Key Success Factors for the Development of Innovative Antibiotic Replacement Products to Accelerate Growth in Broilers

Abstract

The issue of drug-resistant bacteria and the ban on antibiotic growth has encouraged research into new additives for the broiler chicken industry, from the point of view of environmental, social, governance sustainability, and material sciences management. This study aimed to examine the newest innovative antibiotic replacement products using a mixed method of planning and development schemes. Firstly, the qualitative method was conducted to evaluate the voices of 15 key users to examine product composition through an engineering technique and the quality function deployment (QFD) method. A prototype was proposed, containing a combination of nutraceuticals, including medium-chain fatty acids, short-chain fatty acids, oregano essential oil, and sweet basil essential oil, delivered in drinking water and as a feed additive through nanostructure lipid carrier (NLC) technology. The quantitative research summarized the compositions in terms of improving the growth performance of poultry, based on 280 responses. By using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the key factors of a successful antibiotic replacement are that they should be standardized and must follow regulations, be perceived as easy to use, satisfy performance expectations, address industry concerns, be innovative, offer an appropriate product and physical characteristics to the farm, and be presented alongside sales opportunities and marketing. It is concluded that such a hybrid of product development and innovation will lead to novel and appropriate products in the marketplace.