Chelate feed additive reduces carriage of Campylobacter

Extensive research into methods to eliminate campylobacter from the food chain has brought only limited success – until recently.

A family of bacteria that are a leading cause of gastrointestinal disease in humans, campylobacter are associated with the consumption of or contact with contaminated chicken in the majority of cases.

Feed additive: Reduced carriage of camplylobacer

A study at the Scottish Rural College (SRUC) has found that a novel feed additive not only improved broiler performance but also reduced the carriage of campylobacter, which will help to reduce the chance of the bacteria contaminating chicken meat.

Trail conducted

Farina Khattak fed broilers diets containing one of 6 levels of ferric tyrosine (Typlex from Akeso Biomedical) from 0 to 0.20g per kg feed from day-old to 42 days of age. On day 20, the birds were naturally challenged with campylobacter.

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By day 42, for each increment in the level of the additive, bodyweight gain, feed conversion and European Production Efficiency Factor (Epef) improved. Comparing the negative control (without the additive) with the highest level of inclusion, these differences were statistically significant. Numbers of campylobacter in the caeca of the birds receiving the additive were significantly lower than the negative controls.

*This report is from the recent UK branch of the World Poultry Science Association’s Spring Conference