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Yeast Culture Manufacturer Vi-COR(R) Expands Into Domestic Poultry Market

Vi-COR®, a manufacturer of specialized yeast culture products for poultry, swine and dairy feed, is launching a national print ad campaign in January 2011 targeted at growing a presence in the U.S. poultry market. The ads, running in industry publications, will feature Celmanax®, a unique yeast-based product ingredient that offers health and performance benefits to poultry.

Studies show that Celmanax benefits broiler (chickens sold for their meat) performance and gut health. "Celmanax added to the diets of broilers resulted in weight gain and improved feed efficiency," says Sangita Jalukar, Ph.D., Vi-COR microbiologist and immunologist. "Studies done where broilers were challenged with E. coli and Eimeria strongly indicate Celmanax can protect birds from E. coli and some Coccidiosis," says Jalukar.

Celmanax combines the benefits of yeast culture, yeast extract and hydrolyzed yeast into one convenient product. This all-in-one benefit will enable some poultry producers to decrease or eliminate the use of multiple products such as antibiotic growth promoters (AGP), immune enhancers and other yeast-based products. "We have conducted trials to compare the performance of Celmanax and AGP," explains Jalukar. "The results have been very good, with Celmanax performing as well as AGP." Celmanax is offered in three concentrations -- dry, liquid and SCP (soluble concentrated product).

While Vi-COR has been in the international poultry market for a decade, most of its domestic sales are to the dairy industry. The company is launching a poultry-focused ad campaign for the first time in the U.S. and enhancing its international poultry ads, which have been running for a number of years, with new research results.

Since entering the yeast industry in 1999, Vi-COR has focused on research and development of innovative products. Visitors to the company's web site, www.vi-cor.com, can learn about research trials involving dairy, poultry and swine. In addition to research and innovative products, Vi-COR also focuses on education. Milk To The Max® is the company's free bilingual education program for customers. The program has proven especially beneficial to dairy producers with somatic cell count issues.