INDICATOR

New packaging - more about our smoked salt on page2

Olsson’s are excited to announce the re-branding of the salt range. Nostalgia has informed this new incarnation of our salt livery by resurrecting the original simple bull’s head logo and the original font from the 1960’sIn 1964 Norman Olsson adopted the “drakkar” (Viking ship) as

the logo for the salt brand to

r e f e r e n c e his Nordic h e r i t a g e . At the same time

the logo for our livestock

nutrition products was a viking helmet.As the years went by the viking helmet morphed into a bulls head and in the late 1990’s the drakkar

was replaced with the current logo and the same bulls head and

r i b b o n device has s e r v e d both the blocks and salt since that time.

The new design of the salt packaging has been informed by taking the stripes from the sails of the original viking ship logo. These stripes will be applied to the body of the salt packaging along with the Olsson’s name in the original font and the simplified bull’s head logo. The colour identifying

each grade of salt will remain the same and be standardised throughout all packaging sizes to make their identification simpler.These changes will be rolled out over the next 18 months. Our first packaging that incorporates

some of these re-branding changes is our newly launched Red Gum Smoked Salt. The design is simple and nostalgic and looks great in any kitchen.

OLSSON’S NEW RE-BRAND

Issue 36 Autumn 2017

Charlie Costelloe (Pialligo Estate Smokehouse), Alex Olsson (Olsson’s Sea Salt) Ross Lusted (The Bridge Room)

After three years in consultation with The Bridge Room’s Ross Lusted, Olsson’s Salt is proud to launch their Red Gum Smoked Sea Salt made in collaboration with Pialligo Estate Smokehouse in Canberra.

Smoked salt has been a favourite Scandinavian seasoning for centuries, dating back to the time of Vikings who infused sea salt with smoke from native wood fires. The Olsson family has continued this proud Nordic tradition by smoking their Australian sea salt flakes, from South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, over native river red gum (eucalyptus camaldulensis) for 72 hours in the traditional northern European style at Pialligo Estate Smokehouse, Canberra. The smoking results in a unique salt enhanced with the aromatic and complex characteristics of the Australian red gum wood.

Alexandra Olsson said: “Ross and I experimented with many types of different wood over time but eventually we settled on our native river red gum. And of course Charlie Costelloe, our friend from Pialligo Estate Smokehouse, was the natural choice for this collaboration.

The three of us had a lot of fun getting it right.”

Ross Lusted continued: “The native gum produces a slower burn with lots of smoke, that in turn, imparts this beautiful smokiness to the salt. At The Bridge Room, I’ve been using it in a few dishes. I love that it’s a uniquely Australian product.”

Olsson’s Red Gum Smoked Sea Salt adds a rich, smoky flavour to everything from meats, poultry and seafood to salads, soups, sauces and vegetables.

Olsson’s officially launched the Redgum Smoked Salt on the 9th

August 2016 at The Bridge Room

Sydney, with Ross Lusted (The Bridge Room) & Charlie Costello (Pialligo Estate Smokehouse). With a custom menu created by Ross, our guest enjoyed every course which

were infused with the delicious Redgum Smoked Salt.

Olsson’s Red Gum Smoked Sea Salt is available for RRP$19 (90g) at selected quality purveyors nationally including:

ACT: IGA Ainslie (deli dept); Mart Deli, Fyshwick markets; Food lovers store, Belconnen Markets

NSW: Harris Farm,Vic’s Meat Market, Pyrmont; Fourth Village Providore, Mosman; The Essential Ingredient ; Rozelle; Avalon Meats, Avalon; www.gourmetgroceronline.com.au

VIC: Spring Street Grocer, Melbourne City; Skinner & Hackett, Carlton North; Hagens Organic Butcher, Prahran Markets; Oasis Bakery, Murrumbeena

QLD: Go Vita, Newstead; Belmondo’s Organic Market, Noosaville

OLSSON’S RED GUM SMOKED SALT

From Left: Nick Gorman (Yarra Valley Caviar), Ross Lusted (The Bridge Room), Alex Olsson (Olssons) & Pierre Issa (Pepe Saya)

Ross Lusted (The Bridge Room) creating his signature Redgum Smoked Salt dish

Smoked Salt launch table setting

OLSSON’S TAKE ON TASTE PORT DOUGLAS 2016

SEA SALT FLAKES WIN COVETED DELICIOUS AWARD

At the start of December, we had some fantastic news with confirmation that Harris Farm stores in NSW would be stocking Olsson’s Gourmet Sea Salt range.

