Finding alternatives to antibiotics

Since the 1940’s antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) are an integral part of livestock production. Although the precise mechanisms of growth promotion triggered by antimicrobial agents still remain unclear, their use as a supplement in feed has been a defining characteristic of modern livestock farming. Growing concerns about antibiotic resistant bacteria and their transfer from animals to humans has led to the ban of AGPs and the subsequent quest for alternatives. The industrialisation of liv