First steps
Antioxidants are interesting molecules that allow to fight against oxidative stress and its undesirable effects. Their beneficial properties are well known in men as well as animals.
Oxidative stress is present during the whole lifecycle of livestock and has health and economic impacts (immunity weakening, lower meat quality…).
To answer to that issue, Nor-Feed studies, from 2003, the antioxidant potential of several plant extracts: green tea, rosemary and grape, by comparing it with vitamin E. In 2007, a trial carried out with the INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) confirms the grape extract great potential and marks the beginning of the Nor-Grape® Range.
First clients
Nor-Grape® allows to answer several problems encountered in breeding: compensation of oxidative stress, partial replacement of vitamin E, and improvement of meat quality. Quickly, Nor-Grape® settled into the antioxidant market and retained its first customers.
First botanical additive authorized, in its category, within the European Union
In 2016, the dry grape extract developed by Nor-Feed becomes the first botanical additive authorized, in the “2b” category , within the European Union.
This first time in animal nutrition was preceded by the positive opinion published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Scientific Committees in June 2016 and the evaluation of Nor-Feed methods of analysis by the European Reference Laboratory (EURL), in March 2016. The EFSA had stressed the efficacy and safety of the use of dry grape extract in animal feed.
Its guaranteed content of polyphenols of several types is particularly interesting for the industry stakeholders (premixers, feed manufacturers and animal farming). Many actors of the Animal Health & Nutrition industry are already using Nor-Grape 80 to “compensate for oxidative stress in animal farming” and “to bring water-soluble biological antioxidants“, using Nor-Feed publications to build their own claim dossier.
History goes on…
Grape extracts have been, for more than 10 years, an essential R&D topic at Nor-Feed.
A PhD-CIFRE thesis (industrial research agreement) is currently being conducted by a Nor-Feed member with the help of the SONAS laboratory (“Substances d’Origine Naturelle et Analogues Structuraux”) of the University of Angers.
Sold in more than twenty countries worldwide, it is entering the composition of more than 10 millions of tons of complete feed. It represents one of Nor-Feed scientific and commercial pillars. Numerous trials are being carried out to further confirm the benefits of the product in breeding.