Harris Farm is a Family owned chain of 25 premium grocery stores in locations all over Sydney and NSW specialising in fresh produce and locally sourced groceries. They loved the Olsson Sea Salt story and the fact that we are a family owned Australian company with a locally produced product. We are excited by this partnership and it is a great opportunity for Olsson’s to be able to work with a respected company that has a similar ethos to our own.

For store locations visit www.HarrisFarm.com.au Custom made stands in the Harris Farm stores that hold our Macrobiotic Salt & Sea Salt Rubs

We’ve always known our sea salt flakes were special and it’s truly humbling to know that our peers think so too.

My father Charles was mentored in the ancient tradition of salt making at Les Salins du Midi, Languedoc, and was determined to make a sea salt flake in the French tradition which sees a delicate flat flake rather than a pyramid shaped flake.

It took him over ten years to perfect this process and I think the care and attention to detail that has been put into the development of our sea salt flakes has been evident to the food industry professionals in Australia since its launch in 2012.

Winning this prestigious award means so much to my father. He has been making salt for over 40 years and this is a long-hoped for and much deserved “pat on the back” for his decades of service to the salt industry in Australia.

Olsson’s Tiffany sharing her knowledge at our Salt Masterclass

The weekend that was… TASTE PORT DOUGLAS!

We were so proud to be sponsors of Taste Port Douglas - Food & Wine Festival again with Olsson’s Salt Sessions going all weekend.

We had sessions on Thai Fruit Carving by Gitta Melon as Anything - Byron Bay, The Filthiest Martini (our version of a dirty martini) by Mt Uncle Distillery, a mini workshop on fermenting by Wild About Fermenting, delicious wine tastings with MadFish Wines and of course an Olsson’s Salt Masterclasses by our own fabulous Tiffany Bennett!

A BIG thank you to Reina & Spencer Patrick from Harrisons Restaurant Port Douglas for allowing us to be part of Taste Port Douglas, to all the AMAZING people we met along the way and last but not least the people who constantly support what we do!

We are already so excited about doing it all again in 2017!

OLSSON’S GOURMET SEA SALTS NOW STOCKED IN HARRIS FARM STORES NSW!

FRESH SALTY EYRE - CHEF’S TOUR OCTOBER 2016

Tasting Australia has become one of Australia’s most anticipated culinary festivals and our calendar year wouldn’t be complete without inclusion in this fabulous celebration of South Australian produce. Past years have seen us included in Team Eyre Peninsula but this year we’ve gone a step further and have introduced to the festival the Olsson’s South Australian Producer Sessions. These sessions will showcase a delicious program of South Australian producers as they demonstrate their craft and share their trade secrets. These sessions will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and learn from the artisans themselves, second only to being personally invited into their workshops and kitchens. Sessions will last one hour over the weekend of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th May 2017. It is a not-for-profit event with a maximum of 12 people per session. You’ll need to get in early for this one.

www.tastingaustralia.com.au

Our line-up for this event includes:

• Cleanseas Hiramasa Kingfish workshop with Chef Nick Finn (2KW Bar & Restaurant Adelaide)

• Boston Bay Smallgoods Workshop with Jason Stephenson

• LEARN TO CHURN Dairy and Butter Masterclass with Pepe Saya and Fleurieu Milk Co

• The Filthiest Martini with Applewood Distillers and Coriole

• Cowlings Certified Organic * Cherry Vinegar Pickling Workshop with Chef Ben Sommariva (The General Kitchen, McLaren Flat)

TASTING AUSTRALIA 2017 - SOUTH AUSTRALIA

In October 2016 we flew a fantastic group of chef ’s to our salt works near Whyalla on a private charter flight to begin our Fresh Salty Eyre tour starting at Olsson’s Salt. The group were taken on tours around False Bay Tidal Beach, the salt works and flaker pans where they were able to pack their own delicious carton of fresh sea salt flakes. Then a quick flight to Port Lincoln for dinner hosted by Boston Bay Winery using some of the best seafood on the planet, all locally sourced.

Monday, what a day! We were taken on an aquaculture tour with EP Seafoods, Kinkawooka Mussels &

Cleanseas (the Hiramasa Kingfish legends), followed by a private lunch hosted by the amazing Kris Bunder of Del Giorno’s Restaurant.

