectly okay. We will see insect protein in human food. I think you just might not be eating crickets straight off a plate. It will be ground down, milled and included in as a protein ingredient in your foods. But what we also see is — and that's what we'd call the “insects as food” industry, or you also see (it) as the “insects as feed” industry, which, I say, makes the larger component of the insect farming sector. That's where the insects still get milled and ground down, but they get used as a protein source in pig, fish and chicken feed. When you think about this, it's quite natural for fish to eat bugs. When you look at the trouts, they'll go and eat bugs. Similarly with chickens, (which are) are grubbing around on-farm. That's a very good place to be putting insect protein.

Tom:            What are the nutritional benefits?

Thomas:       In terms of nutritional, you've got a very high protein content. It's comparable — depending on how you process it and what you grow the bugs on, it can be comparable to soy and fish meal, sometimes outstripping (them) in terms of performance there. You're looking at around a 40% dry protein content in the bugs once you've ground them down. You also have the fat, which has some benefits as well.

Tom:            Is it a highly sustainable industry?

Thomas:       It's very sustainable in terms of when you think about how the bugs are being grown and the process of production. What you've got is — the main insects, for example, is black soldier fly. There are also mealworms for the insects in the feed industry. They can be grown on, say, food, or you could call it food waste. It's also agricultural co-products. That means you've got something which might not have had a use, which might have had to go to landfill and would generate carbon dioxide, and you're just using that up. There are no emissions there. The other bit about this, which makes it really sustainable, is no transport. You can basically produce locally. That means you're reinforcing your agri-food supply chain.

Tom:            What kinds of insects do you use in this industry?

Thomas:       Insects as feed is characterized primarily by black soldier fly and the black soldier fly larvae. The larvae are basically really big grubs which eat anything. Then you've got mealworms, which become beetles. The mealworm, again, is the stage which eats a range of things and then gets ground down into the protein. When you look at food, it's a bit broader. I tell you, mealworms, there's crickets, and then there's a whole bunch which are still on the, I'd say, scaling-up journey or being developed. I'd say black soldier fly would probably also cross over into human food in a given time.

Tom:            Is the black soldier fly like the Angus beef of the beef world? 

Thomas:       Yeah. It's the main component of the insects feed industry. I think the reason for that is it's a bit more versatile in terms of what (it) can be grown on. It's formed internationally. You can go to — I mean, we're from the U.K. It's being farmed there. It's being farmed in Europe. You’ve got South America, same; Africa; Asia. The difference is it's grown on different things. In some cases, in Asia, it's grown on tofu waste. In Europe, it's being grown on brewers’ grains. It just adapts really well and (still) performs.

Tom:            On a scale of one to five, with five representing a world that widely relies on insect protein for sustenance, where do you place the insect farming industry right now?

Thomas:       If I could go (to) decimal points, I think I'd err towards three and a half to four. The reason is insect farming is happening. It's no longer something where people just talk about it. It's happening. It's happening at scale. We just need more scale for it to really become a player in the agri-food industry. When I say “scale,” it means thousands, if not — well, it needs to be hundreds of thousands of tons a year of insect protein. That's the scale where agri-food will use it.

Tom:            Where do Beta Bugs and genetics fit into the industry's supply chain?

Thomas:       We're the developer and distributor of black soldier fly breeds. We're a genetics company. That means we're further upstream in the supply chain. What we're all about is making a better insect. We make a better black soldier fly, which grows bigger, faster, lays more eggs, (has) better survivability. That means the farmer can do more with the bugs. Basically, it's upstream. It's classical genetics play, when you look at it. Every other industry has a genetics company — at least one; usually two. They all create a massive impact in their supply chain.

Tom:            I take it you're in business. You have clients. How are they using your insect products?

Thomas:       Effectively, what we're saying, our clients who are wanting to diversify — and this is really interesting, actually, Tom. You've got the insect farms already, which is great. You know, these are the guys who've been trailblazing and setting up the scale. But now we're seeing other players in the agri-food industry looking at this and saying, “I can get in and I can be part of this.” What we're seeing is customers who are taking those steps into becoming commercial producers of black soldier fly.

