‘Healthy animal feed is the foundation for sustainable livestock’

"During the past five years Nutriad has experienced rapid growth and expansion,” says Erik Visser (43). He was recently appointed as the new CEO of Belgium based Nutriad, a firm that specialises in the development and production of palatants, mycotoxin binders, anti-oxidants and digestive health supporting products for the animal feed industry. Visser, who gained several years of international experience at chemical company Brenntag and lastly at Provimi, has numerous ambitions. “Our revised product range fits perfectly with the current developments in the market allowing the most efficient possible production of meat, fish, eggs and dairy products with a natural and safe animal feed.” According to Visser, Nutriad is able to make a useful contribution in the improvement of the natural health and well-being of livestock whilst ensuring optimum production performance. “We aim to provide solutions that best answer the demands to further reduce antibiotic use in our food chain.”

Focus on the animal
Nutriad last year achieved a record turnover (being a privately held company turnover figures were not released). The increase was realised via the sale of a broad spectrum of products in more than 80 countries. The basic sales consist of well-known products such as palatants, mycotoxin binders and natural anti-oxidants for the conservation of animal feed and animal feed materials. Next to that novel products that improve the digestive health and well-being of livestock complement the portfolio, such as specific plant extracts, slow-release butyrate and a combination of acids, medium chain fatty acids and bioactive compounds.

“Our business philosophy clearly focuses on the animal reaching optimal performance in the most natural way possible. This can only be achieved if the animal is completely healthy. Thus support nutritionists and breeders with our knowledge and specific products that help the animal to perform optimally with low feeding cost.”

The basis for sustainable livestock farming, according to Visser, definitely lies in animal feed and animal health. Only healthy animals can perform in line with their genetic potential and achieve maximum efficiency. Economic and environmental sustainability are the key drivers for future agriculture and animal production. Production efficiency has a major influence on the carbon footprint of our food. Visser values the proven effectiveness of the Nutriad products under various conditions. “There should not be any doubt about it. We perform numerous practical trials to enable us to not only supply a good product, but also to be able to advise our clients about its practical application and use.’’

Double the turnover
With the growth of the global population and the increase in wealth, demand for animal protein will rapidly increase during the next few years. To fulfil this need, an extensive increase in efficiency and sustainability of food production is required. “This means that the market for our products is growing,” says Visser. “Since we want to increase our market share, we will need to grow faster than the market. How much? We expressed the ambition to at least double our current turnover in the next five years.”