The consumer-driven push for antibiotic-free chicken production in the North American market has forced poultry producers to place a higher focus on layered disease prevention strategies. This has led to the development of new products and technologies that work together as a range of alternatives to ensure flock health and even improve efficiency without the use of antibiotics. Spending on flock health has been redirected into new categories. This has reshaped purchasing behavior, supply-chain relationships and risk management within the broiler industry.
Antibiotics were used for decades in the US broiler industry to treat and prevent diseases and promote growth. However, in the early 2000s, public health groups became increasingly concerned that widespread antibiotic use in livestock could be a contributing factor to antibiotic resistance (AMR) in human medicine. The broiler industry became the focal point for the discussion as the production of poultry in the US is structured vertically with a much shorter life cycle than cattle or swine.
As consumer concern regarding antibiotics grew, marketing and retailers saw an opportunity for differentiation in the market and labels such as “Raised without Antibiotics” (RWA), “Antibiotic Free” and especially “No Antibiotics Ever” (NAE) started appearing as differentiation tools. In the mid-2010s, major restaurants and retail buyers made public commitments to reduce their use of which added even more momentum to the growing movement. Soon antibiotic reduction shifted from a niche premium category with roughly 4% of broiler production claiming to be NAE in 2012 into a mainstream supply-chain requirement with over 60% of the industry being antibiotic-free today.
However, the demand for NAE poultry products caused a new wave of challenges for producers as broiler systems encountered higher risks of coccidiosis, necrotic enteritis, various other hatchery infections, and general welfare problems in flocks. As a result, the poultry industry had to redesign their flock management systems around disease prevention without the use of antibiotics. As there is no current “magic bullet” product that serves as a single replacement for antibiotics, the industry has been forced to seek out layered prevention strategies. These strategies include measures such as vaccination programs, probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, phytogenics, and enzymes. These products, which had previously been considered as niche products, suddenly became important tools for poultry producers opening the door for new market potential for each of these segments. The integrators combine these tools and monitor their effectiveness closely.
We evaluate how this shift has affected purchasing decisions across the entire poultry value chain and created market opportunities. With decades of experience in Life Sciences, an extensive network, and a broad range of tools, Schlegel and Partner can help you find answers to questions you may have such as:
- How big is the current market for antibiotic- alternative products in the US? And how are they perceived among major players?
- What role do these products play in the decision-making structure? And who are the major influencers?
- What are the exact challenges that the industry faces? And what expectations do they have for offered solutions?
Are you interested in further information?
Please do not hesitate to contact us:
Elsa Haeberle
+49 6201 9915 12
Elsa.Haeberle@SchlegelundPartner.de
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