The companies will develop a product based on naturally occurring microbes that can reduce antibiotic usage in poultry and brings associated health benefits.
PARIS, FRANCE and COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – May 28, 2015 – Adisseo and Novozymes, two global leaders in the animal nutrition and feed additive industry, today announced a partnership to develop and market a probiotic for poultry. Novozymes will be responsible for in-vitro screening, development and production, while Adisseo will manage in-vivo testing, marketing and sales. The partners expect to launch the product within the next 12 months.
“The world needs new solutions to feed a growing global population in a sustainable way. We are developing a probiotic that can help farmers meet that need,” says Helle Warrer Poulsen, Vice President of Animal Health & Nutrition at Novozymes. “We are excited to partner with Adisseo, who shares our vision of bringing innovation and science to the field of probiotics and offers great expertise and capabilities in feed additives. It is a promising new area for Novozymes where we can leverage our know-how in microbiology, fermentation and animal feed.”
“Innovation is part of Adisseo’s DNA and we are constantly investing, either organically or through strategic partnerships, in new solutions to help our customers optimize livestock performance while reducing environmental impact,” says Jean-Marc Dublanc, CEO of Adisseo. “The decision to enlarge our specialty portfolio with probiotics was therefore a natural one, as was the choice of Novozymes as our partner.”
Alternative to antibiotic growth promoters
For decades, antibiotics have been widely used in animal production to help livestock grow, but more and more countries are now banning non-medicinal use as part of strategies to tackle resistance to antibiotic treatments in humans. Consumer-driven curbs on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters have further increased the demand for sustainable alternatives in animal farming.
Probiotics are naturally-occurring live microbes added to feed to improve the gut flora of pigs, poultry and other animals. They improve animal growth and feed utilization and have associated health benefits, thereby providing a natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters.
Novozymes and Adisseo’s new product will be based on beneficial bacteria that promote weight gain and limit development of unwanted bacteria in the animal’s digestive tract. By using the product, farmers will better control gut health of their animals and achieve an improved feed conversion, meaning less feed consumed to raise an animal. The product will be tailored for poultry, while the partners will explore future opportunities to expand into probiotics for both poultry and swine.
The partnership brings together global players with a solid track record in developing high performance feed additives who share an ambition to enter and develop the market for probiotics. Novozymes will leverage its technology base, proven in enzymes and microbes, and Adisseo brings a unique expertise in amino acids, vitamins, feed enzymes and other feed solutions.
About Adisseo
Adisseo is one of the world’s leading experts in feed additives. The group relies on its 7 research centers and its production sites based in Europe and China to design, produce and market nutritional solutions for sustainable animal feed. With 1,800 employees, it serves more than 2,600 customers in over 100 different countries through its global distribution network. In 2014, Adisseo achieved a turnover of over 1.2 billion euros. Adisseo is one of the main subsidiaries of China National BlueStar, leader in the Chinese chemical industry with nearly 25,000 employees and a turnover of 50.2 billion RMB (6.1 billion euros). More on www.adisseo.com
About Novozymes
Novozymes is the world leader in biological solutions. Together with customers, partners and the global community, we improve industrial performance while preserving the planet’s resources and helping build better lives. As the world’s largest provider of enzyme and microbial technologies, our bioinnovation enables higher agricultural yields, low-temperature washing, energy-efficient production, renewable fuel and many other benefits that we rely on today and in the future. We call it Rethink Tomorrow. www.novozymes.com
NASDAQ OMX: NZYM-B ● 6,500 employees ● DKK 12 billion turnover ● 30+ industries ● 700+ products
Media contacts
Novozymes: Johan Melchior, Novozymes // jmel@novozymes.com // +45 3077 0690
Adisseo: Carol Pender, Cohn&Wolfe // Carol.pender@cohnwolfe.com // +33 1 49 70 43 12