KENT® NUTRITION GROUP BRINGS BREAKTHROUGH PROBIOTIC TO POULTRY INDUSTRY
MUSCATINE, Iowa (August 5, 2025) — ARGIS™, KENT® Nutrition Group’s novel Bacillus-strain probiotic, discovered by researchers at the University of Arkansas Experiment Station, will be available commercially due to a recent distribution partnership with Life Products, Inc. of Norfolk, NE.
“We’re proud to partner with Life Products, Inc., a family-owned company that embodies similar core values as KENT. We are particularly excited to work with Kyle Teague, one of the lead researchers behind ARGIS™,” said Kale Causemaker, Sr. Director, KENT® Nutrition Group, Innovative Solutions. “ARGIS™ is an exciting nutrition technology because it helps animals utilize indigestible carbohydrates found in soybean meal, the primary protein source in poultry diets.”
One of the significant benefits of ARGIS™, which was selected for its robust and diverse enzyme production in the gastrointestinal tract, is its potential to eliminate the need to use multiple, individual exogenous enzymes produced from genetically modified fermentation organisms. This Bacillus-strain probiotic has also proven to be heat tolerant and viable in lower pH environments.
The ARGIS™ Bacillus strain was isolated and characterized by former post-doctoral researcher Kyle Teague under the co-advisement of Billy Hargis, distinguished professor of poultry science and Samuel Rochell. Teague is now the director of poultry nutrition at Life Products, Inc., in Nebraska, and Rochell is now an associate professor of poultry nutrition at Auburn University.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see a research project I contributed to now making a real-world impact,” said Kyle Teague. “ARGIS™ is another probiotic innovation which can help improve gut health and efficiency with potential feed cost savings.”
This partnership brings cutting-edge probiotic technology to market, as producers seek more sustainable, cost-effective ways to optimize feed efficiency and gut health, ARGIS™ is poised to become a game-changer for the poultry industry. Contact KENT® Nutrition Group or Life Products to learn more.
About KENT WORLDWIDE™
Since 1927, KENT WORLDWIDE™ has been guided by a deep commitment to animal care, human nutrition, and doing what’s right — values that have shaped its evolution into a globally diversified company. Today, KENT WORLDWIDE™ is a recognized leader in the manufacture and marketing of ag-based specialty ingredients and trusted consumer products.
About Life Products, Inc.
Life Products, Inc, a division of Vit-E-Min Company, is a Nebraska-based agricultural company manufacturing animal probiotics, forage inoculants, and livestock health products since 1971. We have been meeting the industry’s needs with quality, innovative products for livestock backgrounders, cattle feed yards, cow/calf operations, dairy operations, equine, swine, poultry, small ruminants, companion animals, and aquaculture.