Poultry nutrition and the challenges associated with the residues of antibiotics in poultry meat

Duration of the project

01.02.2019. - 30.09.2019.

Countries and institutions involved in the project

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Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
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University of Hohenheim
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Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR

Aim of the project

Management and hygienic conditions are the main keys to produce poultry healthy meat with good quality. During the rearing of the animals many things can happen which may result in an impairment of the health of the animals. Here, diseases caused by bacteria are of main importance as they are treated with antibiotics. The most critical points are that antibiotics are widely used in poultry production and that most of these antibiotics are also used in human medicine. There the incidence of multi-resistant bacteria is continuously increasing and many people believe that this is mainly caused by the excessive use of antibiotics in animal production. Despite the use of antibiotics in animal production is continuously decreasing the incidence of multi-resistant bacteria in humans is still increasing. This development is also important for zoonotic bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter. This problem may, at least partly, be overcome by the use of phytogenic feed additives.

The aim of the proposed project is thus to elucidate the actual incidence of antibiotic residues in the countries of the project partners (Lithuania, Germany, Latvia). This knowledge is of interest as there are distinct differences in the management of the production.

Main activities of the project

The main activity of the project is to organize research visits to compare the production situation in the participating countries and to get an inside into the relevance of antibiotic resistant bacteria in poultry meat.

In the frame of the project, research visits will be organized in Germany, Lithuania and Latvia. The main objective is to exchange the knowledge between the researchers from the foreign countries and the researchers from the host institution. This helps to better understand the current situation in poultry meat production and the impact of antibiotic residues in poultry meat.

Target group and number of persons involved

Direct:

Lithuania:  Members of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (7 persons) and invited speaker (1 person) from the Food Institute of the Kaunas University of Technology (prof. habil. dr. Romas Gruzauskas).

Germany: Members of the Institute of Animal Sciences, University of Hohenheim (2 persons)

Latvia: Members of the BIOR of Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations (2 persons)

Indirect:

Lithuania: colleagues from the field of agriculture sciences, animal nutrition, food sciences, veterinary food safety students (50 persons)

Germany: colleagues from the field of agriculture, poultry nutrition, veterinary medicine, poultry health service etc. (5-10 persons).

Public events

  1. (04.-07.06.2019) Institute of Animal Sciences (University of Hohenheim) will organise a 4-days research visit in Stuttgart including scientific internship at the Institute of Animal Sciences, Stuttgart. Public event – 04.06.2019 seminar with keynote lectures (Prof. Dr. Ludwig Hölzle, apl. Michael A. Grashorn), scientific discussions (04.-07.06.2019) for senior scientists, and selection of poultry meat samples from the Germany poultry industry (04.-07.06.2019). Selected samples will be taken for the further analysis of the antibiotics residues at BIOR institute (Latvia).
  2. (24-27.09.2019) Lithuanian University of Health Sciences will organise a 4 day research visit in Lithuania and Latvia including scientific internship, scientific discussion and seminar between the Lithuania – Latvia – German partners. Public event – 24.09.2019 Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes 18, Kaunas, Lithuania; names of the speakers: Prof. Dr. Ludwig Hölzle, Prof. Dr. Romas Gruzauskas, senior researcher Dr. Modestas Ruzauskas, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Agila Dauksiene, including Lab research and scientific discussions).
  3. 25.09.2019 BIOR will organise scientific discussion, in Riga, Latvia Name of the speaker: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vadims Bartkevics.
  4. 26.09.2019 German language and cultural exchange, visit to Thomas Mann Museum in Nida, Lithuania.