Nor-Feed Talks Sustainability and Science Behind Flagship Citrus Extract Range – INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES

01 September 2021 – As animal agriculture continues down the road of improving its sustainability score, it has had to open itself up to more environmentally-friendly alternatives to some of its tried and trusted practises along the way.

French botanicals maker, Nor-Feed has had first-hand experience with the industry’s growing relationship with alternatives. The company has been active in natural feed additives since 2003 and has seen interest in these ingredients develop from flavourants to sustainable options that can help producers address various animal health and feed efficiency challenges.

One of these solutions is the company’s flagship Citrozest® range of citrus extract products, consisting of Nor-Spice AB® and NSAOB9, which it asserts can help poultry and pig producers with antibiotic replacement strategies and improve feed efficiency and animal growth. Co-CEOs, Olivier Clech and Pierre Chicoteau, and R&D Manager, Sekhou Cissé recently took Feedinfo behind the scenes to explain the detailed science behind these claims and reveal why describing Citrozest as “sustainable” goes far beyond just marketing speak.  

[Feedinfo] Sustainability and eco-responsibility are major driving forces at Nor-Feed. Exactly how did this inform the development and production process of the Citrozest range?

The result is products that are 100% natural, suitable for organic farming and, due to their positive effects on gut flora, can be used to replace antibiotics as growth promoters in many markets.

Citrozest also allows for better feed utilisation by poultry and pigs, and supplementation with the citrus extract can reduce the costs invested in energy or protein by improving the assimilation of the feed. For example, in a trial conducted on piglets during the pre-starter and starter phases, supplementation with 250 ppm of citrus extract provided an equivalent of 0.48 g and 0.55 g of digestible lysine respectively. And where lysine is the limiting factor, the following was confirmed: 250 ppm of citrus extract over the whole poultry production cycle delivers the equivalent of 0.27 g dLys. Whereas if energy is limiting in the ration, supplementation with 250 ppm of citrus extract provides the equivalent of 51 kcal of energy.

[Feedinfo] What are some of the core properties of Citrozest’s citrus extract that makes it so beneficial for use in animal nutrition and how have you been able to prove it?

Because the extract contains several active molecules, standardisation is crucial to ensure a consistent activity. In Figure 1, we observe that the HPLC-UV profiles of five different batches of citrus extract are similar. The composition of the product is therefore confirmed as standardised and represents an essential guarantee for users.

Finally, the characterisation allowed for the development of a method to trace the extract in premixes and complete feed. This method is based on the identification of phytomarkers specific to the extract, which can be dosed at the ppm level.

All this characterisation data has allowed us to substantiate what we know of citrus extracts’ mechanisms of action. Indeed, some identified compounds are well known for their prebiotic properties: limiting the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria on one hand and promoting the development of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus on the other.

This mode of action is well documented in an in vitro test developed by Nor-Feed. It consists of evaluating the development of bacteria in the presence or absence of the citrus extract. The results showed that the Nor-Feed citrus extract accelerated the development of Lactobacillus acidophilus and reduced the development rate of Escherichia coli compared to the control group (Figure 2).

[Feedinfo] You’ve recently used Citrozest in the development of a new insect screening model. Exactly how does the model work and what are some of its advantages over traditional screening methods?

[Sekhou Cissé] We are currently working on an insect model using the Tenebrio molitor mealworm with the objective to develop a molecule screening tool. The idea is to substitute monogastric models in the first steps of screening. For that, the insect model has to be predictive of the animal’s behaviour, looking in particular at the growth parameters and the microbiota.

The positive effect of Nor-Spice AB’s dietary supplementation on monogastrics has already been demonstrated, which allowed us to perform comparative studies with the insect model to establish a very good correlation: the trials that were performed with different dietary supplementations on both models have shown similar effect on growth parameters. Regarding the microbiota, our initial results showed that it is possible to modulate the microbiota of the insect model to bring it closer to the monogastric one.

The insect model has several advantages compared to the monogastric one. Firstly, it is faster, requiring a maximum of only 21 days for a poultry trial versus the usual 28 to 42 days. Secondly, the insect model is also significantly cheaper to operate, as you can

imagine. Lastly, it does not require authorisation from authorities for experiments.

[Feedinfo] The range has a clear focus on monogastric species but is also being marketed for calves and aquaculture. How does its effectiveness/benefits differ depending on the species? Or are you seeing similar results across the board?

