Dairy Producers’ Feed Efficiency Journey: IFF Introduces Omni-Bos™ PHY to Maximize Feed Value
IFF, a global leader in flavors, fragrances, health and biosciences, has announced the launch of Omni-Bos™ PHY, a novel phytase enzyme developed specifically to address the nutritional needs of dairy cattle. The new technology is designed to help dairy producers unlock more of the nutrients naturally present in feed, improve nutrient utilization and enhance overall feed efficiency.
Omni-Bos™ PHY will initially be introduced in the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific markets, giving dairy producers in these regions access to a technology aimed at extracting greater nutritional value from existing feed ingredients.
The launch comes as dairy producers worldwide face increasing pressure to improve productivity while controlling production costs and meeting sustainability objectives. Feed represents one of the largest operating expenses in dairy production, making the efficient use of nutrients an important factor in farm profitability.
Improving the Value of Existing Feed Ingredients
According to IFF, the development of Omni-Bos™ PHY is based on research examining how effectively dairy cattle utilize phytate contained in feed ingredients.
Phytate is a naturally occurring compound found in numerous plant-based feed materials. It can bind phosphorus and other nutrients, making them less available for absorption by animals. While phytase enzymes have been widely adopted in poultry and swine nutrition to help break down phytate and improve nutrient availability, their application in dairy cattle has historically faced limitations.
IFF says its research found that dairy cows may not completely break down the phytate present in their diets. As a result, some nutrients can remain unavailable to the animal and may ultimately be excreted rather than contributing to animal nutrition.
Omni-Bos PHY was developed specifically to address this challenge. By helping break down phytate under the digestive conditions experienced by ruminants, the enzyme is intended to make more of the nutrients already contained in feed available to dairy cattle.
“We believe the future of dairy nutrition is helping cows receive more value from the nutrients in their feed,” said Regina Cortada, vice president, Animal Nutrition & Health at IFF Health & Biosciences. “Our research challenged the long-held assumption that dairy cows fully utilize the phytate contained in feed. We found that phytate breakdown is often incomplete, leaving valuable nutrients unavailable to the animal.”
According to Cortada, Omni-Bos PHY was created to help address this nutrient gap while supporting feed efficiency, sustainability objectives and dairy producer profitability.
Designed for the Unique Needs of Ruminants
One of the key features of Omni-Bos PHY is that it was developed specifically for ruminant animals rather than adapted from phytase technologies traditionally used in monogastric species.
Dairy cattle have a complex digestive system that includes the rumen, where feed undergoes extensive microbial fermentation before moving through the rest of the digestive tract. These conditions create different requirements for enzyme performance compared with poultry and swine.
Ester Vinyeta, innovation director, Animal Nutrition & Health at IFF Health & Biosciences, said traditional phytase enzymes were not developed to operate under the specific digestive conditions of dairy cattle.
“Traditional phytase enzymes were not designed to withstand the unique digestive conditions of dairy cattle,” Vinyeta said. “Omni-Bos PHY was specifically developed for ruminants and is designed to remain active where it can unlock nutrients that would otherwise remain inaccessible.”
The company says this approach could allow dairy producers to obtain more nutritional value from existing feed ingredients without necessarily increasing the quantity of feed provided to animals.
Supporting Feed Efficiency and Nutrient Utilization
The ability to make greater use of nutrients already present in feed could have implications across several areas of dairy nutrition.
According to IFF, Omni-Bos PHY can help dairy cattle utilize more of the protein, phosphorus and minerals contained in feed ingredients. Improved nutrient availability could potentially reduce the need for certain supplemental nutrients, including supplemental phosphorus and protected amino acids, depending on the overall formulation of a dairy ration.
The technology may also support the incorporation of alternative protein sources into dairy diets by improving the availability of nutrients contained within feed ingredients.
For producers, more efficient nutrient utilization can contribute to improved feed efficiency and help maximize the value of every ton of feed purchased or produced on the farm.