To finish off our trip we had a final farm tour with Jason Stephenson of Boston Bay Smallgoods where we learned about their natural bush grazing system that produces some of the best pork in Australia, the perfect way to conclude this paddock to plate experience.

We would like to thank everyone involved with the tour and also to our amazing chefs who attended!

OLSSON’S GRILLED SEA SALT PINEAPPLE RECIPEGrilling pineapple caramelises the natural sugars and gives a beautiful smoky flavour. Adding salt intensifies this flavour and works perfectly with the sweetness of the pineapple

INGREDIENTS• Fresh Pineapple• Cooking Oil (Canola works well as it is flavour neutral)• Olsson’s Sea Salt of your choice

METHOD1. Preheat BBQ or Grill plate to Medium/Hot2. Cut pineapple into thick (1cm minimum) wedges3. Toss cut wedges in small amount of oil and a pinch of salt4. Grill pineapple to well coloured on each side5. Sprinkle with Olsson’s Sea Salt to taste(We used Sea Salt Flakes, Smoked

Salt and Macrobiotic Salt)6. Serve by itself or with Vanilla Ice-Cream Matt Gee from Olsson’s Sea Salt at the Gault & Millau 2017 Guide

Launch

Olsson’s was proud to be chosen as one of a select group of producers to exhibit at the launch of the Gault Millau 2017 restaurant guide in Melbourne. Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes are on the tables and in the kitchens of many of Australia’s finest restaurants. The Gault Millau guide was developed to focus more on nouveau cuisine rather than the more traditional haute cuisine covered by the Michelin Guide. For the night we chose a tropical theme and served barbecued pineapple with a liberal sprinkling of our beautiful sea salts to a room packed with Australia’s top chefs.

OLSSON’S AT 2017 GAULT & MILLAU RESTAURANT GUIDE LAUNCH

This is our Olsson’s Australian Sea Salt Collection: small sample tins with our entire range of salts. It’s very common for chefs to use a variety of salts in their kitchen, not just because of varying taste profiles, but also because of textural differences. Chefs and restauranteurs might use our “Fleur de Sel” Sea Salt

Flakes as a finishing salt or on the dining table, our Rock Sea Salt for salting water or our high marine mineral Macrobiotic Sea Salt for brining or curing. And let’s not forget salt used in cocktail

bars: we recommend our Blossoms Sea Salt Flakes for salting the rim of glasses because of its delicacy and large surface area which give it greater “sticking” power.

So if you are a food service professional and would like to sample our range in this beautiful and convenient collection, please contact us on info@olssons.com.au with your name, place of work and address.

SEA SALT COLLECTION FOR FOOD SERVICE PROFESSIONALS

If we accept that there is a level or plane of nutrition required by all ruminants to achieve normal cellular metabolism and, in fact, grow in accordance with our expectations, then we must also accept that this plane of nutrition has to be raised when the animal is pregnant and/or lactating.

Pregnancy, birth and lactation often take place during the colder winter months when pasture quality and sometimes quantity are compromised.

Critical therefore to a rising plane of nutrition is good quality pasture or the addition to the diet of a range of macro and micro minerals designed to offset the deleterious effect to the animal of consumption of pasture of a quality incapable of meeting the nutritional requirements of the pregnant or lactating ruminant.

Continued exposure to sub quality forages that are incapable of meeting the increased nutritional requirements of the pregnant ruminant results in a drop in the blood glucose level of the animal and triggers a brain response sensing that nutrition levels are way below that required to carry this pregnancy and the time is now to ABORT, rather than risk a deterioration to the health of the carrier of the foetus in the expectation that the body will try again later when conditions may be more favourable.

Even in situations where pregnancies are carried to term, the lack of nutrition during the pregnancy will result in a weaker than average mother at birth and certainly smaller and weaker offspring who, if they do survive, are subject to a depleted milk supply from day one. This effect will of course be exaggerated further in the case of twins or more where the difference between the required plane of nutrition and the available nutrition is even greater.

In a great and costly number of times death of the mother and offspring result from this lack of balanced nutrients whereas with the addition of targeted supplementation stock losses can be much reduced and greater than normal

healthy progeny resulting.

