Customers looking for solutions to gut health challenges, along with feed and raw material preservation and hygiene, can turn to Eastman. Christoph Sikora, commercial director for the EMEA region, and Inge Peeters, global technical lead, recently explained the company’s approach
in an interview with Feedinfo.
“Our core competence in Eastman Animal Nutrition lies in organic acids and their derivatives for various applications,” Peeters said. “Being active in this field for many years, we truly believe they constitute a paramount tool to establish gut health.”
Eastman’s already broad portfolio of organic acids was broadened further when 3F Feed & Food was acquired in 2021. That provided access to different organic acid derivatives, more specialty feed additives, and deeper application know-how. Eastman is vertically integrated with a global reach that makes it a reliable supplier in a challenging environment.
“Our portfolio covers basic products, from preservation and hygiene and acidification to more advanced solutions for gut health,” Sikora said. “We are putting our efforts to support healthy animals’ growth and mitigate environmental or health challenges such as postweaning diarrhea,
Streptococcus suis infections, and poultry dysbacteriosis, just to name a few. This is where the new portfolio from 3F Feed & Food can play a significant role, and we are working with customers in concrete trials to demonstrate the improvements our additive solutions can offer.”
“We always try to develop a comprehensive concept to address the customer’s challenge, for instance, by combining products with different mode of actions,” Peeters said.
Eastman can also deliver solutions in different formats tailored to meet individual customer needs with solid and liquid applications in feed as well as applications via water.
“This, coupled with the different technologies at our disposal such as acids on carrier, buffered solutions, encapsulation, and esterification, makes us very flexible in our approach and allows us the best cost/benefit solution,” Peeters said.
The extended gut health product range combines Eastman’s experience with the acquired scientific expertise and practical knowledge of 3F Feed & Food.
“We focus on intestinal health and ways to promote the best balance in the ‘post-gastric’ environment,” Peeters said. “Our gut health product range comprises innovative esterified gut health solutions based on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and their combinations with other active components in our portfolio. Within this range, we can develop and deliver customer-specific holistic concepts to address a wide variety of industry challenges."
The Eastman Acitra™ range includes several organic acid combinations for efficient acidification via feed. Eastman Protaq™ focuses on water solutions developed for gut management. Coated and uncoated GBM butyrate solutions complement the offering.
In an evolving regulatory and social environment, synergies between molecules and modes of action can deliver excellent results. For example, in an ZnO-free feeding program, it is important to consider the holistic picture. This includes raw material selection and quality, environmental factors, and rearing conditions as well as supporting intestinal health with a specialty monoglyceride blend, which exploits the beneficial effects of short- and medium-chain fatty acid glycerides.
“In recent years, we have invested in comprehensive research demonstrating synergies when combining SCFA and MCFAs,” Peeters said.
This technology opens new possibilities in terms of safer handling, additional and sustained pathogen management, and optimized health and performance via feed and water.
While organic acids have been used in the feed industry for years, customers often need guidance in their application. In addition, new challenges require innovative technologies and applications. Eastman continues to grow its global team of experts with a broad research program. The company also expanded its research facilities in Belgium and the United States in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Eastman’s global team of experts can also work with customers in their regions, verifying the accuracy of product application in local laboratories and providing support for new applications like changes from solid to liquid products. Eastman also offers services such as organic acid recovery and evaluate of the application process effectiveness to minimize risks and costs.
To learn more,
contact our team.