Interview with Jose Maria Ros Felip - Global Technical Manager at Perstorp Animal Nutrition
1.Could you please introduce yourself and Perstorp Animal Nutrition?
My name is José Maria Ros and I am a global technical manager at Perstorp Animal Nutrition. I’m a veterinarian by training and have more than 35 years’ experience in the animal production industry, many of them focus dedication on products to enhance gut health.
Perstorp is a Swedish company that produces and markets Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) for animal production besides other applications since the 1960s. For over 60 years, Perstorp Animal Nutrition has been an active stakeholder in developing knowledge and application of these molecules in our industry. The use of SCFA has experienced constant growth due to the numerous positive effects they exert on animal production: hygiene and conservation of food and raw materials, bacteria control, pH reduction, and promoter of the development and integrity of the digestive system, particularly the intestine.
- Why is an optimal drinking water important?
For many years, feed has been the means of supplying treatments, nutritional supplements and SCFAs to animals. This has potentially helped improve overall feed quality and has ensured a constant supply of additives throughout the different phases of poultry production. However, the evolution towards an increasingly demanding production in terms of results, quality, and health requires complementary alternatives to reinforce established practices. Water has already proven to be such complementary alternative.
Although well known, it is important to remember that water is an essential nutrient. Water intake is greater and more regular than that of feed, and it is an excellent vehicle for additives, food supplements, and other treatments at the time.
However, water use as a carrier for any supplement requires appropriate dosing equipment and good management that will follow the guidelines set by both the technical managers of the farm and the manufacturers of the products to use. With all these premises in place, water allows a more stable, direct, and flexible supply of solutions to improve the health and production of our animals.
- How SCFA can support gut health and performance?
Acidification: SCFA’s have a great capacity to reduce the pH of the water. A low water pH (more acidic) will facilitate a more efficient digestive process based on greater activation of digestive enzymes and nutrient absorption. At Perstorp, we recommend acidifying the water until it reaches a pH slightly below 4. Should you only do this by using products formulated, produced and dosed with the best quality standards.
Control of bacteria: SCFAs are also known for their potential to reduce the growth of bacteria. This quality is especially relevant once products are inside the digestive tract, particularly in the gizzard, where they have the potential to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria and their eventual entry into the intestine. Not all SCFAs have the same ability to control enteropathogenic bacteria, so products for this use must be formulated in accordance with this criterion.
Intestinal integrity: Some SCFAs are also excellent sources of energy for the epithelial cells of the intestine, improving intestinal development and repair of injuries caused by entero-pathogens or any other type of challenge. All these advantages are within reach as long as the product choice is appropriate. However, it is not all about the product quality. The farmer needs to follow the handling guidelines provided by the technician responsible for the farm and the product's manufacturer.
- Can you please explain how to choose the right product?
Before answering this question, we need to reply 2 points first: what are the objectives we want to achieve with these products and how to assess their quality.
For decades acidification has been solely objective for the use of acidifiers to water for drink. However, there are new formulas that can boost and broaden the spectrum of action of these acids. That's the case of ProPhorce™ Premium NC, a product that combines SCFA with phytochemicals, that together are capable of working synergistically for greater control of enteropathogenic bacteria.
More recently, given the increasing pressure for solutions to meet the growing demand about reducing the use of antibiotics and improving animal welfare, we have created ProPhorce™ Exclusive NC. ProPhorce™ Exclusive NC is a unique composition that includes butyrins together with SCFAs and flavouring compounds. Butyrins are esters of butyric acid with a protective and repairing role in the intestinal mucosa, improving birds' resilience to health challenges of enteric origin and the absorption of nutrients. To establish the needs and objectives that we want to achieve will help us make the best choice.
Once the objectives are set, we can consider how to assess the quality of a product. The best formulations of acidifying solutions for water should put together factors, such as selection and concentration of ingredients, palatability, and safety.
At Perstorp, we are happy to share our experience in choosing solutions and dosing programs to obtain the best results for your farm.
