EU approves Chr Hansen’s triple strain probiotic for poultry

19-Jan-2021 - Last updated on 19-Jan-2021 at 10:23 GMT

Danish company, Chr Hansen, sees its triple strain probiotic, branded as GalliPro Fit, authorized for sale in the EU.

The approval follows a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), published back in April 2020.

The three agents in use in the product include two strains of Bacillus subtilis, DSM 32324 and DSM 32325, and one strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, DSM 25840. GalliPro Fit is supplemented at a dose of 500g per ton of feed.

The EU approval took two years, said the company.

“That [timeframe] is actually quite short; it was due to the quality of scientific data in the dossier that we managed to have the product on the market that fast," Anna Karwacińska, senior product manager for poultry in the animal health and nutrition division of Chr Hansen, told us.

Research data and field trials have documented the efficacy and safety of the product, said Chr Hansen. GalliPro Fit has been been proven to effectively support the digestive performance and a healthy normal immune system in broilers, pullet layers/breeders and turkeys, said the producer.

Protecting poultry from Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and Escherichia coli is key for farmers to get the highest productivity for their chickens, said the company.

Chr Hansen continues to perform trials on the triple strain probiotic, said Karwacińska. “The set-up depends on customers’ needs, as well as measured parameters: sometimes it is pathogenic bacterial count (E. Coli, Salmonella, Clostridia), antibiotic use reduction, performance parameters improvement , wet litter score, etc.”

First launched in the US in 2017, the probiotic entered the Australian market in 2018 and it was then launched in South Africa and various Asian markets in 2019. Chr Hansen said it has seen increasing customer adoption of the probiotic product in those regions.

Depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out, the company is also planning to launch GalliPro Fit in the Middle East this year, said Karwacińska.

Strong growth in Q1

Last week saw Chr Hansen report strong organic growth for its first quarter.

Organic sales growth for the period was 10%, equally split between volume/mix and price, and driven by its health and nutrition business, which delivered 15% growth, while food cultures and enzymes delivered 8% growth.

The company added that it is on track to execute on its 2025 strategy and become a focused bioscience company based on its microbial and fermentation technology platform.

“This is a year of transition, where we need to secure a successful integration of the acquired businesses. We have started out strong, and we will address any challenges that may arise in those processes head on and with determination.”