Sales of antibiotics approved for use in food-producing animals dropped 33 percent between 2016 and 2017, and manufacturers have raced to fill the void with everything from exotic botanicals and oils to ingredients of days gone by.

Many alternative growth promoters show promise, but only under specific circumstances, experts say, and broad marketing claims may soon lead to further feed additive regulation.

With so many feed additives on the market and so little test data available, choosing an antibiotic growth promoter can be difficult. Testing various products on their own herds may be producers’ best option, experts say.

Animal health must be improved to see benefits from most antibiotic-free growth promoters, VIV Asia panelists conclude. “We need to reduce the challenge on the animal.”

Perdue Farms has completed a $25 million expansion at its poultry complex in Dillon County, South Carolina, creating 100 additional jobs.

Latest research in poultry gut health highlighted at sixth International Conference on Poultry Intestinal Health (IHSIG).

The company is looking to expand in the U.S. as antibiotic usage lessens.

There is no additive, not of a medicinal nature, that can replace the role of antibiotics for therapeutic purposes. Sick animals requiring antibiotic treatment under veterinarian care should receive appropriate antibiotics at proper dosages to ensure their health and welfare. What happens to such animals raised under no-antibiotics-ever production is a matter that has to do with the marketing/commercial aspects of such business.

The challenge of antibiotic-free production makes gut health even more important for animal performance. Maintaining a balanced and effective microbiome is essential for health. The relationship between it and the host is complex but there are novel opportunities for positive manipulation.