Biochar Cuts Back Campylobacter

Free-range chicken feed may get supercharged with biochar as an antidote for the Campylobacter bacteria, thanks to new findings from the Danish Technical University National Food Institute. 

Biochar backstory: Biochar is created with wood or other organic materials through a process called pyrolysis. Previous studies have shown benefits of adding biochar to chicken feed in laboratories, but those results have fallen short in farm conditions. 

Feed for food safety: The trial showed a nearly 80% decrease in Campylobacter in the free-range flock. Free-range poultry pick up Campylobacter from their environment and deliver it to the digestive systems of humans who eat infected, undercooked meat. 

Soundbite: “We demonstrate that it’s possible to achieve a significant reduction in Campylobacter in free-range chickens slaughtered at two months of age without finding adverse effects on their health. This is significant for production systems where chickens have access to outdoor areas, which typically increases their exposure to Campylobacter from the environment.” — Cristina Calvo-Fernandez, DTU PhD student. 

Where this goes: Researchers plan to continue studying ways to reduce Campylobacter in chicken, even outside of feed. They’re also hoping to unearth the reasons biochar works in the chickens’ microbiome.