A GLOBAL GIANT: Perstorp Animal Nutrition

09/01/2025

“Perstorp continues to be the market leader in many sectors of the specialty chemicals market. With its 140 years of experience and innovative structure, Perstorp products continue to grow without slowing down and are used in 26 countries. Perstorp, which has production facilities in Asia, Europe and North America, 1.500 employees and representatives in all major markets, has never lost its respect for nature.

Perstorp Animal Nutrition’s values are;

● Caring – Caring from the heart

● Responsibility – Doing the right thing

● Reliability – Keeping one’s word

● Innovation Focus – Doing better.

As Perstorp approaches 2030, rapid steps have been taken and implemented for water, waste and (eco) toxic environment among its corporate sustainability targets.

Salmonella: Global Threat

In her presentation, Dr. Antonia Tacconi, Global Portfolio Manager at Perstorp Animal Nutrition, discussed in detail the fact that Salmonella is a major global health problem and the regional solutions that can be developed to alleviate this problem.

“Salmonella stands out as a zoonotic pathogen that causes approximately 93 million gastroenteritis cases and 155,000 deaths worldwide each year. Poultry products in particular are among the main sources of Salmonella transmission. Serotypes such as Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium account for the majority of salmonellosis cases in humans and are frequently isolated in contaminated poultry. Dr. Tacconi’s report focuses on strategies for Salmonella control and reduction. Various solutions are suggested, such as organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriophages and vaccines, but the effectiveness of these methods may vary depending on regional conditions. Organic acids play an important role in the fight against Salmonella thanks to their natural antibacterial properties. These acids help prevent Salmonella contamination in animal feeds and support intestinal health. However, the selection of the right type of organic acid and the application method are critical to achieving successful results. In addition to organic acids, it is stated that probiotics can balance the intestinal flora, block Salmonella binding sites and strengthen the immune system.”

Tacconi also drew attention to the effectiveness of vaccines developed against Salmonella. Regional differences are observed in the use of vaccines and the diversity of serotypes can affect vaccination strategies. Although vaccines generally do not provide a complete solution in eradication programs, they are an important tool in protecting the general health of herds. However, there are also limitations such as the limitation of vaccines to cover certain serotypes and the risk of ongoing transmission in some cases. In addition, the use of bacteriophages has also been evaluated as a new approach in Salmonella control. However, there are various difficulties in the effectiveness of bacteriophages and application methods. The rapid development of resistance to bacteriophages and the difficulty of appropriate distribution methods reveal the limitations of this method. Antonia Tacconi emphasizes that biosecurity is the most important element for Salmonella control. An effective control program should include biosecurity measures at all stages, from production facilities to farms, from processing facilities to transportation and distribution. As a result, she states that a holistic approach is essential for an effective fight against Salmonella. The correct combination of various tools, from organic acids to probiotics, from vaccines to bacteriophages, can increase the success of Salmonella control programs. Given the global impact of Salmonella, regional solutions and strategies may differ in each geography and therefore require specific solutions.

Breakthrough innovation in gut health

Veterinarians’ efforts to improve animal health have been supported by technological and scientific innovations in recent years. In this context, research on gut health has significant effects on the general health status and performance of animals. Antonia Tacconi, PhD, gave a detailed presentation on Gastrivix Avi, a product that supports animal gut health, in September 2024 in Gothenburg.

Dr. Tacconi, Global Portfolio Manager at Perstorp Animal Nutrition, highlighted the multifaceted benefits of Gastrivix Avi. She shared data showing that Gastrivix Avi strengthens intestinal barrier integrity. The combination of valeric and butyric acid esters strengthens intestinal barrier function by affecting tight junction expression and formation, contributing to the healthy functioning of the digestive system.

In addition, Gastrivix Avi’s ability to balance the intestinal microbiota has attracted attention. Dr. Tacconi reported that the product supports the intestinal microbiota by increasing the number of beneficial bacteria. The microbiota balance plays a critical role in improving digestive efficiency and overall animal health.

Dr. Tacconi also highlighted the supportive effects of Gastrivix™ Avi on the mucosal immune system. Data were shared during his presentation demonstrating this in a recent trial. The presentation also covered the product’s contributions to overall intestinal health and growth performance. Gastrivix™ Avi improves intestinal health and increases nutrient absorption, allowing animals to grow stronger.

