{"id":6192,"date":"2021-10-20T11:21:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T09:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvetslab.com\/?p=6192"},"modified":"2021-10-20T11:21:02","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T09:21:02","slug":"limitations-of-zinc-oxide-and-copper-sulphate-in-animal-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deltalabs.online\/en\/limitations-of-zinc-oxide-and-copper-sulphate-in-animal-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Limitations of zinc oxide and copper sulphate in animal production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Problems related to the use of zinc oxide and copper sulphate in animal production<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zinc oxide <\/strong>(ZnO) is an inorganic compound that is used as an additive included in the feeds to control bacteria at an intestinal level and, particularly, to prevent post-weaning diarrhea in piglets <\/strong>(EMA 2017). Copper sulphate <\/strong>(Cu2<\/sub>SO4<\/sub>) is an insoluble salt that is used for its bacteriostatic and fungistatic properties and works as a growth promoter <\/strong>and preventative for intestinal infections (Saraiva et al. 2020). These compounds have several disadvantages, such as they are excreted in the environment, <\/strong>where they accumulate and can contaminate underground and surface water <\/strong>(EFSA 2012; EMA 2017). They also cause the development of microbial resistances <\/strong>(EMA 2017; FEEDAP 2016; Johanns et al. 2019; Saraiva et al. 2020), a situation that is concerning for the veterinary and human medicine sector, as it may lead to a lack of effective products against infections. In the case of zinc oxide, the development of microbial resistances is truly concerning because it is correlated with a decrease in the sensitivity to antibiotics<\/strong> (Johanns et al. 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"INC<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For these reasons, there is a growing global trend towards reducing the use of these two compounds which aims to prevent environmental contamination and the development of microbial resistances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trend towards reducing the use of zinc oxide and copper sulfate and limitations at the legal level<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since 2017, European authorities have considered the limitation of zinc oxide, particularly in pig farms. As a results, the European Union <\/strong>has established that the benefits <\/strong>derived from the use of this compound do not outweigh the risks <\/strong>and that the use of zinc oxide in pig diets is a negative practice (El-Sayed et al. 2019). For that matter, veterinary products containing zinc oxide will be banned from commercialization within the European Union since June 26, 2022<\/strong> (EMA 2017) and this compound will only be allowed to be included in the feed at a maximum of 150 ppm, a much lower dose than the 2500 ppm used nowadays, so that this compound will no longer be used to obtain a pharmacological effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Union limits the use of copper sulphate in compound feeds<\/strong> for the different species (pigs, ruminants, aquaculture, among others) (FEEDAP 2016), which aims to slow down the development of new microbial resistances and reduce this compound\u2019s negative impact on the environment. Besides, it recommends to analyze copper residues in meat and other animal products, as well as in agricultural areas <\/strong>to monitor the development of microbial resistances (FEEDAP 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table 1. <\/strong>Maximum copper (Cu) content allowed in compound feed (European Commission 2018)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to limiting the imports to the European Union, the growing trend towards reducing zinc oxide and copper content in the feeds is followed by other countries such as Canada, where the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has launched a public consultation to receive proposals and make the regulations stricter (CFIA 2021b, 2021a).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Available alternatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Delta Labs recommends the use of alternatives to zinc oxide and copper sulphate in the feeds which do not have a negative impact on the environment and to not lead to microbial resistances. These are natural tools that are safe for the environment and can be included in the diets at low doses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n