Tebrio, one of the leading companies in the production and processing of Tenebrio molitor insects, together with other major players in the swine industry, has announced that it launched an innovative project to improve sector efficiency and sustainability. The Porcisost research program aims to offer farmers a natural alternative to zinc oxide in order to control piglet mortality in the first weeks of life. To this end, it proposes diets including protein from Tenebrio molitor insects and other synthetic compounds and amino acids. In addition, alabaster will be used to recover slurry nutrients and minimise the polluting effect of the waste on the environment.
The recent ban on zinc oxide to treat the common gastric disorders suffered by piglets after weaning represents a new problem for productivity in the swine industry.
The five-year moratorium offered by Brussels in 2017 expired last June 26, meaning that this chemical compound can no longer be used in medicated feed. The reason is scientific studies developed to date show zinc oxide poured via slurry has a devastating effect on the environment.
All this is forcing the industry to look for alternatives to replace it, since E.Coli bacteria, which could be controlled with this additive, represent one of the main causes of mortality during the first two weeks of life of piglets' life.
Efficiency and sustainability
In order to fight gastric infections without having to abuse antibiotics, the Spanish biotech company Tebrio, together with Grupo Jorge, Nutega and Vallehermoso, has embarked on an innovative research project called Porcisost. This program aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Iberian and Large White pig production through nutrition.
Specifically, it foresees introducing insects into the diet of animals that have just been weaned to take advantage of the great potential of this new sustainable protein source. As Sabas de Diego, Tebrio's CTO, explains, 'Protein extracted from the tenebrio molitor insect is already successfully used in the aquaculture industry. And it represents a natural source of feed that is more than 90 percent digestible, with almost no ash and minimal processing. All of which has a very positive impact on the animal's metabolic and digestive system, because it is also rich in essential amino acids.'
At the same time, the diet will be supplemented with a range of synthetic amino acids and other industrial by-products, such as polyphenols derived from olive pomace and sodium butyrate, in order to strengthen the immune system of the piglets at a critical time in their development.
In addition, alabaster will be used to capture the nutrients in the slurry that were not separated until now, minimising the feared environmental impact of the waste.
Cutting-edge technology
The study also contemplates the monitoring of all of the above using the Organ on a Chip technological system, a device that emulates the stomach, intestine and placenta of the animals during gestation to establish correlations and evaluate the effect of these diets.
Finally, and with the aim of improving the resistance of piglets to different pathologies, a complementary study will be carried out based on a freeze-dried fecal transplant from healthy to diseased individuals. This will allow to analyse how this technique affects the microbiome of the host animals.
Hight mortality due to gastric problems
Mortality in the swine sector is one of the highest in the livestock industry. According to European Union (EU) data, between 10 percent and 15 percent of piglets die during the first two weeks of life. Among the main causes of premature death are gastric infections, which cause severe diarrhea that in many cases the animals are unable to overcome, resulting in heavy economic losses.
Antibiotics have contributed for decades to reduce this mortality, but their use is increasingly restricted to prevent animals from developing resistance to antimicrobials. This is especially important in livestock intended for human consumption, such as pigs.
The European Union is currently the second largest pork producer in the world, behind China, and the world's largest exporter of piglets and pork products. The main producing countries are Germany, Spain and France, which together account for half of the EU's total production. In total, Europe exports 13 percent of its production and its main markets are the East Asian countries, particularly China. As a whole, the European pork sector slaughtered 250 million pigs in 2021, equivalent to 24 million tons of meat.
For more information about Tebrio visit the website, HERE.
The five-year moratorium offered by Brussels in 2017 expired last June 26, meaning that this chemical compound can no longer be used in medicated feed. The reason is scientific studies developed to date show zinc oxide poured via slurry has a devastating effect on the environment.
All this is forcing the industry to look for alternatives to replace it, since E.Coli bacteria, which could be controlled with this additive, represent one of the main causes of mortality during the first two weeks of life of piglets' life.
Efficiency and sustainability
In order to fight gastric infections without having to abuse antibiotics, the Spanish biotech company Tebrio, together with Grupo Jorge, Nutega and Vallehermoso, has embarked on an innovative research project called Porcisost. This program aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Iberian and Large White pig production through nutrition.
Specifically, it foresees introducing insects into the diet of animals that have just been weaned to take advantage of the great potential of this new sustainable protein source. As Sabas de Diego, Tebrio's CTO, explains, 'Protein extracted from the tenebrio molitor insect is already successfully used in the aquaculture industry. And it represents a natural source of feed that is more than 90 percent digestible, with almost no ash and minimal processing. All of which has a very positive impact on the animal's metabolic and digestive system, because it is also rich in essential amino acids.'
At the same time, the diet will be supplemented with a range of synthetic amino acids and other industrial by-products, such as polyphenols derived from olive pomace and sodium butyrate, in order to strengthen the immune system of the piglets at a critical time in their development.
In addition, alabaster will be used to capture the nutrients in the slurry that were not separated until now, minimising the feared environmental impact of the waste.
Cutting-edge technology
The study also contemplates the monitoring of all of the above using the Organ on a Chip technological system, a device that emulates the stomach, intestine and placenta of the animals during gestation to establish correlations and evaluate the effect of these diets.
Finally, and with the aim of improving the resistance of piglets to different pathologies, a complementary study will be carried out based on a freeze-dried fecal transplant from healthy to diseased individuals. This will allow to analyse how this technique affects the microbiome of the host animals.
Hight mortality due to gastric problems
Mortality in the swine sector is one of the highest in the livestock industry. According to European Union (EU) data, between 10 percent and 15 percent of piglets die during the first two weeks of life. Among the main causes of premature death are gastric infections, which cause severe diarrhea that in many cases the animals are unable to overcome, resulting in heavy economic losses.
Antibiotics have contributed for decades to reduce this mortality, but their use is increasingly restricted to prevent animals from developing resistance to antimicrobials. This is especially important in livestock intended for human consumption, such as pigs.
The European Union is currently the second largest pork producer in the world, behind China, and the world's largest exporter of piglets and pork products. The main producing countries are Germany, Spain and France, which together account for half of the EU's total production. In total, Europe exports 13 percent of its production and its main markets are the East Asian countries, particularly China. As a whole, the European pork sector slaughtered 250 million pigs in 2021, equivalent to 24 million tons of meat.
For more information about Tebrio visit the website, HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
No comments:
Post a Comment