Tom:            What has to happen in the marketplace if the insect industry is to reach its full potential?

Thomas:       What we need to see there is scale. We need to see larger amounts being produced. We need to see, I'd say, professionalizing in terms of being able to work to standards for the feed industry. Apart from scaling, it needs to be consistent outputs. We can’t just have a flux. This is one of the things in our industry, as the operators or waste processor, where you receive everything in and you try and make a consistent product, or do you co-locate next to a really big substrate stream and just use that and have a very consistent product? That's one of the tensions, I'd say, as to what you do. Consistency, scale, and I'm a bit biased about genetics, because genetics is what allows you to get even further.

Tom:            Let's talk about genetics. How are genetics improving? What difference comes as a result of progress?

Thomas:       What we do at Beta Bugs is run a breeding program for black soldier fly. We're selecting the top performers for things like larval mass, how big do they get, how fast do they grow, development time, survivability, and then, also, just how many eggs do they lay. What that means is a producer will be able to produce more protein per unit time out of a facility. We've been running that for a period of time now. We are seeing gains. The really interesting bit about black soldier fly is it's a short life cycle. You can squeeze a lot of gain in a short amount of time. I mean, plant breeders must be envious, because they do what, a crop cycle a year? We're doing in the range of eight to ten.

Tom:            Wow. Tell us about your relationship with the Roslin Institute.

Thomas:       (Our relationship with the) Roslin Institute goes back a bit now. I moved the company up back to Scotland because the Roslin Institute is basically a world leader in animal genetics. They were the guys behind Dolly the sheep. We just had to be on that campus to be able to work with them. What we did was we set up a relationship and developed a collaboration where we worked up the breeding program work collaboratively. We basically brought them along with us on the journey into a new frontier for them, which is insect protein. We've been able to progress our relationship even further through a number of mechanisms. Basically, it's just been able — allowed us to build up that breeding program further and really leverage the expertise (on their team).

Tom:            Well, this has really been fascinating, Thomas. We look forward to following your progress. Just one question. If I eat bug protein, if I involve that in my diet, what am I? I'm not a vegetarian. I'm not a carnivore. What am I?

Thomas:       An entovore?

Tom:            Okay.

Thomas:       Yeah. I think — well, that was “ento”. “Ento” is bugs. But I — classically, I’d frame it into, still, this would be a carnivore approach. But bugs are eaten already. I think it is something that we do eat. There are no issues there, per se. It will be an alternative source of protein. I really like to think — maybe just something to close off with — when you watch “Blade Runner 2049,” and the opening scene is just an insect farm, and it just is, it's part of the day-to-day. In the same way we have a crop of barley, a chicken farm or a pig farm, whatever, there's just going to be an insect farm. I think that's where we're going to be.

Tom:            You know, it's kind of funny, isn't it, that we think nothing of shrimp or lobsters, and that's basically what we're considering.

Thomas:       Yeah. It's crustaceans, arthropods. They're all very similar. One thing we should keep in mind as well, you know, (is) sushi. There was a period where sushi — people were like, “Whoa, what's sushi?” Now, it's just something you just pick up. You can pick it up from the supermarket. And I think bugs is going to be the same way. That kind of comes full-circle there, Tom, where that's how I got in, because I'd see shrimps in the shop. I think shrimp, in the U.K., (is) ten pounds, twelve pounds a kilo. I look at the bugs, and the bugs will be going for 40, 50 pounds a kilo. We can't have that. We need to have it cheaper to be able to access it in the same way we access shrimp. Again, genetics enables you to bring the price down.

Tom:            Brilliant. Dr. Thomas Farrugia, CEO of Beta Bugs Limited. Thank you so much for joining us.

Thomas:       Thank you, Tom.

Tom:            I'm Tom Martin for the Alltech Ag Future podcast series. Thank you for joining us. Be sure to subscribe to Ag Future wherever you listen to podcasts.