25 Modernisation
Seaweed in animal feed
Ar bezhin hag ar boued chatal
Incorporated into the feed of cattle, poultry, pigs or fish, seaweed is used to improve the health and performance of livestock.
It is recognised as contributing to:
- strengthening the immune defences;
- digestive balance;
- better growth of the animals;
- reducing certain antibiotic treatments.
Brittany plays a major role in this field thanks to several innovative companies. In the Morbihan, Olmix has been developing natural seaweed-based solutions for animal nutrition and welfare since 1995. At Saint-Malo, TIMAC AGRO works on animal nutrition solutions inspired by marine resources and biotechnology.
Their rate of incorporation into feed remains limited: they are used above all as a supplement to improve nutritional quality. Rich in proteins and good fatty acids, they help to reduce reliance on soya or fish meal. Some reservations nonetheless remain: their high iodine content and the possible presence of heavy metals call for caution.