For decades, Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGPs) were a standard inclusion in poultry nutrition products. They controlled pathogenic bacteria, supported gut integrity, and contributed to consistent FCR and body weight gain. Their removal from feed programmes – driven by growing concerns around antimicrobial resistance and food safety risks from antibiotic residues – has left a real and measurable gap in how gut health is managed at the farm level.

The question most nutritionists and farm managers are now facing is not whether AGPs should go. That decision is largely made. The question is: what replaces the protection they provided?

What the AGP Removal Actually Took Away

AGPs worked primarily by suppressing pathogenic microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tract. With that suppression removed, the gut becomes more vulnerable to colonisation by harmful bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens, E. coli, and Salmonella. The consequences show up in familiar ways – increased necrotic enteritis incidence, poor nutrient absorption, inconsistent FCR, and higher flock mortality in early production phases.

What makes this particularly challenging is that the gut is not just a digestive organ. It is the primary site of nutrient assimilation and the largest immune organ in the bird’s body. When gut integrity is compromised, both productivity and disease resistance suffer simultaneously.

Replacing AGPs, therefore, is not simply about finding an antimicrobial substitute. It requires a solution that addresses pathogen control, oxidative stress in the intestinal tract, nutrient digestion efficiency, and epithelial barrier integrity – all at once.

A Different Approach: Targeting the Gut Environment, Not Just the Pathogen

The limitation of AGPs was also, in a sense, their strength – they acted broadly and persistently. The challenge with natural alternatives is that many address only one part of the problem. An acidifier controls pH. A probiotic establishes beneficial flora. A single enzyme improves a specific substrate’s digestibility.

What the post-AGP era demands from poultry nutrition products is a more integrated approach – one that simultaneously targets pathogenic bacteria, reduces the substrate available to harmful microflora, and supports the structural integrity of the gut lining.

Gallinase – A Feed Supplement Built for the Post-AGP Reality

Gallinase is a feed supplement formulated specifically to address gut health challenges in the post-AGP environment. It works through the synergistic action of three primary components – Lysozyme, Glucose Oxidase, and Sodium Taurocholate – each targeting a distinct but interconnected aspect of gut function.

Lysozyme and Glucose Oxidase work together to increase pathogen susceptibility – physically and enzymatically disrupting the membranes of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, while the oxidative environment created makes the pathogenic population significantly more vulnerable. This dual mechanism addresses the antimicrobial gap left by AGP removal without generating resistance or leaving residues in meat or eggs.

Beyond pathogen control, Gallinase improves nutrient digestion efficiency, which reduces the amount of unassimilated substrate reaching the distal gut. This effectively starves opportunistic and pathogenic microflora while simultaneously creating conditions that favour beneficial bacteria. The result is a more balanced microbial environment – not through suppression, but through competition and substrate management.

The third dimension of Gallinase’s action is gut integrity itself. By reducing pathogen burden and limiting undigested nutrient availability, it helps reduce intestinal inflammation, supports a more resilient epithelial barrier, and strengthens the local immune response – directly addressing the leaky gut risk that becomes more prevalent in AGP-free production.

Importantly, Gallinase is residue-free and does not contribute to antimicrobial resistance – two criteria that are no longer optional in responsible, commercially viable poultry production.

The Transition Requires More Than Substitution

It would be a mistake to approach the post-AGP era as a simple product swap. AGPs provided broad, systemic coverage. Replacing that coverage requires a more deliberate nutritional strategy – one where gut health is actively managed through the choice of poultry nutrition products that work on multiple levels: microbial, digestive, and structural.

At ABTL Enzymes, our nutraceutical range is designed with this integrated approach in mind. Gallinase represents a meaningful step forward in addressing the gut health challenge that the AGP phase-out has created – not by mimicking what antibiotics did, but by building a gut environment where pathogens are less able to establish and birds are better equipped to perform.

To learn more about Gallinase and ABTL’s full range of poultry nutrition products, visit our Nutraceuticals page or connect with our technical team.

FAQs

Q1. What were AGPs and why have they been phased out?
Antibiotic Growth Promoters were low-dose antibiotics added to poultry feed to suppress pathogens and enhance growth. They have been restricted in many countries due to concerns about antimicrobial resistance — the risk that routine antibiotic use in livestock contributes to resistance affecting human health.

Q2. What gut health problems arise after removing AGPs?
Without AGP protection, pathogens like Clostridium perfringens and E. coli have greater opportunity to colonise the gut. This increases necrotic enteritis risk, compromises the intestinal barrier, and results in higher mortality, poorer FCR, and inconsistent flock performance.

Q3. How does Gallinase work as a post-AGP gut health solution?
Gallinase works through Lysozyme, Glucose Oxidase, and Sodium Taurocholate — targeting pathogenic bacteria, reducing undigested substrate in the distal gut, and supporting intestinal wall integrity. It leaves no residues and does not contribute to antimicrobial resistance.

Q4. What is leaky gut in poultry and why does it matter?
Leaky gut refers to a compromised intestinal epithelial barrier, allowing harmful substances to enter the bloodstream. It causes chronic inflammation, immune activation, and poor nutrient absorption — directly impacting production performance, especially in AGP-free programmes.

Q5. Can natural products fully replace AGPs in poultry production?
While no single product replicates the full action of AGPs, a well-designed programme combining nutraceuticals, probiotics, acidifiers, and targeted supplements can effectively address the gut health challenges left by their removal.