Abstract:
In 2006, the European Union, Switzerland and other countries around the world banned the use
of antibiotics as growth-promoters (AGPs) in poultry feed. This is due to the fact that excessive
use of AGPs would generate antibiotic resistance at dangerously high levels. compromising the
capacity to treat common infectious diseases in humans such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, sepsis,
... This fact implies the urgency of banning the use of AGPs in poultry farms and the obligation
to substitute them with alternatives that can match their effects in terms of growth performance
but also can improve intestinal health such as Zinc. In fact, Zinc in organic or inorganic form has
multiple effects, like improving growth parameters in broilers and production in layers and
breeders, stimulating the immune system and maintaining the balance of the intestinal
microbiota. Zinc is thus a broad-spectrum substitute for AGPs in poultry and its potential should
be further explored.
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