Belgium-headquartered Nutriad, a multinational manufacturer of specialty feed additives for livestock and aquaculture, announced that it has engaged into strategic partnerships with leading universities in Brazil, including the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Federal University of Goiânia and State University of Londrina.

These agreements allow the science-based company to evaluate its product portfolio under tropical circumstances, develop new technologies and seek new applications and solutions to the day-to-day challenges across species, Nutriad said.

Nutriad chief executive officer Erik Visser said, “Testing our feed additive solutions in different geographies and ensuring their efficacy under different climatological circumstances is a strategic focus for Nutriad. Also, these engagements further confirm our commitment to the development of academic talent across the world.”

Current research covers, among other topics, flavors, organic acids and essential oils for application in swine and poultry. Initial results on trials with the company's flavor for lactating sows showed a significant increase in consumption and milk production and, consequently, a greater weight of piglets at weaning.

Other planned research will focus on products from Nutriad’s Digestive Performance platform, such as Adimix Precision and Apex 5. Specifically, the company will review data on the efficiency of these products to replace antibiotic growth promoters and affect weight gain and feed conversion.

According to David Jacob, Nutriad technical manager for South America, “Nutriad continuously seeks to expand its partnerships with other scientific and research institutions with the objective of conducting research into existing and new applications as well as contributing to the development of master and (doctoral) students.”

Nutriad provides additives and services for applications in animal nutrition and health in more than 80 countries through a network of its own offices and distributors, supported by four application laboratories and five plants located on three continents.