Update (October 2015):
The following short article below has been published by the EU, summarising the results of Thrive-Rite in five languages (English, Spanish, German, Polish, French and Italian). Please see http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/151566_en.html for more details.
"THRIVE-RITE Result In Brief: Validation of new technologies to replace in-feed antibiotics in pig and poultry production"
An EU-funded project has validated new technologies for reducing pathogen, reducing mortality and improving life-time growth performance, maternal immune transfer and meat quality in pig and poultry.
The THRIVE-RITE (Natural compounds to enhance productivity, quality and health in intensive farming systems) is an EU-FP7 project which aims to identify solutions to problems encountered in intensive monogastric animal production. These problems include rising food costs, ban on in-feed antibiotics and reduced productivity. The use of in-feed antibiotics to enhance growth and productivity on farms is no longer permitted (Regulations (EC) No. 1831/2003, 1334/2003). While use of in-feed antibiotics in pig and poultry has been reduced, the use of therapeutic antibiotics has increased.
In 2013, the European Medicines Agency reported that exceptionally high levels of antibiotics are currently being administered by veterinarians in Cyprus, Italy, Spain, and Germany, raising concerns of an imminent rise of drug-resistant pathogens in the EU. The main reason for this problem is the lack of viable alternatives to banned in-feed antibiotics. Alternatives such as zinc oxide also face increased scrutiny due to environmental implications.
THRIVE-RITE was established to solve the above problems. THRIVE-RITE consists of highly progressive enterprises with established records in developing feed additives: BioAtlantis Ltd. (Ireland), Clasado Ingredients Ltd. (Malta) and Drobex-Agro Sp. Z.o.o. (Poland). The enterprises have developed novel, natural-based products which enhance animal health, performance and immunity. THRIVE-RITE combines the technology of the enterprises with leading European research institutes and food producers, including: University College Dublin (Ireland), Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (UK), University of Science and Technology (Poland), University of Molise (Italy), Truly Irish Country Foods Ltd. (Ireland) and Drobex-Agro Sp. Z.o.o. (Poland).
A 2-Stage validation approach was employed in THRIVE-RITE, ensuring that findings from academia were also validated under large-scale commercial conditions. A range of products were validated to achieve the following: enhanced productivity as measured by ADG & FCR, reductions in pig and poultry mortality, reductions in levels of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, increased antibody transfer to offspring via maternal transfer, enhanced gut health & immunity and improved meat quality in pig & poultry.
Products validated in THRIVE-RITE include: BioAtlantis Ltd.: LactoShield® (maternal application), SensoryPlus™ (application to finisher pigs to enhance meat quality), DiNovo® (in ovo injection, poultry application), Clasado Ingredients Ltd.: Bi2tos® (application to pig &, poultry and in ovo injection), Drobex-Agro Sp. Z o.o: Lupin oligosaccharides (application to poultry and in ovo injection).
For more information on the results of the Thrive-Rite project, please contact the project coordinator via email at research@bioatlantis.com.
Professor John O'Doherty (UCD) discusses the Thrive-Rite project on RTE Radio 1's (29th of June 2015):
Professor John O’Doherty, University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland, appeared on RTE Radio 1's Bright Sparks programme (29th of June 2015) and discussed the Thrive-Rite project. Click on the podcast link below and scroll ahead to 53 minutes to hear Professor O’Doherty describe the research taking place in UCD and Truly Irish Country Foods Ltd. and how molecules from seaweed (manufactured by BioAtlantis Ltd) may be used as effective replacements to the use of in antibiotics in pig production. Podcast: click here.
