Delacon

Delacon Biotechnik GmbH

Type	Private
Industry	Agriculture, Feed Additives
Founder	Helmut Dedl
Headquarters	Steyregg, Austria
Area served	Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, Latin America, Africa
Key people	Helmut Dedl (President) Markus Dedl (CEO)
Products	Phytogenic Feed Additives
Subsidiaries	Delacon France SAS Delacon Biotechnik Belgium Delacon Biotechnik Germany Delacon Biotechnik Czech Republic Delacon Biotechnika Hungary Delacon Polska Delacon Biotechnik Russia Delacon Biotechnik Slovensko Delacon Biotechnik Shanghai Delacon Biotechnik India Delacon Biotechnik Malaysia Delacon Biotechnik Philippines Delacon USA Delacon Costa Rica
Website	delacon.com

Delacon Biotechnik Ges.m.b.H. is a multinational feed additive^[1][2] company headquartered in Steyregg, near Linz, Austria. Delacon manufactures and sells feed additives, conducts primary and applied agricultural research, and offers consulting and testing services in ammonia reduction. The company pioneered the development of phytogenic^[3] feed additives in the 1980s and is the world's largest producer and distributor of these products.

Delacon operates a production facility in Steyregg, Austria, markets products and services in 45 countries, and conducts primary and applied research in facilities in the European Union and globally. Main markets are Central and Eastern Europe, the US, China, Japan and South Korea.

History

Helmut Dedl
Founder and President

• 1984 Phytogenic feed additive research begins in Austria
• 1988 Delacon Biotechnik Ges.m.b.H. is founded in Steyregg, Austria, and the production facility is opened
• 1990’s After the fall of communism Delacon expands into the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
• 2001 Microencapsulation Technology is introduced into Delacon products
• 2002 Delacon is being certified ISO 9001:2000 and the HACCP concept is implemented.
• 2003 Delacon expands into Asia and Pacific. GMP-13 quality certification is received. Products are organic farming certified under EU Regulation 2092/91
• 2004 Foundation of Delacon Poland
• 2005 Production facility enters first phase of expansion to meet increasing demand
• 2006 Delacon organizes the Performing Nature Symposium for the first time.
• 2009 The second edition of the Performing Nature Symposium is held on the Greek island Crete.
• 2010 Handing-over of management to Markus Dedl and founding of Delacon China
• 2011 Performing Nature Research Center opened in the Czech Republic.
• 2012 FRESTA ®F, is approved for use by the EU, and is the world’s first and only proven phytogenic zootechnical feed additive. Production facility enters second phase of expansion. Research activity is expanded with the creation of the Innovation and Research Division.
• 2013 Delacon celebrates its 25th anniversary along with a further enlargement of the production facilities, enabling that capacities are tripled. After facing a record year in terms of market demand, the Delacon team is growing steadily around the globe.
• 2014 Delacon hosts its third edition of the Performing Nature Symposium, featuring more than 350 guests, including customers, distributors, leading scientists, economists and industry leaders of the feed sector. Despite holding the biggest event in the company's history, Delacon also introduces a new corporate design at EuroTier 2014.

Regulatory affairs

On Feb 15, 2012 the European Union announced^[4] the registration of a Delacon product as an approved zootechnical feed additive for weaned piglets. This regulatory category is restricted to products whose performance claims are tested and proven, through an exacting safety, quality and efficacy evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority, the European Union Reference Laboratory, the EU Commission and 27 EU Member States. This product^[5] is the first phytogenic product in the world to meet the standards of proven performance set out by European Union regulators.

Innovation and research

Delacon researchers developed a new class of phytogenic feed additives in the 1980s, establishing the de facto industry standard. Delacon currently conducts primary and applied research in a number of facilities globally and within the European Union. The focus of global research is on the reduction of gas emissions^[6] such as ammonia and methane; evaluation of feed practices; improving production performance and economics; and improving animal welfare. Trials are conducted in company facilities and in a number of universities around the world.

Research Center

To meet a growing internal and external global demand for high quality controlled test facilities, Delacon developed and built an applied research trial station.^[7][8][9] Opened in 2011, the facility includes automated feeding system, a broiler feedlot, layers, climatic chambers, and a laboratory. The facility will be expanded to include swine nursing, fattening and breeding components. The main focus of trial station research is to evaluate new phytogenic substances, product applications, and performance outcomes (with a focus on digestion and growth improvement, disease prevention and reduction of environmental pollution.^[10] A part of the facility’s capacity is allocated to third party trials. The Delacon Performing Nature Research Centre is located in Stošíkovice na Louce, Czech Republic.^[11] Other Delacon facilities are located in Linz, Austria, and Sumperk, Czech Republic.

References

Further reading

"Safe and Effective Phytogenics", International Pig Topics, Volume 27 Number 3

Martin Veit, "Synergistic combination of phytogenic agents for profitable milk production", International Dairy Topics, Volume 8, Number 3

Karola R. Wendler, "Fresta F: The first performance enhancing phytogenic product registered as a zootechnical feed additive", Feed Compounder, April 2012

Karola R. Wendler, B.Z. de Rodas, B. Miller, R. Walker, D. Nelson and J. Marin-Guzman "Effects of the phytogenic feed additive FRESTA® F in nursery pigs", Proc. Soc. Nutr. Physiol. (2006) 15

Elinor McCartney, “The natural empire strikes back”, International Poultry, January 2002

External links

• Official website