Over the last few decades, meat consumption has increased dramatically worldwide, driven by the continually escalating population, emphasizing novel feed additives such as eubiotics. China, by far the largest meat consumer in the world, fed more than 53 million tons of pork and 10 million tons of beef and veal to its citizens in 2022 alone, as per the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The eubiotics industry is therefore likely to gain tremendous traction to cater to the increasing meat production requirements. 

Eubiotics are helping livestock farmers deal with other challenges associated with loss of output due to disease outbreaks and infections. Several countries worldwide are experiencing a notable rise in the prevalence of disease outbreaks as a result of poor management of animal farms and animal health. Africa has become infamously known for zoonotic disease outbreaks over the past decade, with a 63% growth from 2001-11 to 2012-22, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Meanwhile, nations such as India are also suffering from the loss of livestock, with the rapid spread of lumpy skin disease outbreak infecting more than two million cattle across 251 districts as of September 2022. 

Garnered by the growing emphasis on young animal nutrition, the eubiotics market size is projected to reach $9.5 billion by 2032, according to Global Market Insights Inc. 

Latest Developments in Eubiotics for Animal Performance and Welfare

  • Novel probiotic solutions: 

Probiotics are proven to have a promising impact on animal health by stimulating intestinal barrier function, regulating the intestinal microbial ecosystem and strengthening the intestinal mucosa structure. They are being rapidly used to prevent and treat an array of pathogenic diseases including enteric diseases, which continue to remain a massive challenge for livestock farmers. 

Enteric pathogens are responsible for a massive social as well as economic burden. In the U.S. alone, campylobacteriosis, an enteric disease that is transmitted to humans from animals, affects more than two million animals each year. These infections pose a threat of diarrheal and gastrointestinal illnesses that increase the risk of mortality in young children along with health problems such as stunting and impaired cognitive development. This is in turn driving the demand for eubiotics, which offers significant scope to improve resistance to these diseases, immunity and overall health of animals. 

In July 2022, Kemin Industries launched a next-generation probiotic solution, ENTEROSURE to enhance intestinal resilience in poultry. The probiotic innovation is designed to reduce the risk of diseases that affect the intestinal health of poultry and livestock, assuring livestock producers with an effective solution against pathogenic bacteria. 

  • Precision biotics as emerging trends

Precision biotics are accelerating the foray into a new era of feed nutritional feed additives based on advanced microbiome sciences for improving the performance of poultry production. These novelties are offering new intestinal microbiome pathways, unlike any other gut-health products, supporting intensive animal production in the current scenario of high meat consumption. Precision biotics are also equipped to onset a paradigm shift in feed additives production with a high assurance of safety as well as quality. 

In August 2022, DSM introduced the first-of-its-kind precision biotics, Symphiome, a microbiome modulator designed to boost poultry health and sustainability. The new microbiome metabolizer helps optimize resilience to enteric stress in birds, improve welfare, boost nutrient utilization and reduce emissions. The growing focus on achieving sustainable production and reducing emissions across meat production is expected to drive the penetration of precision biotics. 

Strategies by Industry Giants for 2023

In January 2023, Cargill and BASF announced the expansion of their existing cooperation in the field of feed enzymes development and distribution to extend into the U.S. The companies intend to create a joint innovation pipeline catering to animal protein producers in the region struggling to address the growing demand for animal protein. The partnership has already seen successful results in the Middle East & Africa region, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina and Spain. 

In January 2023, Novus International Inc., announced the acquisition of biotech company Agrivida Inc. and its proprietary technology INTERIUS to encapsulate feed additives inside a grain. 

Increasing government efforts to maximize meat production and meet the growing demand for animal protein across countries such as the U.S. and China will foresee a favorable acceptance of eubiotics. For instance, China’s five-year strategy for self-sufficiency requires the country to reach a meat output target of 89 million tons by 2025 in order to achieve self-sufficiency of 95%, 85% and 70% across pork, beef and mutton, and dairy production respectively.