Partnership Develops Poultry Bacteriophage Solutions

The collaboration aims to reduce antibiotic reliance in poultry production by targeting bacterial pathogens.

Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Life Sciences

A macro view of a petri dish with a crystalline viral culture inside, representing biological pathogen research.
Phileo by Lesaffre and PhageLab have partnered to develop bacteriophage-based treatments, aiming to reduce antibiotic reliance in global poultry production. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you feel comfortable eating poultry treated with bacteriophage-based products to combat harmful pathogens?

Phileo by Lesaffre and PhageLab have formed a strategic partnership to develop bacteriophage-based solutions for the poultry industry. This research-stage collaboration aims to create targeted treatments for bacterial pathogens in livestock.

Why it matters

The partnership seeks to address antimicrobial resistance and enhance food safety in poultry production by leveraging virus-based biological tools. It combines industrial-scale feed additive technology with specialized pathogen-targeting research.

PhageLab brings 16 years of research in bacteriophage technology, which uses viruses to selectively eliminate specific bacteria. The partnership integrates this with Phileo’s global feed additive distribution network.

The players

Phileo by Lesaffre

A company specializing in microbial solutions for animal nutrition and health with a broad global market reach.

PhageLab

A research-focused entity founded in 2010 that develops targeted bacteriophage technology for animal health applications.

The details

Bacteriophages — naturally occurring viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria — are used here to target harmful pathogens in poultry. PhageLab employs bacterial diagnostics to identify regional bacterial threats, allowing for the development of customized phage treatments. This data-driven approach aims to reduce the reliance on conventional antimicrobials in the poultry supply chain.

Timeline

  1. PhageLab was founded in 2010.

  2. The strategic partnership was announced on October 30, 2026.

The Tech Race

This partnership marks a shift toward highly targeted pathogen control in the agricultural sector. It follows a growing industry trend of replacing broad-spectrum antibiotic use with precision biological interventions.

The poultry industry in Latin America will gain access to these targeted phage solutions first, with a global rollout planned for later dates. Livestock producers should watch for these products as potential tools to manage regional bacterial challenges without traditional antibiotics.

The takeaway

The move signals a significant effort to scale phage therapy for large-scale agricultural use. Stakeholders should monitor the initial performance results from the Latin American market rollout to gauge the viability of phages against conventional antimicrobials.

Further reading

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Source note: This article includes information reported by Feedstuffs.

Live Poll

Would you feel comfortable eating poultry treated with bacteriophage-based products to combat harmful pathogens?