Evonik Industries and Chr. Hansen plan to end their cooperation in the Asia Pacific region effective Dec. 31. Evonik had been a distributor for Chr. Hansen's probiotic feed additives for swine and poultry feed in the region since 2012.

“We enjoyed a highly trusting partnership with Chr. Hansen, but want to be active in the probiotics market with our own products in the future," said Dr. Emmanuel Auer, head of the animal nutrition business line at Evonik, to explain the decision.

Evonik acquired the probiotics business of the Spanish company NOREL in the summer of 2016. The transaction added two probiotic animal nutrition products to Evonik's feed amino acids portfolio: Ecobiol (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) for broilers and Fecinor (Enterococcus faecium) for piglet breeding. More products are expected to follow.

Probiotics are living microorganisms, which are administered with the feed and have been proven to show health-promoting effects in the gastrointestinal tract of people and animals. They play an important role in livestock breeding as natural alternatives to antibiotics and antibiotic growth promoters.

“We aim to offer the most comprehensive range of solutions for healthy and sustainable animal nutrition by including probiotics,” Auer said.

Evonik’s Animal Nutrition Business Line has over 60 years of experience in the manufacture of essential amino acids and provides solutions for efficient and sustainable animal nutrition to customers in more than 100 countries. Evonik wants to make an even greater contribution to the efficiency of animal feed by supplementing its portfolio with innovative feed additives beyond amino acids in order to create additional value for its customers.