Olsson’s Lambli block is a breakthrough in supplementation for pregnant livestock. It contains Calcium, Phosphorus and by pass protein to offset the effects of consuming deteriorating pasture with little nutritional quality, and also Glycerol in either 10% or 20% quantities which will elevate a low blood glucose level in the mother and circumvent the brains response to abort resulting in healthy livestock gains through an appreciable rise in numbers and a measurable increase in income to your grazing enterprise.

Allan Ross

PRODUCT FOCUS

LAMBLI

Dustin Kemp from Merriment Pastoral Co.

Still from video of Dustin Kemp from Merriment Pastoral Co. “We’re up 5-10% on Autumn lambing & up to 20% on Spring lambing and the only difference has been the blocks” Go to www.olssons.com.au/blocks for full video

NEXT GENERATION MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION FROM OLSSON INDUSTRIESMineral Health Essentials + Copper & Mineral Health Essentials + Molybdenum is a breakthrough in Mineral & Trace Element supplementation to ruminants.

Mineral Health Essentials improves mineral delivery to bacterial flora, via better adsorption and availability of minerals. Olsson’s technical team have developed technology that allows the minerals to be adsorbed with cationic effect.

Cationic nutrients are known to be approximately 30% more available to the ruminant.

Mineral Health Essentials also increases habitat for bacterial flora in the rumen. A reduction in green season scours and general improved health will be evident when supplementing with Mineral Health Essentials.

The controlled release of minerals both macro & micro and the mineral availability makes this the best mineral & trace element

block manufactured by Olsson’s.

Available with copper for most applications or with molybdenum if heliotrope is prevalent.

Get the most from your trace mineral supplementation by using Olsson’s mineral health essentials range of blocks. Ask for it at your local Olsson’s stockist or email d.dwyer@olssons.com.au for more information.

AGFEST 2017 to be held at “ Quercus Park “ CAR-RICK TASMANIA , on Thursday 4th May , Friday

5th May and finishing on Saturday 6th May 2017Olsson’s will be located at Site # 814 in Eighth Avenue. On site will be Phill & Joan Mallinson from Olsson’s in Tasmania as well as David Dwyer from our Brisbane office to answer all your animal nutritional enquiries

with a full range on display.

Olsson’s will be having a special on pallet buys on blocks during Agfest saving over $250.00 per pallet

A full range of salt products will be on sale at the site as well as our new OPT OUTside Range of skincare

products (for humans, not for livestock).

UPCOMING EVENTAGFEST 2017 TASMANIA

Gourmet Sea Salt Price List ALL PRICES ARE IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS VALID TO 31.12.17 PRODUCT SIZE RRP QTY TOTAL Truffle Salt (available September – December) 50gm $20.00 Red Gum Smoked Salt 90gm $19.00 Sea Salt Flakes Cube Box 50gm $4.00 Sea Salt Flakes Kilner Jar 250gm $9.00 Sea Salt Flakes Cube Box 250gm $8.00 “Big Chilli & Garlic” Sea Salt Rub Kilner Jar 140gm $12.00 “It’s So Rosemary” Sea Salt Rub Kilner Jar 100gm $12.00 “Lemon Zest” Sea Salt Rub Kilner Jar 140gm $12.00 “Thyme & Oregano” Sea Salt Rub Kilner Jar 80gm $12.00 “The Great White” Sea Salt Rub Kilner Jar 140gm $12.00 “Wild Thing” Sea Salt Rub Kilner Jar 80gm $12.00 Sea Salt Crystals Carton 500gm $5.00 Rock Sea Salt Carton 500gm $5.00 Macrobiotic Fine Sea Salt Hessian Pouch 250gm $7.00 Macrobiotic Raw Sea Salt Hessian Pouch 250gm $7.00 Macrobiotic Rock Sea Salt Hessian Pouch 250gm $7.00 Macrobiotic Rock Sea Salt Grinder 150gm $8.00 OPT OUTside Sea Salt Soap 140gm $8.00 OPT OUTside Wonder Butter SPF15 100gm $12.00 OPT OUTside Wind & Sun Soothing Gel 80ml $10.00 OPT OUTside Lip Balm SPF15 10ml $7.00 OPT OUTside Calico Gift Bag (all 4 products) Various $37.00 SUBTOTAL Australia Post 5-10 business days (orders over $300 freight free) $10.00 TOTAL

Customer Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Delivery Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________

Town: _______________________________________ State: _________________ Post Code : ______________________

