Functional ingredient from fermented vegetable waste streams to diminish the use of antibiotics in pig husbandry

Project Information

PLANTIBIOTICS

Grant agreement ID: 697125

DOI

10.3030/697125

Project closed

EC signature date 9 September 2015

Start date 1 October 2015

End date 31 March 2016

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

PROVALOR BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PLANTIBIOTICS (Functional ingredient from fermented vegetable waste streams to diminish the use of antibiotics in pig husbandry)

Reporting period: 2015-10-01 to 2016-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The use of antibiotics in animal feeds (known as growth promoters) has been a very common practice. Pathogens have a natural ability to develop resistance to antibiotics, what implies that regular treatments can turn the bacteria resistant. This is a big issue and MRSA is a clear example. Therefor the EU has banned the preventive use of antibiotics in animal feed since 2006 and great effort is made to search viable alternatives. EIP-AGRI has launched a special programm “Reducing antibiotic use in pig farming”. In april 2016 China announced that antibiotics will be reduced!

Provalor has succeeded to isolate an extract of fermented vegetable waste, which showed antimicrobial effects. These findings indicate that the extract could be of extreme high value as a functional ingredient for animal feed. The project ‘Plantibiotics’ was born and further R&D was undertaken to develop Plantibiotics as a feed additive for compound feed starting with pigs.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The noticed antimicrobial effects are so called agglutination effects. This will say the pathogens clot together and will be released from the intestine wall and leave the body with the faeces. An extensive literature search was carried out, but the same agglutination effect in relation to (extracts from) fermented vegetables is not described yet, although a lot of literature exists regarding health effects related to fermentation. So apparently Provalor has traced something new and therefor the University of Leiden was requested to analyse Plantibiotics and indicate the active components. The outcome paves the way for patent application.
For the technical and financial viability a number of experiments have been carried out in this phase 1. As the outcome effects the financial viability,a special scheme is developed to calculate the financial effects of the various technical options. The financial viability of Plantibiotics is very acttractive and encourage to go ahead.
The legal investigation did not show any major hick-ups and will be finalized during phase 2. As expected, the marketsearch showed very nice opportunities and indicates that marketing of Plantibiotics should start in NW-Europe followed by other Europe and USA/Canada.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The noticed antimicrobial effects are so called agglutination effects. This will say the pathogens clot together and will be released from the intestine wall and leave the body with the faeces. An extensive literature search was carried out, but the same agglutination effect in relation to (extracts from) fermented vegetables is not described yet, although a lot of literature exists regarding health effects related to fermentation. So apparently Provalor has traced something new and therefor the University of Leiden was requested to analyse Plantibiotics and indicate the active components. The outcome paves the way for patent application.
For the technical and financial viability a number of experiments have been carried out in this phase 1. As the outcome effects the financial viability,a special scheme is developed to calculate the financial effects of the various technical options. The financial viability of Plantibiotics is very acttractive and encourage to go ahead.
The legal investigation did not show any major hick-ups and will be finalized during phase 2. As expected, the marketsearch showed very nice opportunities and indicates that marketing of Plantibiotics should start in NW-Europe followed by other Europe and USA/Canada.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)
A major EU-manufacturer of feed-premixes containing functional ingredients, is prepared to act as launching customer. Herewith Provalor has bridged ‘the valley of death’ already now. Consequently Provalor will apply for phase 2 of the SME-instrument soon.

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