Following an agreement to join forces with ID4FEED, PS Nutrition plans to bring cutting-edge nutrition concepts to markets in Asia.

As one of the few local companies preparing for FAMI-QS version 6 certifications, PS Nutrition is in a strong position to offer unrivalled feed safety, according to Woraphong Wobganusorn, founder and president.

Now that PS Nutrition has acquired an undisclosed amount of shares in the hold- ing company of France’s ID4FEED, PS Nutrition will bene t from business part- nerships and marketing alliances in all countries in Asia except China, he said.

PS Nutrition chose to work with ID4FEED as both share the same think- ing, especially in realizing the potential of plant extracts and natural solutions for keeping animals healthy and performing at their best.

PS Nutrition is a fast-growing company operated by a Millennial below 40 years old. It has sustained annual growth of more than 15% over the past few years.

Its technical team comprises two PhDs who consult with customers on technical subjects, conduct research, and design trials in collaboration with universities. There are also nutritionists and veterinarians to assist customers with relevant recommendations for feed production, formulation and animal health.

“Long-term success is driven by human resources. Good products can expedite company growth, but sustainable growth is not possible without dedicated employees,” he said.

A customer-centric strategy is the key differentiating PS Nutrition from others. The company swiftly responds to customer needs and offers innovative products and research, Mr Woraphong added.

Thananat Wonganusorn, company secre- tary, said PS Nutrition is currently working on FAMI-QS version 6 certification for the trade and distribution of feed additives and nutrition products, as well as sensory and technological additives. A plant audit was done in Q4, 2019.

Rigorous standards are enforced to give its customers peace of mind. The certification is designed to hone feed safety and supply chain integrity by preventing fraud and adulteration.

“We have demonstrated to the auditors that our controlling system and logistics are transparent, highly secure, and on par with world-class players such that misappropriations are fully protected,” said Mr Thananat.

Natural healing

Plant extracts are natural solutions for boosting animal performance due to the synergies of multiple metabolites. For example, eugenol offers antimicrobial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and is able to interact.

with the mobilized colistin resistant mcr-1 gene, thereby restoring sensitivity to colistin.

PS Nutrition plans to work with customers to improve the quality of weaned piglets. With increasing litter sizes, customers are seeking solutions to bolster the sow’s capability to produce colostrum and raise milk yield. Also, PS Nutrition’s technical team is keen to discuss new techniques for formulating superior quality creep and starter piglet feed using flavors, palatants and plant extracts.

The company is also researching functional food at the molecular level to add value to meat. In collaboration with

Suranaree University of Technology, it is participating in a project to identify genes in “Korat chicken” one of Thai native chicken breeds that produce carnosine. Carnosine prevents cell damage because it reduces oxidative stress and secondary inflammation.

Flavor and plant extracts

Attractants and flavors are part of PS Nutrition’s core competencies. Enhancing piglet feed intake is both an art and a science. Apart from satisfying their nutritional needs, formulators need to realize the importance of smell and palatability in convincing piglets to start eating solid food.

A pig’s sense of taste is far more delicate than a human’s. They have around 20,000 taste buds compared to just 7,000 for humans. As a result, flavors and palatants are important for keeping piglets well-nourished during the weaning transition.

Also in the pipeline are company-run trials to test the positive effect of capsaicin for improving milk yield and preventing diarrhea in piglets. So far, the trials have been impressive, he said.

Plant extracts have good potential for replacing widely used antibiotics such as Halquinol or colistin for mitigating piglet diarrhea.

In the pipeline, PS Nutrition is working on Circumin. It is a core active compound of Turmeric (Curcuma longa), provides many benficial pharmacological properties including antioxidant activity.

In heat-stressed broilers, circumin alleviated negative stress-induced oxidant effects on feed efficiency, serum malonaldehyde and corticosterone levels. It was due to a simultaneous activation of glutathione-related enzymes and of NrF2- mediated detoxifying enzyme systems in the liver. Circumin could serve as an effective tool against heat stress in poultry, he said.