Livestock is an essential part of the human diet and farm productivity is dependent on animals being healthy, which depends on adequate nutrition. Existing evidence shows that livestock feed can be improved by the use of feed additives which improve diet and health but also increase milk yields, suppress the oestrus (female reproductive) cycle or improve digestion in livestock. When properly used in a well-managed environment, many of these additives can substantially improve performance and farm profitability.

The Agricultural and Environmental Research Unit at the University of Hertfordshire has been awarded a research contract by the European Food Safety Agency to review chemical additives used in livestock diets and to critically evaluate their potential for delivering environmental benefits such as reducing waste gases that may contribute to climate change.

The study is to be completed in spring 2013 and will undertake a thorough, critical and systematic review to produce a global inventory of current feed additives that offer environmental benefits. This information will support the current European regulatory process on feed additives, and will help develop more sustainable policies in this area.

Dr Kathy Lewis, reader in agri-environmental science, said, “Feed additives must meet the necessary safety standards but they can also help to deliver environmental benefits. They have an important role to play in delivering sustainable increases in productivity but can be used to improve digestive processes in livestock which will reduce waste production including methane, ammonia and other metabolic gases.”