According to Gordon Rose, the creator of this concept in the 50’s, a pronutrient is a microingredient that added to feed in relatively small quantities can enhance animal physiology, increase its nutritional value and avoid the presence of pathogens. They are complex molecules of vegetal origin that regulate and stimulate the metabolism without pharmacological action.

Ban on the use of grow promoter antibiotics, towards new animal nutrition strategies

In order to solve this crisis, the European Union designed a security and transparency programme, applying the whole European food chain and establishing a wide legislative frame, which highlights the responsibility of manufacturers and suppliers.  Because of that, the use of grow promoter antibiotics were forbidden in 2006.

All that, has led to the design of secure production and healthy strategies for animals and consumers, combining nutritional and handling practices. Among these new nutritional strategies, the inclusion of plant extracts rich in pronutrients in food, is one of the most popular trends due to their good results in productive and safety terms.

The use of plant extracts rich in standardized pronutrients, the research on its mechanisms of action and the evaluation of scientific results of its implementation on animal feed constitute the way to obtain safe and healthy food, which satisfy consumer demands.

Increase in the use of pronutrients in animal feed

To sum up, the growth of world population, the increase of income per capita in many countries and the progressive migration to cities, can cause a growth of poultry and cattle farming in the following years. The consumption of meat in developed markets is more focused on quality, safety and consumer preferences than on its price. Although this trend has not arrived yet in emergent countries, which have not yet set restrictive legislation, globalization trends in meat production and the progressive awareness by consumers, are gradually pushing towards a generalized use of animal pronutrients in animal feed in recent years.