In 2017, after some years of disagreement and compromise between member states on the matter, the European Union’s Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP), part of the European Medicines Agency, finally decided that the overall risk/benefit balance for veterinary medicinal products containing zinc oxide was negative – in other words, that the use of these products to prevent diarrhea in pigs did not outweigh the risks these products posed to the environment. After a five year period, the marketing authorization for these products was withdrawn, meaning that the ban took effect in June of 2022.
A year into this new regime, where is the industry at in terms of identifying and deploying alternative solutions? How effective have those solutions been, and what kinds of costs has the swine industry borne? Joining us to discuss these questions in a new INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES roundtable are: Yanbin Shen, Global Director of Technical Services and North American R&D Director for functional protein ingredients manufacturer APC, and Axel Minetto, Product Manager for Monogastrics at French precision minerals firm Animine.
[Feedinfo] It’s been a year since the EU’s ban on the therapeutic use of zinc oxide was enacted. How well do you think swine producers on the continent have adapted since the ban came into effect?
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[Yanbin Shen, APC] I believe that producers, feed companies, and allies in the value chain have made their best efforts to research solutions for replacing the therapeutic use of ZnO. Some of these solutions have shown very promising results. Last year at the Zero Zinc Summit, dietary strategies such as reducing protein levels, using high-quality functional plasma protein such as the once that APC offers to feed producers, heat treating cereal grains, and using acidifiers were highlighted. However, the EU swine industry is currently experiencing historically high pig prices and a shortage of pigs. We are hearing reports of higher mortality rates in weaned piglets, which might indicate that swine producers may not be adapting as well as we once thought. In this direction, we strongly believe that APC plasma functional proteins can play a key role in helping the industry to recover. |
Yanbin Shen |
[Axel Minetto, Animine] The ban on medicated zinc oxide induced little change in France and the Netherlands: in these two countries, no ZnO-based veterinary product has been authorized for many years, unlike the situation in many other EU Member States. The high productivity of French and Dutch pig farms was proof that raising piglets without pharmacological ZnO was possible.
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Axel Minetto |
When it comes to preparing for the ban, some stakeholders in pig production were more proactive than others. The consequences of withdrawing medicated zinc oxide have been very heterogeneous according to the sanitary status of the farm, the feed quality and animal management. Definite conclusions on outcomes could not be made too early because of the seasonal risks of digestive disorders. Some nutritionists at feed companies have taken this opportunity to reduce the percentage of medicated piglet diets, restricting the intervention of veterinarians. Some feed manufacturers have built large stocks of medicated ZnO to prolong their use of it. The situation is different if you are in a region traditionally strict or liberal when it comes to the application of EU legislation. But the pressure to control consumption and emissions from animal farming is reducing the number of illegal situations. At the end of the day, the pig industry has shown its capacity to adapt to new circumstances. |
[Feedinfo] To my knowledge there’s still no single strategy that is as effective as ZnO in early nursery diets. Have there been any noticeable changes then in piglet health and performance after the EU ban? If so, how are you going about helping the industry address those challenges?
[Yanbin Shen, APC] The use of ZnO in nursery phase 1 and phase 2 diets has significantly benefited the swine industry over the past few decades. Particularly after the restriction on antibiotic usage in feed in the EU region over the past 10 to 15 years, ZnO has helped prevent post-weaning diarrhea and improve productivity. The loss of this effective tool has created more challenges for pig producers, especially on farms with poor management or disease challenges. Numerous research studies have documented the negative impact of removing ZnO, including the increased incidence of post-weaning diarrhea and reduced performance.
One common strategy to minimize the impact of ZnO removal is to reduce the protein level in the post-weaning phase 1 diet. Reducing protein levels has shown promising results in reducing post-weaning diarrhea. However, decreased protein levels can lead to reduced performance and lower-quality piglets in later production stages. In some cases, this approach simply shifts the issue to the later phase. For example, certain large swine producers in Spain have observed a 2% increase in mortality in nursery phases 2 and 3. This rise in mortality in later phases is directly related to the removal of ZnO and the unsuccessful replacement strategy in earlier phases.
Therefore, I believe that both protein level and protein quality are crucial factors in replacing ZnO. APC offers high-quality functional protein, such as plasma-based ingredients to pig producers. Plasma has been extensively researched for over four decades and studies have consistently demonstrated its benefits in reducing post-weaning diarrhea, improving growth performance, enhancing health, and increasing survivability. As a result, leading research groups like SEGES have adopted plasma protein as one of the primary strategies for replacing ZnO.
[Axel Minetto, Animine] The ban on medicated ZnO came into force in June 2022. Over the past five years between the decision to take this step and the product’s official withdrawal from the market, a few lessons have become clear to the pig industry as it explores alternative solutions. For one thing, removing medicated ZnO involves the risk of a profitability loss: the Danish research institute SEGES has calculated that eliminating ZnO from piglet feed could reduce the value of production by around 0.26 € per pig. And for another, no single solution has been identified to replace medicated ZnO in a cost-effective way.
