Grant Supports Production of Sustainable, Cost-Effective Feed Supplements

As consumer demand for animal protein increases, meat producers are under tremendous pressure to increase productivity, while maintaining profitability. As a result, many producers rely on feed supplements to encourage faster growth, reduce disease and improve feed efficiency. This Seeding Solutions grant awarded to Sasya, Inc. supports the development of sustainable, cost-effective, multi-species feed supplements that are safe for livestock, the environment and human consumption.

Why this research is important

Metabolites, such as amino acids and their derivatives, naturally occur in human and animal bodies. When used as dietary supplements, evidence suggests they can enhance performance and health in both humans and animals. While metabolites are commercially available, many are produced from harmful chemicals that require extensive purification and energy-intensive processes. As a result, despite their documented benefit, metabolite supplements remain prohibitively expensive to the feed industry.

Sasya is developing a novel sustainable process to mass produce high-performance supplements at a cost that can break their price-barrier for the animal feed supplement industry. This research will primarily focus on swine. The use of many current feed supplements within the swine industry prohibits the export of U.S. pork to important global markets. Replacing these supplements with sustainably-produced, affordable metabolite ones will help U.S. swine producers overcome price and regulatory barriers and position them to compete favorably in a global market. Demonstrated success in the swine market will pave the way for easier adoption in other animal species such as poultry, beef and dairy cows.