Abstract
Antimicrobials in animal feed have been used for a long time as a standard supplement in the intensive farming of livestock. In recent years, however, some of the antimicrobials have been banned by statute. Therefore, the use of probiotics in the animal farming industry, is expected to become economically viable, as a potential alternative to antimicrobials, because of their positive effects on animal health and growth performance. It is required that new product development in this field makes cost-benefit calculations in addition to scientific research concerning the physiological effects of probiotics and their mechanisms. In this context, the market trends of feedstuffs and the animal products, and the environmental impact of animal farming should be studied for each type of products. Probiotics are expected by farmers to raise the quality of their products which may further contribute to the economic benefit of the farm, and it will be difficult to increase the adoption rate of probiotic goods in the animal industry, if they do not meet all the economic requirements of the farmer. In addition to the economic aspects, further scientific research should be conducted of the mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of probiotics for livestock. Farm animals are evolutionary very distant from common experimental animals, such as mice and rats, and it is difficult to generalize research evidence obtained from experimental animals to livestock.
