Probiotics in Modern Meat Production

Abstract

PROBIOTICS ARE defined as 'Growth-promoting factors produced by micro-organisms'. For the controlled nutri tion of farm animals reared under modern conditions, claims for the use of a commercial probiotic feed addi tive are described and discussed.

Meat production involving the confinement and hous ing of animals reaches far back into history especially in hostile winter climates. Even today, the henhouse, pigsty and cowshed are commonplace. With the growth of affluent societies in the First World, the demand for meat and meat products has markedly increased. This has led to the development of rearing and fattening methods for animals under controlled and continuous all-the-year-round housing conditions — the so-called factory farming.