Recent research in Brazil shows there is an interest in aquaculture, particularly in the growth performance of tilapia and their resistance to a bacterial challenge (Aeromonas hydrophila). The trial showed that fish supplemented for 60 days with citrus extract grew better than those in the control group, up to 17.5% heavier. Furthermore, we observed that the supplemented groups are more resistant to bacterial challenges, which lead to a reduction in mortality of up to 72%.

Moreover, Citrozest is well adapted to the needs of the feed industry: the product is perfectly suited to feed pelleting. And through the optimisation of feed energy and amino acid levels, it generates a very favourable ROI of 3:1 for poultry and 5:1 or more for swine.

[Feedinfo] Currently there are only two products in this range, Nor-Spice AB and NSAOB9? Are you planning on developing more? When can we expect this to happen?

[Olivier Clech] We have actually developed a third one, Nor-Gutan, which combines citrus extracts with active ingredients from other plants. But, for now, our strategy is to thoroughly document the AI’s of our current botanicals and their benefits for animal nutrition and health. We have chosen to dig a bit deeper on these ranges and not spread our R&D efforts too thin and too broad.

[Feedinfo] To further demonstrate the sustainability of Citrozest beyond your production process, you have also done a lifecycle assessment. What were some of the key findings?

[Pierre Chicoteau] A lifecycle assessment involves a multi-faceted approach, looking at water use, agricultural land use, CO2 and fine particle emissions, eutrophication, acidification and climate change.

For an additive such as Citrozest, the aim is to identify the main sources of environmental impact during the production and consumption of the additive, over the entire lifecycle. Likewise, the environmental impact caused by the introduction of the additive on the production of 1kg of meat must be assessed too.

By comparing what the manufacturing of the citrus extract “costs” with what its use “saves”, we can highlight the net benefit to the feed sector. While its manufacturing and distribution to a pig integrator emits a certain amount of CO2, occupies agricultural land and consumes water (respectively 13.1 kg of CO2 eq., 5.3m2 of cultivated area and 66L of water for 25kg of additive), the integration of this additive into the ration of a 300-sow farm makes it possible, through the improvement of feed efficiency, to reduce CO2 eq. emissions by 117 tonnes per year, water consumption by 1,919m3 and the mobilised agricultural land by 16.4 ha. The balance is very positive indeed.

[Feedinfo] Does Nor-Feed choosing to operate sustainably necessarily mean longer production processes and increased costs for the consumer?

[Pierre Chicoteau] Not at all. A sustainable solution cannot always command a significant price premium over conventional products, so we have to be competitive irrespective of the sustainable or “green” status of our products.

It all starts with the product design, and the identification of the best sources of actives, i.e., the plants or part of plants that will offer the highest and most stable concentration of the desired secondary metabolites. Our close cooperation with the SONAS laboratory (with whom we have set up FeedInTech, a joint lab) is an essential part of this process.

Sourcing and processing the botanicals in a very effective way is equally important. Choosing derivatives from cultivated food plants is a must and has been a strategic choice right from the start. In this regard, the patented extraction method we will be able to operate in our new plant next year will bring additional competitiveness.

The variety of markets we serve today shows that our products are not limited to developed nations and can be found on all continents.

[Feedinfo] In general, do you feel there is still some scepticism in the industry regarding the economic viability of botanicals? Does this vary by region worldwide?

[Olivier Clech] Yes. Some countries are more open minded to natural additives than others, with some advisers, for example, still very much dependent on pharmaceutical approaches to coccidiosis and less receptive to natural alternatives. But the overall evolution is global and positive, from China to the USA, and South Africa to the Baltic states.

Nutritionists and vets are demanding products with a precise and transparent composition (no “black box”) and a described mode of action, to consider them as reliable solutions. This is our raison d’être: precise and meaningful CoA’s, and credible science proving the efficacy that stems from the botanicals’ metabolites (and not a side molecule added “to standardise” the product).

Operating out of Europe, which is a highly regulated market, puts us in a favourable position to gain registrations in other jurisdictions.

[Feedinfo] Talking about registrations, please give us an update on your recent zootechnical feed additive application for Citrozest with the EFSA. When do expect the outcome?

[Pierre Chicoteau] Using its most recent data, Nor-Feed has submitted a zootechnical feed additive dossier for Citrozest. This completes the flavouring compound dossier, of which the evaluation is now finalised (EFSA opinion is expected in a few months).

All in all, Nor-Feed has six additive dossiers for botanicals, approved or under evaluation. If we consider natural products only (as opposed to products containing plant material as well as synthetic compounds), this makes Nor-Feed one of the leading companies in that category.

Published in association with Nor-Feed