At the same time, better utilization of dietary nutrients can contribute to environmental objectives. IFF reports that Omni-Bos PHY can help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus excretion, which are important considerations in efforts to reduce nutrient losses from livestock production systems.
Research Demonstrates Nutritional Benefits
IFF says Omni-Bos PHY underwent extensive evaluation during product development, including studies involving lactating dairy cows.
In one study, the enzyme reduced undegraded phytate in the abomasum by approximately 70% compared with a control diet. The abomasum is the fourth compartment of the ruminant stomach and plays an important role in the digestion of feed before it passes into the intestines.
Additional research involving lactating dairy cows demonstrated several nutritional effects associated with Omni-Bos PHY, including:
- Improved phosphorus digestibility
- Improved phytate digestibility
- Reduced nitrogen excretion
- Reduced phosphorus excretion
- Increased crude protein digestibility
- Increased calcium digestibility
Together, these findings indicate that phytase technology designed specifically for dairy cattle could play a role in improving the efficiency with which cows utilize nutrients supplied through their diets.
Addressing the Economic and Sustainability Challenges Facing Dairy Producers
The dairy industry is expected to continue expanding milk production during the coming decade, increasing the need for producers to balance productivity, profitability and environmental performance.
Global milk production is projected to grow by approximately 2% annually over the next decade, according to the information provided by IFF. As production requirements increase, producers are looking for ways to improve the efficiency of feed utilization while managing volatile input costs.
Feed efficiency has become an increasingly important consideration because feed is one of the largest expenses associated with dairy production. Technologies that enable animals to obtain more nutritional value from existing ingredients may therefore provide producers with additional tools for managing feed costs.
At the same time, reducing nutrient losses can contribute to more efficient resource use. Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential components of animal nutrition, but excess nutrients that are not utilized by animals can be excreted into the environment.
By improving the digestibility and availability of nutrients already present in feed, Omni-Bos PHY is intended to help producers take a more efficient approach to dairy nutrition.
Flexible Applications for Dairy Feed Formulation
Omni-Bos PHY is suitable for incorporation into several types of dairy feed systems. According to IFF, the enzyme can be used in concentrates, premixes and total mixed rations (TMRs).
This flexibility allows the technology to be incorporated into different feeding programs depending on farm practices, feed formulations and nutritional requirements.
For dairy nutritionists and producers, the ability to integrate the enzyme into existing feed systems could provide another option for optimizing diets without requiring a fundamental change to the overall feeding strategy.
IFF’s development of Omni-Bos PHY reflects a broader focus on using bioscience and enzyme technologies to improve the efficiency of animal nutrition. Rather than relying solely on additional feed inputs, the approach focuses on improving how effectively animals utilize nutrients already present in their diets.
Advancing the Future of Dairy Nutrition
The introduction of Omni-Bos PHY represents IFF’s latest effort to apply biotechnology to challenges facing modern animal agriculture. By targeting phytate degradation under ruminant digestive conditions, the company aims to help dairy producers capture more nutritional value from existing feed resources.
The potential benefits extend beyond individual nutrient digestibility. Improved nutrient utilization can support feed efficiency, potentially reduce the need for certain supplemental nutrients and decrease nitrogen and phosphorus losses.
For producers operating in markets where feed costs, resource efficiency and sustainability are increasingly important, technologies that improve the nutritional value of existing feed ingredients could become an important component of modern dairy feeding programs.
With its initial launch planned for the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, Omni-Bos PHY is positioned to provide dairy producers in these regions with a new tool for optimizing feed utilization and supporting more efficient dairy production.
To learn more about Omni-Bos PHY, visit IFF’s official product information page.
About IFF
IFF (NYSE: IFF) is a global company focused on flavors, fragrances, health and biosciences. The company combines science, creativity and technology to develop innovations for a wide range of markets and consumer products.
Through its work in biosciences and animal nutrition, IFF develops technologies intended to support improved nutrition, resource efficiency and sustainable production. The company’s animal nutrition portfolio focuses on solutions that can help producers improve animal performance while addressing economic and environmental considerations across livestock production systems.
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