Rehulisäaineet

Rehulisäaineet, often translated as feed additives, are substances intentionally added to animal feed to improve its nutritional value, enhance animal health, or improve the efficiency of feed production. These additives can serve a variety of purposes, including promoting growth, improving digestion, preventing diseases, and enhancing the quality of animal products like meat, milk, and eggs.

The use of feed additives is regulated in many countries to ensure animal and human safety, as well as environmental protection. Regulations typically cover the approval of additives, their maximum inclusion levels in feed, and labeling requirements. Common categories of feed additives include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, and coccidiostats.

Vitamins and minerals are essential micronutrients that are often added to ensure a balanced diet for animals, especially when feed ingredients may be deficient. Enzymes can be added to break down complex carbohydrates, proteins, or phytates, making nutrients more digestible and reducing the excretion of phosphorus. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host by improving the gut microflora. Prebiotics are non-digestible feed ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Antioxidants help prevent the degradation of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in feed, preserving nutritional quality and palatability. Coccidiostats are a type of veterinary drug used to prevent or treat coccidiosis, a parasitic disease affecting the intestinal tract of many animal species. The selection and use of feed additives are based on the specific needs of the animal species, their age, production stage, and the composition of the basal diet.