Chr. Hansen Keen to Make Real Difference in Poultry by Helping Producers Focus on “Forgotten” Microbiome – INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES

22 August 2022 – The microbiome is important to a bird’s ability to break down feed into its basic components and extract the vital nutrients needed for meat and egg production. It therefore stands to reason that safeguarding the integrity of this vast community of micro-organisms can help poultry producers protect the productivity of their flock and, in turn, the profitability of their operations.

But according to Chr. Hansen’s Head of Poultry and Swine Commercial Development, Christophe Bostvironnois some in the industry are still overlooking the importance of the microbiome to the entire poultry production process. He calls it “the forgotten organ” and during a recent sit-down shared with Feedinfo Chr. Hansen’s mission to educate the market on the role that probiotics can play in creating a robust microbiome in birds. He was joined by Global Product Manager for Poultry, Anna Karwacinska, who took us through how the company’s GALLIPRO® FIT three-strain probiotic can be a vital tool in fostering microbiome health and integrity, and positively impacting bird health and overall performance, by tackling enteric pathogens. We also take a look at the product’s uptake in Europe since last year’s approval and the developments the company shared at the recent World’s Poultry Congress in Paris.

[Feedinfo] What are the key pillars that underpin Chr. Hansen’s strategy in the poultry sector?

[Christophe Bostvironnois] Chr. Hansen’s strategy is a single-minded focus on the science and innovation behind microbial solutions. We have three main goals in mind:

- To have a global footprint in the industry. We are currently focused on expanding our capabilities and establishing a presence on all continents.
- To be the go-to company for “good bacteria” and excelling at these technologies. Tiny microbes (the good bacteria) influence all forms of life on our planet and they are nature’s way of helping humans, animals, and plants stay healthy. At Chr. Hansen, we go out into nature to collect them to harness their capabilities.
- To make a real difference to the poultry industry. We do this by unleashing the power of good bacteria through the designing of products and services that help our customers to best face current and future market challenges.

[Feedinfo] Under this strategy, how important does educating the industry about the importance of probiotics in poultry nutrition remain?

In addition, as a science-based company, we are constantly learning as the field of probiotics evolves so rapidly. Our scientists are dedicated to investigating the benefits of good bacteria and their modes of action, and discovering more than 1,000 new strains every year.

[Feedinfo] Your GALLIPRO® probiotics range for poultry consists of single, double and triple-strain products. How should producers choose between these products? What should they be keeping in mind?

[Anna Karwacinska] The choice depends on the challenges being faced by the customer and the impact of these challenges on their operation.

Strain matters. For example, there are more genetic differences between two Bacillus subtilis strains than between humans and chickens. Each strain can tackle some challenges but not all of them. Achieving and maintaining a robust microbiome is critical for the success of our customer’s operations. Chr. Hansen is a global leading microbial specialist offering  probiotic solutions and services that are well positioned to cater to a variety of customer needs.

[Feedinfo] Let’s look a little closer at GALLIPRO® FIT. Considering the various challenges that the poultry industry is currently facing, from reducing antibiotic use to controlling enteric pathogens, where do you see it making a valuable impact? What findings can you share with us?

With the benefits of good bacteria, the dilemma of having either one or the other can be turned into an opportunity of having both a profitable business and fulfilling current consumer demands.

[Feedinfo] And what about bird performance? How does GALLIPRO® FIT's 3-strain technology benefit the performance of broilers, layers, chicks, etc.?

[Anna Karwacinska] Healthier birds perform better and are more uniform. Following the use of the GALLIPRO® FIT probiotic, we have been able to demonstrate improvements in the birds' FCR and body weight.  At the same time, the positive economic impact for our customers was estimated at around EUR 18,000 /1,000,000 birds (impact can vary from customer to customer). Overall, a healthier bird requires less medication, resulting in a less costly and more sustainable production. Above all, the quality of the meat is ensured.

GALLIPRO® FIT can be part of the solution for disease prevention and food safety programs (Salmonella control). Our customers reported better flock uniformity, reduction in antibiotic interventions, and lower condemnation rates. All this is likely to be thanks to healthier birds with more robust microbiomes when using GALLIPRO® FIT.

Since the first launch five years ago, we have been able to confirm these benefits with customers in multiple instances all over the globe.

[Feedinfo] GALLIPRO® FIT was given EU approval last year. Since then, what can you tell us about the product’s performance on the continent? How was it received?

[Christophe Bostvironnois] The product has performed extremely well and is fully adapted to the needs of EU poultry production. Especially now with raw material availability at risk and rising prices, it can deliver even more value than before. It can help our customers face critical challenges such as reducing pathogens while keeping clean labels and reducing input feed costs. GALLIPRO® FIT has proved its value under commercial conditions. In fact, our customers were able to prepare seven billion meals globally last year from poultry raised with GALLIPRO® Fit.

[Feedinfo] What’s next for the GALLIPRO® range? What advances in poultry probiotics are you currently focusing on?

[Christophe Bostvironnois] As microbial specialists, we never cease learning about new modes of action and discovering new possibilities for our good bacteria. We will continue this journey towards understanding the complexity of the microbiome in poultry.

Recent research has demonstrated the impact of probiotics on microbiota composition, which opens up multiple possibilities.

It has also shown that the quality of gut microbiota can profoundly impact the health of people and animals and revealed the relationship between microbiota composition and animal performance, as well as the impact on behaviour and well-being.

However, the microbiome can still be regarded as a forgotten organ. The industry often doesn’t realize the positive impact of good bacteria, and this is where Chr. Hansen’s experience and continual research come into their own. Our objective is to provide customers with solutions that will help them address current challenges. We want to support our customers on their journey towards reduced use of chemicals, pesticides and antibiotics, while at the same time keeping an eye on feed input costs.

As global microbial specialist, Chr. Hansen aspires to lead in the field of microbiome research to support the industry.

[Feedinfo] Looking at the recent World’s Poultry Congress, what were some key company developments/findings that Chr. Hansen shared at the event?

[Christophe Bostvironnois] Customers were able to taste good bacteria. At Chr. Hansen, we use bacteria to produce and enhance food and drinks. Every second yogurt and cheese in the world is made with Chr. Hansen ingredients. During the WPC, attendees were able to taste good bacteria in non-alcoholic drinks or cheese snacks.

We took attendees on a dive into the world of the chicken gut. By using Virtual Reality, attendees could look at the journey of GALLIPRO® FIT strains from production to the way it works in the gut. It is easier to imagine and understand how our probiotic strains fight the pathogenic bacteria when virtually seeing and experiencing it.

WPC is a global scientific congress, so as a science-based company, Chr. Hansen invited attendees to a scientific seminar focused on microbiome robustness and the latest findings on GALLIPRO® Fit. Firstly, we focused on the link between gut microbiota and animal performance. We believe that Chr. Hansen’s expertise in this field will help reveal hidden knowledge related to the robustness of birds’ microbiome that can positively impact the poultry industry.

Secondly, Dr. Doug Rhoads from the University of Arkansas talked the audience through the challenge of bacterial lameness in broilers caused by pathogenic agents, and the possibility to manage this with probiotics like GALLIPRO® Fit.

All in all, attendees learned that strain matters and that choosing the right strain for their challenge can impact their business’s profitability. They were also presented with multiple scientific studies that demonstrate the impact of GALLIPRO® Fit on bird health, making them more resilient to common challenges.

Earning great feedback from multiple customers and academia was a welcome reward.

Published in association with Chr. Hansen