Page 1 of 13
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 02
February 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 1
Growth Promoters as Feed Addictives in Poultry Production
Abolade Opeyemi Joshua
Department Of Animal Science, University Of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
EMAIL: joshuaabolade19@gmail.com
ABSTACT
The use of feed additives also in poultry
production has been beneficial to poultry
industry as they help in yield improvement
this has made most farmers to abuse the
correct use of it, this has initiate the need for
this study, the demand for poultry and
poultry products is increasing daily and this
has called for need to improve and increase
production through the use of feed additives
in which we have the growth promoters and
this can otherwise be called genetic
engineering, in this study different types of
growth promoters are examined such as
antibiotics, enzymes, hormones, implants
and beta antagonists and also there effect on
the consumers, some antibiotics such as
bacitracin, virginiamycin and avoparcin,
control Clostridium perfringens infections,
which are potentially fatal, in addition to
improving feed conversion efficiency in
poultry, Moreover, Rogers et al. (1997) in
his investigation to discover the long term
effects of monensin therapy concluded that
there is no real adaptation of rumen
microbes after a period of 96-146 days of
monensin treatment and that most effects
disappear within a few hours following
monensin withdrawal. The use of
pristinamicin and quinupristin as growth
promoters has been banned according to
Butaye et al 2000 because they are also used
in human medicine and so there are fears
that its continued use may compromise
human therapy. Different types of enzymes
have been used as growth promoters they
work in breaking down food into smaller
particles for better absorption. Hormones
are produced in the body of the animal but
they are also added to feed as growth
promoters as it helps the animal to gain
weight faster, furthermore, implants and
beta antagonists are products containing
natural and synthetic hormones and they
affect the hormone status of the animal also
to promote growth
Keywords: Feed Additives, Growth
promoters, Antibiotics, Enzymes,
Hormones, implants and Beta Antagonists
INTRODUC
TION
Feed additives are defined as feed
ingredients of a nonnutritive nature that
Stimulate growth or other types of
performance Improve the efficiency of feed
utilization are beneficial in some manner to
health or metabolism of the animal (Jensen,
1998). Animal products are routinely tested
to ensure that feed additives are being used
correctly. Use of feed additives has been
beneficial to livestock producers under our
modern methods of production.
Development of intense systems of
management and concentration of animals
has been made possible only because
additives could be used to help control
various diseases and/or parasites in Broilers,
Page 2 of 13
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 02
February 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 2
laying hens, growing-finishing pigs,
fattening cattle and sheep and thereby
growth is improved.
The various ways in which human food is
produced are intensively discussed and
questioned in modern societies; we all
expect food from plants, farm animals and
microorganisms to be inexpensive, healthy
and of good quality. Because the costs of
environmental care are becoming highly
significant, consumers, and the food
industry are increasingly concerned about
environmental matters and low energy
inputs. In addition, arguments come
primarily from biological farming
organizations and consumers organizations
on the quality of the food we eat. In general,
all of us expect our food to be as natural as
possible and free of any toxic or undesired
substances. In highly developed countries
we do not always feel the impact of the
steady growth of world population. In
twenty five years from now there will be
almost 9 billion inhabitants (FAOSTAT,
1998) on earth who expect to get enough
food to meet their nutritional needs. Today,
more than 800 million people suffer from
hunger. The goal to produce sufficient food
for everybody can only be achieved if the
world food production increases by about
2% per year. Furthermore, the actual world
cereal reserves can supply current needs for
less than two months, which is the lowest
reserve of the last 20 years (FAO, 1996). It
is expected that world animal production
will follow this trend. According to Han
(1998) world production will grow 1.8 and
2.0% for pigs and chicken respectively in
the next 20years.for beef production a slight
reduction of 0.4% is expected mainly in
developed countries. In many parts of the
world environmental pollution, available
water resources, soil structure and energy
availability are the primary limiting factor
for increasing agricultural production.
Therefore, world food production must grow
without increasing the environmental
Pollution, available water resources, soil
structure and energy available water
resources soil structure and energy
availability are the primary limiting factors
for increasing agricultural production.
Therefore, world food production must grow
without increasing the environmental waste
load. This precondition demands the efferent
use of all available resources of traditional
and modern technologies. There is no doubt
that today’s worldwide agriculture must be
increased however, the consumers in highly
developed countries make higher and higher
demands on quality and idealistic images of
food that focus attention on issues other than
yield. The use of new technologies such as
genetic engineering in food and animal feed
production are questioned. Even synthetic
amino acids, vitamins or other feed additives
and growth promoters produced by modern
technologies are banned in certain
production systems. A general ban of
antibiotic as feed additives in animal
nutrition is realized since 1986 in Sweden
and is generally discussed In Europe
because of the increased occurrence of
pathogens resistant against therapeutically
antibiotics used in animals and humans. This
effect is somehow brought in connection
with the use of antibiotic feed additives as
growth promoters in farm animals. Despite
Page 3 of 13
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 03 Issue 02
February 2017
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 3
the report of the SCAN (1996) showing no
evidence that the use of avoparin has led to
increased resistance against vancomycin (an
antibiotic used in human medicine),
avoparin was banned as growth promoter in
the European Union in April 1997. After an
intensive discussion of these decisions,
Switzerland banned all antimicrobials feed
additives as growth and performance
promoter in 1999.
CONCEPT OF GROWTH
PROMOTERS
Growth promoters are drugs that are used to
improve an animal’s ability to efficiently use
nutrients and produce more affordable meat.
The meat industry uses certain growth
promotants to help provide consumers with
a wholesome, affordable and increasingly
healthful meat supply, the use of growth
promotants is backed by an overwhelming
body of scientific evidence proving its safety
and effectiveness Small amounts of growth
promotants enhance animal growth by
increasing the efficiency with which feed is
converted to muscle. An animal given
growth enhancers gains weight more rapidly
and produces a leaner product. By reaching
market weight sooner, the cost of meat
production goes down; which can mean
lower prices to consumers. The use of
growth promotants in meat production has
several benefits throughout the supply chain.
Consumers want leaner meat and they want
it at a price they can afford. Growth
promotants are one tool that helps meat
producers satisfy that demand by helping
animals make the most of the nutrients
found in the food they eat and convert it to
more lean muscle. These sustainable
technologies allow producers to reduce the
natural resources needed to produce meat.
For example, since 1977 U.S. cattle farmers
are producing 31 percent more beef with
fewer animals, feed, water and land. This
increased efficiency has significant
environmental benefits and reduces prices
for consumers as well.
REGULATORY CONTROL OF
GROWTH PROMOTERS
The safety of growth promoting products
used in meat production is assured through
several layers of requirements that are
enforced by multiple government agencies.
First, growth promotants are subject to a
comprehensive, multi-step scientific review
process conducted by scientists at the Food
and Drug Administration’s Center for
Veterinary Medicine (CVM) to ensure
animal health and human food safety. More
than 500 different studies have been
conducted on growth promoting products
and submitted as part of this stringent
approval process. If approved, these
products are then re-evaluated by FDA
annually and only remain in the marketplace
if they are continually proven safe. In
addition, meat packing and processing plants
are required to address any potential
chemical concerns, such as growth
promotant residues, as part of their facility’s
government-mandated Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point plan. Under the
Federal Meat Inspection Act, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety
and Inspection Service (FSIS) tests for
residues of growth promoting products at