Phone: _____________________________________________ Fax : ____________________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________________________ Date: ________________________

Special Delivery Instructions: ____________________________________________________________________________

Please tick payment method. Please make cheques payable to: Pacific Salt Pty Ltd

�Cheque �Visa � Bankcard � Mastercard

Cardholder Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Card Number:________________________________________________________ Expiry: _________________________

Signature: ___________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________

ORDERS MAY BE MAILED, EMAILED OR FAXED TO:

Olssons Sea Salt (a division of Olsson Pacific Group). MAIL: PO Box 39, Guildford NSW 2161

Australia E: info@olssons.com.au F: 02 9632 9099 HOTLINE: 1800 804 096

The microbial communities inhabiting the alimentary tracts of mammals, particularly those of ruminants, are estimated to be one of the densest reservoirs of microbes on Earth.

Biofilms in the natural environment of the rumen of cattle and other ruminants are very complex entities that potentially consist of single to many hundreds to thousands of different microbial species that organise and complete their growth by degrading organic matter to short chain organic acids and in so doing increase their biomass. Both microbes (after digestion in the lower tract to amino acids) and short chain acids are absorbed and used as nutrients by the animal. In fermenting feed in the rumen many complex secondary plant compounds found in foliage are also degraded by the rumen microbes with the exception of some highly toxic compounds found in a variety of plants in pastures grazed by cattle and sheep.

There are real challenges in understanding how different bacteria in the rumen interact with their own and other species and leads to better understanding of the breakdown of plant organic matter and also plant secondary compounds (PSC) which may be toxic to animals or critical bacterial species in the rumen microbiota in particular.

The role of biofilms in ruminant digestion was summarized in the previous Indicator Newsletter (a digital copy of this newsletter is available on our web site www.olssons.com.au in the PRESS section). In the present article I will discuss how some deleterious

chemicals (often referred to as plant secondary compounds (or PSC) in pastures and shrub and tree leaves may be degraded in the rumen. However, a number of these PSCs are moderately to highly toxic. The best known are fluroacetate (also called 1080) and is present in some Acacia and also shrubs particularly in the western and northern pasture lands, mimosine in the imported shrub, Leucaena foliage and simplexin in the secondary plant compound in the herb Pimelea.

The principles I discuss may also be applicable to prevent toxicities from a wide range of deleterious compounds including mycotoxins produced by fungi growing on forage materials or endophyte toxins (ergot chemicals) produced by fungi growing within Perennial Rye Grass which causes staggers.

Herbivores including the ruminant have evolved to use many different sources of feeds, mainly lignocellulose plant components. Gut microbes have been especially important in the evolution of herbivory as a feeding strategy. In the last Indicator Newsletter I discussed how the rumen digestion relied upon biofilms of organised microbes. Here I discuss how, theoretically, many toxins are degraded in biofilms closely associated with the fermentative biofilms in the rumen. A major reason

many PSCs are toxic is that there is no niche in rumen microbiome where specialised microbes or probiotics that degrade them can actually establish.

Biofilms may be attached to living tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract cell wall including the rumen, fermentable materials such as solid organic matter in feed, inert materials which do not dissolve such as, clay minerals, charcoal and biochar which all have structures which expose a massive surface area relative to their weight and are recognised as providing sites for attachment of microbes.

Biofilms are the normal life style and 90-95% of microbes in any ecological niche including the rumen exist as biofilms. Structure, composition and function of biofilm communities are determined by synergistic (help each other) and antagonistic (prevent the establishment of another species of bacteria), interactions among components of the biofilms microbes. Despite the consensus that natural biofilms represent multi-species communities of diverse micro-organisms, studies to date have not considered what regulates biofilm functions particularly species interactions, that determine the dominant species within the rumen and how these respond to the diet and specifically to ingestion of toxic substances in the feed consumed by cattle and sheep. Biofilms may exclude or suppress specific organisms which do not have some form or function or where their presence antagonises the stable population by the production of toxic substances.

