Phytogenic, or plant-based, substances with anti-bacterial properties, are increasingly being combined and added to animal feed to support the gut microbiome, improve immunity and protect against specific diseases.
Combining the different, natural and beneficial qualities of essential oils and plants can offer improvements in health that reduce the need for antibiotics to treat infections in both livestock and aquaculture. Research is also under way to develop feed additives that can help reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry, in order to further improve food safety and sustainability of production.
New technologies including ‘smart’ and ‘intelligent’ farming practices are being extended to support decision-making in nutrition management on farms.
Scientific developments in the nutritional (nutrient) characterisation of individual feeds, development of novel feeds, feed supplementation are helping to improve the future sustainability of feed resources, enhance welfare, improve growth and productivity and reduce environmental impacts.
