LANXESS’s Gschwander talks about biosecurity in a rapidly evolving world
LANXESS is a strong supporter of the concept “clean first, disinfect second”
22 January 2025
3 minute read
By: Stefanie Gschwander, head of market segment biosecurity solutions, LANXESS, spoke to The Pig Site’s Sarah Mikesell at World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, US.
Can you tell us a little bit about LANXESS?
LANXESS is a global operating company based in Germany. We are a chemical company with around 16,000 employees worldwide, and LANXESS Biosecurity Solutions is one segment. We are mainly focusing on animal health through cleaning and disinfectants. We provide several solutions for whatever you would need in your animal health space.
Why is biosecurity so important?
With an ever-growing population and need for feeding that number of people, we need better ways of producing animals. We must also make production more secure, in light of COVID, for human beings. So, if you have a look at that concept of One Health, then you must cover not only human health but also animal health and their environmental health. It is becoming increasingly important to have a thorough biosecurity program to protect your animals but also in the end to protect human health. Animal health and human health are interconnected.
Tell our readers about some of the solutions that you offer to the swine industry.
Basically, we offer on a global scale a broad range of cleaners and disinfectants. We are a strong supporter of the concept “clean first, disinfect second.” It is a bit like washing your hands. You wash your hands first, and then you disinfect your hands. This is our strong focus. We provide a broad range of cleaners. We provide alkaline, acidic or neutral cleaners to really clean thoroughly, reducing bacteria and virus load significantly. Then a second step is to disinfect.
We have several solutions. For example, you could use GLUTEX® products, such as our GLUTEX® GQ1, TH4 or TH5 range. If we look at our global portfolio, our star product is Virkon® S, which has a quick contact time on African swine fever. It is the go-to product for most farmers on a global scale if they want to protect their animals from African swine fever.
If producers want to learn more about some of your solutions or your company, where should they go for more information?
We have our biosecurity solutions on our LANXESS web page. Also, we just recently launched our new LANXESS Biosecurity Solutions app. You can download it from Google Play Store or Apple App Store, and it gives you all the details of the products. It also offers you a calculator on how to use the product correctly.
Also, you can get push notifications on potential outbreaks in your region. You select a country where you are based, and then you receive information on outbreaks, such as African swine fever, avian Influenza, or whatever is needed. It also provides you with a contact form, so you can reach out to the salesperson in your area. It is your one, fits-all solution for your daily needs as a farmer or veterinarian.