A major service provided to cattle and sheep by their rumen microbiota is the degradation of many but not all plant toxins. Plants have evolved to defend themselves against herbivory through the production of PSCs, which can act as toxins to other forms of life and may also be digestive inhibitors and diuretics. A further source of detrimental substances in feed for ruminants is the fungi that grow on or within plant materials and produce mycotoxins such as aflatoxin. A second

THE ROLE OF RUMEN BIOFILMS IN THE PREVENTION OF POISONING FROM TOXIC PASTURESBY EMERITUS PROFESSOR R A LENG AO, BSC, PHD, DRUR SCI , FASAP

NUTRITIONAL ADVISOR TO OLSSON INDUSTRIES

Pimelea

Biofilms

group of fungi that grow intercellular in some growing pasture plants, such as rye grass, are highly detrimental to the animal when consumed. About 90% of established Perennial Ryegrass is infected with an endophyte fungus known as Neotyphodium lolii. This naturally occurring fungus grows with in the plant, particularly in the leaf sheath and seed heads and produces a toxic alkaloid (ergot alkaloid) which causes staggers and death. Some tropical grasses also contain these same toxic alkaloids.

Ruminants have developed a number of physiological and behavioural strategies to overcome the challenges presented by PSCs and fungal toxins; they have the ability to recognise deleterious forages when they become unwell and thereafter avoid their consumption. They also consume non-nutritional materials such as clay minerals to apparently bind toxins which are then lost in the faeces. It has long been proposed that cattle and sheep may also have rumen microbes that degrade ingested toxins, thereby reducing the levels or often preventing toxins from being absorbed by the host. Many of the numerous toxic compounds produced by fungi are totally or partially detoxified by microbes in the digestive tract of ruminants and providing inert materials such as bentonite, biochar and charcoal, which form habitat or greatly increase surface area for the toxin-eating bacteria, has enhanced the protection.

It is proposed here that biofilms play a major role in the detoxification process for many PSCs provided the detoxifying microbes can establish in a suitable niche in the rumen, which is critically positioned in the rumen to rapidly take up and efficiently metabolise the many plant phytotoxins.

Mycotoxins are to some extent degraded

in the rumen without any support but it is recognised that protection from detrimental effects of mycotoxins is greatly enhanced by supplementing animals with materials that adsorb the toxins onto their surfaces and may be excreted unchanged. Clay minerals such as bentonite are known to remove many of the detrimental effects of the consumption of mycotoxins - contaminated feed. It has been assumed that adsorption of these toxins onto bentonite allows them to be removed by excretion in faeces. However, there are strong indications that the adsorption of the toxin onto an inert surface of bentonite provides a good niche where the detoxifying bacteria are enabled in their growth by biofilm formation and therefore the amount of the toxin that can be degraded.

The same logic as indicated above has been applied to explain why certain feeding strategies are adopted by wild animals and birds. For instance, monkeys in Zanzibar have learned to consume the local village fire charcoal to prevent poisoning when feeding on a toxic tree leaves and Macaws of Venezuela that feed on a most poisonous fruit at one part of the year and if fed in isolation immediately die a painful death but wild Macaws after feeding on the fruit immediately access bentonite deposits in river beds and are completely immune from poisoning.

If a toxin is bound by an inert material in the rumen and microbes are present in the rumen that detoxify/metabolise the toxin then it is likely that the toxin and microbe are brought together by the attraction of microbes to surfaces, where they embed themselves in extracellular polymeric substances (often referred to as slime) which protects the organisms and through close contact of microbe and substrate, efficiently degrades the toxin.

These biofilms may be separated from the major fermentative biofilm matrices on the feed particles. Thus the provision of small amounts of solid inert materials with large surface area to weight appears to immobilise (adsorbs) the toxin, preventing its absorption by the animal and at the same time provides a niche or habitat for the specialised organisms in biofilms that metabolise simple or complex molecules that

would otherwise, if absorbed unaltered, poison the animal.

The mechanisms suggested above for the detoxification of phytotoxins and other poisons in ruminal nutrition have been stimulated by much of the basic research and modelling carried out in highly specialised laboratories that mostly consider biofilm structures other than those from the gut of animals. This knowledge combined with anecdotal evidence/observations from managers of grazing properties who have accepted my advice to supplement with bentonite whenever an unknown deleterious material is apparent in ruminant feed supplies has provided evidence for many of the suggestions about livestock poisoning but there are increasing research which is now showing how complex the rumen is, in terms of its response to different feeds. The best example is the degradation of mycotoxins by rumen organism that is apparently enhanced by adding the inert clay mineral bentonite.

Some observations, which implicate the need for inclusion of inert materials with large surface areas to weight in a diet to counteract some toxic substances, are discussed below.

