Replacing Sub - Therapeutic Antibiotics in Feed with Consumer Acceptable Performance Enhancers

Since introduction in the late 1940s, the role of antibiotics in animal production has changed. Originally a means of combating illnesses and maintaining the health of flocks and herds, it was soon recognized that antibiotics could drastically increase productivity and financial return through enhanced and expedited weight gain. Since then criticism has been leveled at the use of antibiotics at sub - therapeutic levels to promote growth and feed conversion efficiency. Although the recent demonstration that plasmid genes encoding for resistance are present in the environ ment and feces of swine and in carcasses there has been little evidence other than point - of - sale surveys that livestock are contributing to emerging drug resistance among bacterial pathogens affecting humans. Irrespective of the lack of firm scientific evi dence that the use of antibiotics in intensive livestock production is directly contributing to drug resistance in hospital and community settings there is a wide perception among consumers that lax regulation over sub - therapeutic administration to food an imals is deleterious to public health. Accordingly use of antibiotics for performance enhancement was banned in the EU in 2006 and in the US effective January 2017. Administration of antibiotics for therapy or prophylaxis is now strictly regulated in the E U and the U.S and subject to veterinary prescription applying Prudent Use Principles. Multiple stakeholders must be considered as food production responds to new legislation and rules to limit antibiotic use by farmers, producers, consumers, the medical pr ofession and veterinarians. This paper identifies possible replacement modalities that are acceptable to consumers and the food industry without detrimental effects on animal health and performance. The five criteria producers should consider before adopti ng alternatives to antibiotics are reviewed. Alternatives include but are not limited to probiotics, prebiotics, short and medium chain fatty ac ids, enzyme feed supplements, essential oils and botanicals. The paper stresses that no single additive will rep lace the declining benefits of sub - therapeutic administration of antibiotics. It will be necessary in the future to create programs with a holistic approach to replacement of antibiotics in conformity with EU and U.S. restrictions. Accordingly greater atte ntion should be applied to management, control of immunosuppressive viruses and protozoal parasites, nutrition and the selection of suitable genetic strains to achieve sustainable and safe production of livestock.