In conclusion, Dr. Tacconi’s presentation clearly demonstrated how Gastrivix works, Gastrivix Avi™ supports improving animal health and performance. This product plays an important role in supporting animal health.

“You have an enemy that is as smart as you are: Salmonella”

According to Tacconi, Salmonella is a very insidious enemy.

Do you think Salmonella is a multi-character agent?

“Salmonella is a very interesting subject. In fact, my field is biotechnology and I have also worked a lot in microbiology. Discussing Salmonella has always been a very interesting subject for me because there can be cases where a person is healthy but carries Salmonella but does not suffer any illness, and on the contrary, there can be cases where this person suffers from severe gastroenteritis that can even lead to death. I experienced this when my sister had a severe case, I had no symptoms. You know that when it comes to production, we tend to point to animal husbandry as the main cause of Salmonella spread, but that is not always the case. Salmonella itself has also evolved. Recent publications show that Salmonella can now colonize plants, which will make Salmonella even more dangerous because the raw material will already be contaminated. Therefore, the control program will need to go one step further or one step further to develop Salmonella-resistant seeds. As you have pointed out, this is a multifaceted and very complex issue. I do not think we will ever be able to produce without Salmonella.”

Could you briefly explain how Perstorp is different in combating Salmonella?

“If you have been in this industry for more than 10 years, you basically see what suppliers do, Perstorp used to do the same thing as other suppliers, but recently we have changed our approach. Often times they try to develop a product and then sell it globally saying, “This is the solution we have.” But what we tend to forget is why they are actually trying to control or mitigate Salmonella and when they do it. In our seminar today, we talked a lot about Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium and other Salmonella species. But the Salmonella that is commonly seen in flocks is a different type of Salmonella. It could be Minnesota, Heidelberg, Kentucky, Newport, Infantis and others. If we think about Latin America, especially Brazil, what is missing is something that will reduce the pressure in the slaughterhouse, something that will protect it. We listen to our customers in the regions that we hear from often, they say, “We actually want to have a product that we can put at the end of the last 5-10 day cycle, so that we can eliminate Salmonella problems in our slaughterhouses during that period. It would be great if we could start using a product a few days after we take samples from the barns to check for Salmonella contamination around day 30 to decide whether the flock is positive or not. What Perstorp is trying to do is listen to the customer and develop something that they really need and want. We actually have an ongoing project on exactly this, and we are focusing on the Latin American market because the customers there are very concerned about this and they are talking openly about Salmonella, to be honest. Today, a customer of ours said, ‘We don’t have Salmonella in our country,’ and we all knew it was a joke, but in Europe, until a few months ago, if you offered a solution to a customer for Salmonella, they would say, ‘No, but I don’t have a problem.’ Now in Europe, some producers tend to be more open about this. What we really appreciate at Perstorp is that we can exchange ideas with a customer and learn from each other and not be secretive about what we do. I think that’s a difference that we try to make at Perstorp.”

Salmonella is an international problem. Why are there so many R&D projects on Salmonella?

“We tend to blame the animal industry a lot. But basically, we need to try to make consumers more aware of what the problem really is. The European Union and EFSA publish a lot of videos and information on this, but we need to be careful about how we do it. I remember when the first antimicrobial resistance videos came out from EFSA. They were more focused on animal production. But at my previous company, we did a lot of testing on individuals and even people who had never been to a farm had resistance genes in their microbiota. So when we started talking about antimicrobial resistance, everyone blamed animal production because they used most of the antibiotics.”

What do you think about the new generation of vaccines?

”I think they will be very helpful and needed. They are part of the program to deal with these challenges. Another thing we need to consider is, since vaccines usually target a specific species, whether there are other strains in the herd that are problematic. When we use a vaccine to target these, we need to make sure that we are not creating space for other Salmonella to grow. So a vaccine is a needed tool, but we need to use it carefully and with the consequences.”

How would you describe what makes Perstorp different?

“What makes Perstorp different is that the main components of the solutions are things that we produce ourselves, and they are organic acids. We base a lot of things on that. We combine them with different technologies. We are aware of what our organic acids can do and we are looking at how we can combine them with others, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have other solutions. That’s an inherent richness, so we are open to how we can combine our solution with other players.”