Generally in nature, toxic plant compounds in the soil do not build up and are largely degraded by soil microbiota. This indicates that cattle and sheep on pastures containing toxic plants are in continuous contact with these microbes that can detoxify the particular poisons. In many conditions the microbes can be cultivated and are usually a number of different species including microbes that grow anaerobically. I conclude from this that the detoxifying microbes from soil are capable of degrading toxins but there is a lack of a suitable niche in the rumen for them to proliferate. The conditions that provide such a niche are an unknown but a variety of inert particles (where biofilms can form) may provide that niche. It may be more complex than this since research has shown that rumen microbes obtained from animals that have never been fed toxic substances such as fluroacetate (1080 in gastrolobium shrub) or mimosine (toxic element in the shrub fodder leucaena) can be cultured with these poisons for long periods with repeated transfer

Biofilms

Professor R A Leng

through many generations in artificial rumen fluid develop the capacity to degrade the poison. This illustrates that the genes are present in the rumen bugs for the breakdown of both poisons mentioned. These same bugs under laboratory conditions were able to protect the animals from poisonings but when under practical conditions the animals quickly revert and are unprotected against the toxin.

A further suggestion that the lack of sufficient or particular microbial habitat in the rumen may be the reason for loss of protection of animals against some toxins, comes from the research which showed that an organism isolated from the rumen of goats in Hawaii could protect cattle from the toxin when grazing leucaena pastures in Australia.

Observations with leucaena toxins have shown that the degradation of the phytotoxins mimosine and its derivative, dihydoxy-pyridine in ruminants is geographically site dependent. Some areas of the world particularly where the soils are derived from volcanic ash (Hawaii) or limestone (Haiti) leucaena can be fed to full appetite in cattle and sheep without detrimental effects and the mimosine is totally degraded in the rumen. In other parts such as Iowa in the USA and Northern Australia and many parts of south East Asia, leucaena can only be used as a relatively small proportion of a diet without symptoms of poisoning. So there is something in the feed environment that appears to be different in different ecologically deferent grazing areas.

Historically, Dr Jones of the CSIRO found that inoculation of cattle with rumen fluid from goats in Hawaii appeared, in initial trials, to totally protect Australian cattle from any ill-effects of the toxins but with time and the spread of leucaena as a forage for grazing animals, it is now very evident

that there are places where protection by inoculation with toxin degrading microbes is complete and for life and this ability is passed on to the new born. However, surveys show that again between grazing properties there are some where no cattle poisoning occurs, some that show signs of sub-clinical poisoning in cattle such as poor growth rates and others where leucaena remains lethal. These observations strongly suggest that there is possibly a major difference in the associated feed available and that the differences in protection lie with the amounts of inert materials consumed by cattle under the different conditions.

Although untried I suggest that providing habitat forming materials in block licks may solve the conundrum and remove the need for repeated use of rumen inoculation or will allow leucaena production systems to proliferate in the areas where the inoculum appears not to be providing the protection that was initially obtained in the original research.

The hypothesis that I have developed is that by providing in the cattle feed solid surfaces from the inert materials will allow many different microbes to develop significant biomass in the rumen to degrade many of the toxins that are present in different forages. Considerable research is however, required to test the many forms that this should take but on-farm trials are urgently required. Olsson’s have already taken steps to develop management practices for doing this and the best methods for delivery of the potential biofilm enhancers. The Bentobite block lick is the first off the line of what will be a number of block licks providing biofilm enhancers.

Bentonite, activated charcoal and possibly biochars (?) have very high surface areas to weight ratio and also have been shown to bind or sorp (adsorb) high concentrations of, in particularly, the toxin fluroacetate. Further support for the concept that inert materials foster biofilm formation in the rumen critical for toxin degradation, has come from claims by German scientists that biochar and charcoal can prevent botulinum toxin from being absorbed (either by promoting its metabolism by the rumen microbiota or by binding and

excretion via faeces). This is of further high significance in the phosphorous deficient pastures within Australia where bone chewing is a major economic cost to the grazing industry.

In SE Asia, development of feed lotting of cattle on diets based on cassava root and foliage, which contain the toxin hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid) has shown that growth of cattle was increased by 25% by adding just 1% of the diet as rice husk biochar but there was also a major benefit in the reduction of the greenhouse gas methane produced by the animal.

