US – The Head ofPurdue University’s Animal Science Department says the use of essential oils is emerging as one of the strategies that can help in reducing the livestock industry’s reliance on the use of in feed antibiotics, writes Bruce Cochrane.

In Canada and the United States there’s been ongoing pressure to reduce the amount of antimicrobials used in livestock feed, particularly for growth promotion but even for prevention of disease driven by concerns over antibiotic resistance that can spill over into human therapies.

Dr Alan Mathew, the Head of Purdue University’s Animal Science Department, says the use of essential oils is a new and emerging field because there are so many of these compounds that are being studied right now.

Dr Alan Mathew-Purdue University

Typically they’re plant based.

The have some subtle effects on the gut microbiota, they may help with palatability and intake, which is very important…