Wine Waste Could Offer a Grape Way to Wean Chicken Farms Off Antibiotics

Key Takeaways

• 0.5% grape pomace matches zinc bacitracin in broiler growth
• Pomace reduces gut inflammation and improves feed conversion
• Fermented pomace variants boost villus surface and butyrate production
• Grape pomace repurposes wine waste, supporting circular agriculture
• Adoption could cut antibiotic use and lower poultry feed costs

Pulse Analysis

Antibiotic growth promoters have long underpinned intensive poultry production, boosting feed efficiency but also seeding the global antimicrobial resistance crisis. While the European Union, China and Brazil have banned these drugs, the United States relies on voluntary reductions, leaving the industry vulnerable to future regulation and consumer backlash. The search for viable, non‑antibiotic alternatives has intensified, with producers seeking solutions that preserve bird health, maintain growth rates, and keep feed costs in check.

A Cornell team led by Elad Tako tackled this challenge by testing grape pomace, the leftover skins, seeds and stems from winemaking, as a feed additive. In a controlled 42‑day study of 126 broilers fed a high‑fiber, inflammation‑inducing diet, a modest 0.5% inclusion of raw pomace lifted weight gain by 79% and restored feed conversion to levels seen with zinc bacitracin. Fermenting the pomace with Lactobacillus casei or Saccharomyces cerevisiae preserved its efficacy, with the bacterial‑fermented variant further expanding intestinal villi and raising butyrate production— a short‑chain fatty acid linked to reduced gut inflammation and improved nutrient absorption. Microbial analyses showed declines in pathogenic Klebsiella and Clostridium, mirroring the antibiotic’s impact.

Beyond the biology, the findings unlock a circular‑economy opportunity. The global wine industry generates millions of tons of pomace each year, much of which is discarded or composted at a loss. Redirecting even a fraction into poultry feed could create a low‑cost, sustainable additive while diverting waste from landfills. Scaling the approach will require field trials with commercial flocks and partnerships between winemakers, feed manufacturers, and poultry producers. If successful, grape pomace could become a mainstream, antibiotic‑free growth promoter, delivering economic benefits to farmers and a tangible step toward curbing antimicrobial resistance.