Recently graziers in the Georgina region observed a significant decrease in poisoning in cattle by supplementing with bentonite and bentonite supplementation removed a serious problem of foot infections linked to water sites contaminated with blue green algae in Victoria.

Pimelea poisoning in cattle was a major economic problem in northern Australia in the past year and whist there was no response to supplying bentonite, graziers observed that where cattle accessed burnt areas they were seen to consume charcoal and in these groups no poisoning was recorded. This is again consistent with binding and metabolism in the rumen of the toxic agent, simplexin. Prolonged low-dose feeding of simplexin has also been shown to reduce death rates among cattle, and it is postulated, by the scientists that undertook the research, that the animals developed mechanisms for detoxifying simplexin, possibly through rumen microbial adaptations. Their conclusions are consistent with the concepts that with time the rumen can develop rumen processes that detoxify many SPCs and this is likely to be associated with, and enhanced by, provision of materials in their feed that provide increased solid surfaces for biofilm attachment. Olsson’s are actively researching the potential use of rumen biofilm-promoting supplements to be delivered through block licks.

Leucaena

OLSSON’S INSTAGRAM PHOTO COMPETITION

At Olsson’s Brisbane we have started constructing the frame for our new multi size press that will enable us to manufacture 20kg, 40kg and 100kg animal nutrition blocks.

By doing this we’ll be able to increase production by 70 to 100 tonne per shift.

The installation is estimated to be complete by April 1st 2017.

From the left Martyn sperling ( Machinary construction) Si Nguyen (Forman) Brendon Jennings (Construction team)

The revamped Olsson’s Photo Competition on Instagram is smashing it.

If you haven’t signed up yet, now is the time to unlock your creativeness and style your own photos with your four-legged friends and Olsson’s Blocks.

For those of you who are already addicted to Instagram, your obsession can now start paying dividends by entering the competition to win Olsson’s Merch Packs and go in the running to win the “PHOTO OF THE YEAR” (T&C’s below).

In case you missed this last time, Instagram is an online mobile photo and video sharing platform used by 300 million people worldwide. This super

easy mobile app is user friendly and guaranteed to be picked up in a few minutes. Here’s how:

• Download the ‘instagram’ app (www.

instagram.com) on your iPhone, Android or iPad.

• Sign up using the ‘Log in with Facebook’ button or simply enter in your email address and your name, then choose a username and password

• Search for @OlssonsBlocks then follow us… it’s now time to post your photos!

How to enter the competition?

1. UPLOAD your photo to your Instagram page

2. Choose a filter to enhance your image (OR NOT)

3. Tag us in your photo using the @OlssonsBlocks handle

4. Hashtag #olssonsblocks in your image

5. Publish it to your page

Terms & Conditions of Entry:

• Olsson’s will repost cool images that show livestock with Olsson’s animal nutrition products on our @OlssonsBlocks Instagram account.

• Suitable photos for reposting will show livestock with an Olsson’s animal nutrition product.

• The Olsson’s product must be clearly visible in the photograph.

• By tagging us in your photo, you give Olsson’s the right to use your photograph for advertising, marketing and/or promotional purposes (with credit of course).

• Each of these winning posts will receive

a great Olsson’s merchandise pack. We will direct message you on Instagram (top right corner of home screen) for your address details to send your

NB:The winner of the “Photo of the Year” will liaise with an Olsson’s representative regarding the requirements of Olsson’s Products needed on their property and will be able to collect their chosen products from the Olsson’s Reseller Store nearest to them.

WHAT’S NEW AT OLSSON’S BRISBANE FACTORY

NOOSA FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2016

We hope you’ve enjoyed Issue 36 of the Indicator NewsletterOLSSON INDUSTRIES PTY LTD PO Box 39, Guildford NSW 2161

FREECALL 1800 804 096 www.olssons.com.au

Noosa Food and Wine is one of our favourite food festivals in Australia. There are so many excellent restaurants and chefs and it’s always a joy to get the opportunity to support them in a format that’s fun and casual. Our salt was liberally sprinkled on many venues in and around Noosa including Ricky’s, Wasabi, Thomas Corner Eatery, Peppers Resort, Noosa Beach House, Miss Moneypenny, Season and The Boathouse, just to name a few. We’re looking forward to doing it all again in May 2017. If you haven’t booked your tickets yet, get on-line now before it sells out (We recommend ANYTHING hosted by Chef Ian Curley) www.noosafoodandwine.com.au