Elanco brought the poultry health and production community together in Istanbul for a strategic event marking 20 years of leadership in intestinal integrity, placing gut health at the center of the future economics of broiler production.

The meeting, titled “Celebrating 20 Years of Intestinal Integrity Leadership,” gathered around 200 Elanco executives, technical specialists and business partners from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. According to information shared during the event, the agenda focused on intestinal integrity, coccidiosis management, sustainable production, feed efficiency and data-driven flock management.

For The Animal Economics, the Istanbul meeting underlined a broader reality for the poultry industry: intestinal integrity is no longer only a veterinary or technical issue. It is now directly linked to feed conversion, live weight gain, production cost, animal welfare and the environmental footprint of poultry meat.

During the sessions, Elanco executives and invited experts evaluated the changing dynamics of poultry production in the EMEA region. Discussions covered the resilience of poultry meat demand, the impact of geopolitical risks on feed and energy markets, the growing role of biosecurity, and the need for more precise production systems.

Larbi Van Lier, Elanco Farm Animal International Vice President, emphasized that modern broiler performance should be evaluated not only through weight gain, but also through intestinal integrity, feed efficiency, food safety and environmental sustainability. He also pointed to Elanco’s more than 50 years of experience in intestinal integrity and its role in supporting producers through innovation and field-based solutions.

The event also highlighted Elanco’s technical platforms and product portfolio. Presentations covered HTSi data systems, Maxiban, Monteban, Hemicell, narasin-based programs, ionophore coccidiostats and future coccidiosis control strategies. Speakers noted that stable intestinal integrity programs can contribute to more consistent performance and better economic outcomes in broiler production.

Another important theme was sustainability. Several presentations connected feed efficiency and intestinal health with carbon footprint reduction, showing how even small improvements in FCR can have significant economic and environmental effects at commercial scale.

The meeting also carried a regional message. Istanbul’s role as the host city reflected Turkiye’s growing position as a strategic poultry production and business hub between Europe, the Middle East and surrounding markets.

Closing the meeting, Alper Keskiner, Elanco Turkiye and Middle East Regional Director, said Elanco’s role in the region is not limited to products, but is built on scientific knowledge, field experience, customer focus and long-term partnerships.

The Istanbul event showed that intestinal integrity is becoming one of the key business indicators of the poultry industry. For producers facing high feed costs, disease pressure and sustainability demands, gut health is increasingly becoming a direct economic lever.