Just as much as livestock farmers want their animals to grow and grow, the debate over using zinc oxide as a feed additive has also been growing.
It has been a passionate discussion, and yet one driven by a single goal: what is best for human health, animal health, and environmental health. Equally important is that the zinc oxide debate has been focused on facts.
With this in mind, and to help clarify the debate, here are the top 4 reasons to ban and the top 4 reasons to buy zinc oxide as a feed additive.
Reasons to Ban Zinc Oxide
1. Zinc can accumulate in vital organs
As the industry journal PigProgress reports, “An imbalance of zinc homeostasis in a piglet’s body results in an accumulation of zinc ions in organs such as the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. The liver is responsible for zinc absorption in the organism and can store high amounts of zinc. However, such high concentrations of zinc can be toxic, leading to stress responses impairing its metabolism. Damaging the liver at a very early stage will lead to impaired performance throughout the whole life of the piglet.” You have been warned, so follow your zinc oxide suppliers’ guidelines.
2. Zinc accumulates in the soil
Excess zinc not absorbed by animals can enter eco-systems through slurry and run off from farms, or can be washed into the soil from manure used as organic fertilizer. Excessive amounts of zinc can poison rivers and damage wildlife, as well as be harmful to human health when it enters the water table.
This is one of the strongest arguments against using zinc oxide as a feed additive, with few practical possibilities to prevent contaminating the environment. Although the UK’s National Pig Association (NPA) senior policy advisor, Georgina Crayford recently stated that, “Of course, the environmental risk of zinc oxide use is an important factor to consider but in all previous assessments, the Committee for Veterinary Medical Product Use (CVMP) has found the benefits of its use to outweigh the environmental risk.”
3. Disruption of the microbe habitat in the gut
Higher dosages of zinc oxide among weaning piglets has been found to change their intestinal microbial composition. Whilst in the short term this can have benefits, in the long term it can make for a less healthy animal. This is because zinc oxide increases the presence of pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae group microflora in the gut, while decreasing lactic acid producers. For example, it can often result in an increase in cases of diarrhoea as soon as zinc oxide is no longer included in feed.
4. Zinc oxide helps bacteria resistant genes
In the agrichemical industry’s attempts to be anti-antibiotics the discovery that zinc oxide aids the maintenance and spread of antibiotic-resistant genes is having a massive impact.
It has even led to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommending a ban on the oral use of zinc oxide to food producing species, “…due to concerns related to potential risk to the environment and increase of prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the use of products containing zinc oxide.”
The problem arises from the fact that, “the genes can share phenotypes, as well as clones, related to the antimicrobial resistance mechanism developed (co-selection) against antibiotics and heavy metals like zinc.”
Another long-term issue arguing that zinc oxide should be banned as a feed additive.
Reasons to Buy Zinc Oxide
1. All living creatures need zinc
Zinc is a vital trace element. One that is involved in more biological functions than any other micro-mineral in the nutrition of early weaned pigs. At the same time, it disappears from a piglet’s organism much faster than other elements like iron or copper. This means that an animal which does not have a sufficient supply of zinc will likely be immunosuppressed and its physiological functions may suffer.
Zinc oxide is an effective feed additive.
2. Zinc combats diarrhoea
Livestock farmers often use zinc oxide as a prevention against diarrhoea in piglets as it has been proven to be a tried and tested weapon in improving an animal’s digestive system. As one recent study by the University of Illinois, (reported via the NationalHogFarmer) stated, “An unusual Escherichia coli diarrhoea outbreak caused a high rate of pigs to be removed due to poor health and mortality. This rate was dramatically reduced by zinc oxide effect: 17.1% vs. 6.6% over the six weeks. It appears that most of the pigs were probably challenged during the time zinc oxide was fed, but the protective effect of zinc oxide remained over the six weeks.”
Zinc oxide can save livestock.
3. Banning zinc oxide as a feed additive may encourage antibiotic use
There is a fear that zinc oxide as a feed additive will need to be replaced by antibiotics. As PigProgress, reports, “For many, it [zinc oxide] is considered an essential tool in controlling post-weaning diarrhoea. Especially in Denmark, where antibiotics usage is tightly monitored, it is used as a solution.”
This is an opinion supported by the NPA’s Georgina Crayford who adds that, “There appears to be a stark omission from the CVMP’s assessment – that of the risk of development of resistance due to the increased use of antimicrobials that will likely occur should the ban on therapeutic use of zinc oxide proceed.”
4. A zinc oxide ban will be environmentally expensive
Without zinc oxide being used as a feed additive, animals will need additional weeks weaning and will take longer to mature. This will not only cost livestock farmers more but will also put an additional burden on resources. More water and feed will be needed, more energy needed to heat and light stalls, more CO2 emissions used to transport feed, more medicine required for sick animals.
Furthermore, there will be a great deal of wasted resources and expense to the industry as a ban will see thousands of animals die very young due to diarrhoea.
Whatever the pros and cons are of zinc oxide as a feed additive, the EU is moving ahead with limits on its use. As the industry journal, FeedNavigator reported, “The EU Commission has confirmed the EU-wide ban on the use of zinc oxide at medicinal levels in piglet feed, but member states have up to five years to phase it out.”
This is despite the scientific evidence suggesting that a zinc oxide ban is unnecessary. For example, the European Food Safety Authority reports how, “The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) has assessed seven zinc compounds in the current application [including zinc oxide].” Declaring that, “These compounds are safe sources of zinc for all animal species/categories when used up to maximum authorised zinc levels in feed; the simultaneous use of both feed and water supplemented with zinc should be avoided.”
While the fallout from the ban will rumble on in Europe, farmers everywhere will continue to supply markets with healthy pigs and pork products. Onlookers can only hope that the benefits to the environment of the ban will outweigh the costs involved. The true effects of the ban will be seen over time.
Meanwhile, researchers have been looking to nano zinc for answers, with early evidence suggesting that zinc oxide nanoparticles may be, “growth promoting, antibacterial, immuno-modulatory” as well as “highly bio-available.” A case of a big problem potentially having a small solution.
AG CHEMI GROUP has been supplying animal feed additives since 1994. It is also a global supplier of industrial quantities of zinc oxide.
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If you are interested in zinc oxide prices, or need animal feed raw materials, then please contact the friendly, multi-lingual sales team, or take a look at the AG CHEMI GROUP catalogue.
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