ENZYMES IN THE ANIMAL-FEED INDUSTRY (REPRINTED FROM TRENDS-IN-BIOTECHNOLOGY, VOL 11, PG 424)

The increasing economic pressures currently being placed upon animal p roducers demand more-efficient utilization of low-grade feedstuffs. In addition, consumer awareness and new legislation require that any inc rease in animal production cannot be achieved via growth-promoting dru gs or other chemical substances. One increasingly popular approach to this problem is to supplement animal diets with hydrolytic enzymes in an attempt to aid the digestion and absorption of poorly available nut rients, or to remove antinutritional factors from the diet. Concerns r aised by this practice include the ability of such enzymes to survive processing temperatures and even the animals' digestive tract.