Final Report now published:
The Final Report of Thrive-Rite has been published. The full text report may be obtained free of charge by contacting the project coordinator via email at research@bioatlantis.com. The executive summary of the report is provided as follows:
THRIVE-RITE is a collaborative project funded by the EU Seventh Framework Programme (Ref: 315198, start date: 01/08/2012, end date: 28/11/2014). The aims of THRIVE-RITE are to identify viable solutions to problems encountered in intensive production of monogastric animals. These problems include: rising food costs, lower producer margins due to lag effect (increase in input without increase at retail level), ban on in-feed antibiotics, reduced productivity and the limited effectiveness of current 'Solutions' to these problems. The use of in-feed growth promoting antibiotic use is no longer a tool legally available to producers to enhance productivity and control diseases on farms (Regulations (EC) No. 1831/2003 and 1334/2003). These are also human implications to these issues. While the ban on in feed antibiotics was intended to reduce the use of antibiotics in production of pig and poultry meat, this has not happened and in fact, the situation has worsened. Renewed concerns were raised in 2013 by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding the increasing antibiotic use in the EU, an article which appeared in Der Spiegel (http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/danish-pig-farmers-reduce-antibiotics-to-prevent-drug-resistance-a-933344.html). The statistics demonstrate that huge levels of antibiotics are being administered by veterinarians in the EU. Cyprus, Italy, Spain, and Germany are the worst offenders and there are now major concerns of an imminent rise of drug-resistant pathogens in animal production. The main reason for increased antibiotics use is the lack of viable alternatives to in feed antibiotics following their ban in 2006. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a widely used alternative. However, it faces increased scrutiny as the majority of the 3Kg of ZnO added per tonne of feed, is passed on through the faeces and into the environment.
THRIVE-RITE was established to provide solutions to these problems. THRIVE-RITE consists of highly progressive European enterprises with established records in developing natural feed additives. The enterprises have developed novel, natural-based products which enhance animal health, performance and immunity, as demonstrated in numerous peer-reviewed publications. THRIVE-RITE combines the expertise of the enterprises with a multidisciplinary team of scientists in some of Europe’s leading research institutes. The combination of enterprise and academia provides a robust system in which to verify the use of these products in enhancing animal growth, health and performance, a requirement increasingly being set in modern agriculture. A dual approach was applied to validate the effectiveness of the products. This involved a 2-Stage validation process in (a) the academic setting and (b) large-scale commercial setting. This ensured that significant findings from the university setting were subject to a 2nd round of validation under large-scale commercial conditions. This provided a unique mechanism in which to transfer scientific discovery within academia to direct provision of solutions which are proven to be effective in commercial-scale production. The main targets achieved by THRIVE-RITE are:
- Enhanced productivity as measured by ADG & FCR ✓ Target achieved
- Reductions in pig and poultry mortality ✓ Target achieved
- Reductions in levels of pathogenic bacteria and viruses ✓ Target achieved
- Increased antibody transfer to offspring via maternal transfer ✓ Target achieved
- Improved antioxidant content in pig & poultry meat ✓ Target achieved
- Enhanced gut health & peripheral immunity ✓ Target achieved
The findings of THRIVE-RITE are described in this document, paying close attention to the project objectives and requirements of the end user to effectively enhance productivity and output, but in a manner which does not impact on public health or the environment.
Obtain the full text report for free by contacting the project coordinator via email at research@bioatlantis.com.
Brief update:
A short article entitled "Replacing antibiotics in farms" is provided below, which summarises the interim results from the Thrive-Rite project. The article is provided in English, Spanish, German, Polish, French and Italian as follows:
http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/151566_en.html
Periodic Report Summary:
A summary of preliminary findings from Thrive-Rite during the first reporting period have been released. This relates to work packages 1, 2 (porcine health), 3 and 4 (in ovo technology). To view the findings, please see: http://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/146589_en.html
Election of Chairperson of THRIVE-RITE:
The First Meeting of the THRIVE-RITE consortium took place in Dublin, Ireland on the 5th November 2012. Michael McAuliffe, C.E.O. of Truly Irish Country Foods was elected Chairperson of THRIVE-RITE by unanimous vote.
THRIVE-RITE begins
The newly formed THRIVE-RITE Consortium represents is a €1.68m research project co-funded by four European SMEs and the EU Commission as part of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013, Project number no: 315198). THRIVE-RITE was officially approved by the EU on 1st August 2012 and is the culmination of efforts led by BioAtlantis C.E.O. John T. O'Sullivan and Professor John O'Doherty, University College Dublin (Ireland) in collaboration with the leading SME's and RTDs who form the backbone of the project.