Instead, replacing medicated ZnO in swine production should be achieved through a holistic approach, which should entail an increase in biosecurity, as well as animal management and dietary interventions in sow and piglet feeding programs. Some vet practitioners and pig farmers have tried vaccination against E. coli. Moreover, attention paid to biosecurity, to hygiene conditions (cleaning, disinfection and drying of the pens) and to piglet care has been reinforced. Still, increasing cases of Strep. sui have been reported, although it is difficult to establish a direct relationship with the ban of medicated ZnO.
Animine has been helping the pig industry for years, with the objective of improving feed formulation through more sustainable trace mineral supplementation practices. Indeed, our product HiZox® was designed more than a decade ago to accompany feed manufacturers who wanted to reduce ZnO levels in piglet feeds, and we have over this time gained experience and the confidence of our customers. As market leader, we had anticipated the trend of reducing safety margins of mineral supplementation. We are able to offer a unique product which is “one tool in the toolbox” to help achieve this challenging goal of getting rid of pharmacological ZnO.
[Feedinfo] Beyond the impacts on animal health and mortality, what other impacts has the ZnO ban had, including on the competitiveness of the European pig farming industry?
[Yanbin Shen, APC] The removal of an important technology like ZnO would undoubtedly reduce the overall competitiveness of the European pig industry in the short term compared to other regions. In fact, this year we are witnessing an increase in pork exports from North America and South America, where the cost of pork production is much lower.
However, an increasing number of countries are moving towards limiting the use of ZnO. For instance, Canada, a significant pork exporting country in North America, has committed to removing ZnO starting in 2025. Some Asian countries have also implemented limitations on the use of high levels of ZnO. Therefore, in the long term, EU producers may become more competitive as pioneers in adapting to these changes.
[Axel Minetto, Animine] Nutritionists, veterinarians and farmers were given 5 years to work on the zinc oxide ban. The most forward-looking feed companies realized that they could switch from a prophylactic and systematic measure to a preventive strategy with highly digestible diets.
Moreover, unlike in markets outside the EU where cheap and standard feed grade ZnO can be used at pharmacological dosage, medicated ZnO-based premixes were relatively expensive in the EU. If we consider the cost of piglet feeding in the total cost of pig production, the impact is limited.
Indeed, I think that it will be profitable in the future, as was the case with the ban of AGPs. This regulatory constraint, imposed by EU authorities, improved the knowledge and the know-how of stakeholders in pig farming. Today, European farmers are seen to be at the cutting edge, developing and deploying solutions to challenges the entire globe will face in the future, and so this will open up many new markets and activities for the meat industry, for animal nutritionists or consultants working all over the world.
[Feedinfo] How has the ban influenced the development of new products or innovations in the animal nutrition industry specifically targeted at piglet health and nutrition?
[Axel Minetto, Animine] Regulatory constraints force individuals and companies to challenge habits and to work on areas of improvement. In piglet feeds, nutritionists have reviewed protein levels and protein digestibility from various ingredients. It will be interesting to see if and how animal proteins, which disappeared from many vegetarian diets, find their way back into mainstream feed formulations. Similarly, acidification of feed and of the digestive tract are not new concepts but have been reinforced with progress on acid binding capacity. There is still much to learn on optimal usage of inert and fermentable fiber in feeds for young and older piglets. Beyond that, many additives have been proposed to support piglet gut health after weaning. Most of them claim to stimulate beneficial bacteria and inhibit pathogenic bacteria. A wide range of phytomolecules, prebiotics, probiotics and other classes of compounds are available. It is a challenge for nutritionists to select which ones to prioritise and to determine interactions among them.
At Animine, beyond simply offering HiZox®, we want to educate customers on the general impact of trace mineral supplementation on the intestinal health of weaned piglets. Since the authorization in the EU of our monovalent copper oxide CoRouge® in 2017, we have offered a unique source of copper to sustain gut health and growth promotion. Indeed, there is a growing body of evidence that trace minerals can interact with other feed ingredients, and we are hard at work investigating the implications of this.
With a vast number of products in the market, feed manufacturers should make their choice based on the robustness of the research, on the experience of the supplier, and on the loyalty of customers. And as trace mineral supplementation comes under even stricter regulation with a move towards lower safety margins, the selection of the right sources of minerals becomes even more important.
[Yanbin Shen, APC] As always, the greatest challenges bring forth the finest solutions. The therapeutic use of zinc oxide has proven highly successful in piglet diets. In a way, the usage of ZnO has concealed deficiencies in management and nutrition, hindering innovation. The removal of this important technology has indeed presented short-term issues, such as increased mortality and reduced performance. However, I am witnessing more innovation today than ever before.
APC has developed a hydrolyzed plasma product called Pepteiva which is a is a compendium of highly digestible peptides, free amino acids and functional proteins. Our research has demonstrated that Pepteiva performs as an effective alternative to ZnO in piglets. It provides excellent nutrition, supports the normal immune function of the animal and promotes a better start, reducing medication needs and promoting healthier gut development and performance. Moreover, according to EU regulations, this hydrolyzed product can be used in all species, making it a valuable protein source for swine producers operating mixed species feed mills.
Published in association with APC and Animine
