The European Union forced the total ban on the use of ‘Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs) not the industry. But how do nutritionists feel about it. A survey found that in Russia and the Ukraine only a third of nutritionists did not even know the ban was coming!

The need for feed additives is related to animal feed production and therefore the consistent demand for meat and dairy products is expected to drive growth of this market in Australia and New Zealand.

According to an economic study published by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in chicken feed is a financial loser for poultry producers.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) thinks that proteins from pigs could be used in poultry feed and that poultry proteins can be used for pig feed. According to the committee, research shows that meat and bone meal derived from non-ruminants can be used in poultry and pig feed without any risk for human health.

Adding amino acids like threonine and lysine completely compensates the lack of growth promoters in pig feed. Studies by the Dutch institute Schothorst Feed Research support this conclusion.

Despite declines of in-feed antibiotics, totally in the EU and partly in the US, resistancy issues are still a problem, according to scientists and livestock industry members.

Bills have been introduced in the US Congress that would phase-out within two years the non-therapeutic use in animal feed of antibiotics that are deemed important to human medicine. They also would require manufacturers to submit information on the amounts of such drugs sold.

Brazil's position as one of the most important meat exporters in the world and one of the leading animal feed producers is driving strong growth of its animal feed additives market, according to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.