Animal husbandry industry faces challenges in terms of food security from consumers. Cattle production management will also be affected by the ban on antibiotics and growth hormones that may trigger diseases. So, use of natural additives is an alternative to producing better cattle products. This was said by Prof. Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, DAA., DEA, Dean of UGM Faculty of Animal Sciences in a National Seminar titled "Spirulina as Food and Feed Additives" on Wednesday (8/2). The seminar is a collaboration between the Faculty of Animal Sciences and n PT. Neoalgae Indonesia Makmur company.
According to Ali Agus, spirulina as cattle meat product booster is expected to be the solution and innovation to the use of cattle feed. "Basically, additives are non-nutrients that are added to ransom that can increase the efficiency of feed. It also increases acceptability and cattle health, hence increasing cattle productivity,” he said.
On the other hand, Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc from Faculty of Biology UGM said spirulina is a cyanobacteria in the form of blue-green algae. The popular term is arthrospira which is an organism between bacteria and micro-algae.
Eko saw that Indonesia is highly potential to develop spirulina as spirulina lives in the tropics and sub-tropics so it does not require high energy due to the abundance of available solar energy.
"Spirullina is interesting as it is not only used for food, but also supplements, drugs, cosmetics and energy. UGM has made use of it for various products, such as soap, cosmetics, biodiesel, and food supplement,” he said.
Dr. Slamet Wahjudi, S.H., MKn., MBA, commissary of PT. Neoalgae Indonesia Makmur, said producers of spirulina were mainly from subtropical countries. "Indonesia as a matter of fact can be pioneering to be the producers of micro-algae in Asean because Indonesia has abundant solar energy, appropriate temperature as well as non-productive lands,” he said.
PT. Neoalgae Indonesia Makmur develops spirulina for food products, slaughter cows, dairy cows, broiler chickens, vanamei shrimps, and koi fish.