Zinc oxide at medicinal level is banned in some European countries already and will be banned in all by 2022. A literature review clearly shows that, due to the multiple modes of action zinc oxide has, it cannot easily be replaced by a single alternative component; but at the very least, intestinal integrity and microbiome need to be addressed. Susanne Kirwan et al. of Kemin cover the review of the effects of high levels of zinc oxide, and the successful validation of a potential alternative under real farming conditions.