The Global Miller: April 2016

April 29, 2016

29/04/2016: 150 years of doing things the Wright way

by Andrew Wilkinson, Milling and Grain

First published in Milling and Grain, March 2016

Milling and Grain magazine were recently the guests of G R Wright and Sons Ltd at their mill in Ponders End, near the town of Enfield in North East London. The Wright family have occupied the site at Ponders End for over 150 years. However, the Doomsday Book shows a mill on the site as far back as 1087.

On the approach to Wright’s mill along the Lea Valley Road, you would be forgiven for thinking that the mill occupied its very own island; a trick of the eye that owes much to the presence of the various roads and the River Lea itself, that for so many years provided the power that established this location as an idyll for centuries of milling.

The small conurbation of buildings on the site almost provide a visual historical account of the evolution of the mill, from the very old miller’s house, right up to the brand new 12,000 square foot packaging warehouse. Each building on the busy site represents a stage in the growth of the company, providing visual proof of how the Wright family have anticipated and adapted to change successfully, throughout the duration of their occupation of the site at Ponders End.

https://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1603_w1/50

Milling
We started in the wheat silo where incoming grain is received, cleaned, conditioned and blended for milling using Bühler plant, including Bühler MYFB damping equipment. The company uses UK grown Solstice breadmaking wheat traceable to the point of origin under the Red Tractor and TASCC assurance schemes.

Wrights are very well located with much of the UK’s wheat grown in nearby East Anglia and Kent, which is where the company sources much of its grain. In addition Wrights also use a large proportion of Canadian grain because of its unique quality, which works very well for the craft and artisan bakers in the country.

Having easy access to the Tilbury docks is also has a distinct cost and logistical advantages. The company produces a range of flours from all UK wheat based with differing blends of UK and Canadian up to 100 percent Canadian flour.

Read the full article in Milling and Grain HERE.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

Sweet Manufacturing company profile

Sweet Manufacturing has provided reliable, high-quality material handling equipment for agricultural and industrial applications to all corners of the world for more than half a century. W Dean Sweet founded the company with a commitment to customer service and manufacturing quality. That commitment carries on today under the guidance of his daughter, Alicia Sweet Hupp, and every member of the Sweet team.

Visit the company site HERE.

29/04/2016: Oilseed and Grain News

Gavilon Group CEO leading hunt for US grain assets
Gavilon’s newly appointed CEO, Lewis Batchelder is spearheading a plan for strategic growth for the company and is searching for grain assets that will support an expanded presence in the U.S. west and south.

Impeachment proceeding against Brazil's Rousseff affecting grain trade
Brazil’s grain trade has nearly halted as the sector awaits the outcome of the ongoing impeachment process against President Dilma Rousseff and the effect it will have on the real.

Owensboro riverport authority lease grain facilities to Bunge
The riverport at Owensboro, Kentucky has been leased by Bunge under a 15-year agreement with the three part goal of improving the facilities, easing delivery for farmers, and increasing throughput.

http://oilseedandgrain.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4952c76442c10cb798d21bfc5&id=86868f8904&e=11e1e9f3a1

Image: Laurel L. Russwurm

Pendleton Grain Growers to vote on dissolution
In business since 1930, Eastern Oregon-based Pendleton Grain Growers’ members will vote on May 2 to decide whether to dissolve the co-operative.

Grain Farmers of Ontario appeal of neonic ruling dismissed by highest court
A three-judge panel of the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that Grain Farmers of Ontario may not use the court system to ‘rewrite’ legislation that has already been passed.

Imports supplement US demand for organic feed
US imports of organic corn tripled last year to 303,645 tons, while imports of organic soybeans increased 45 percent to 317,284 tons, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Training:

TAMU's 6th Annual Short Course Functional Beverages: Sources, Identification, Extraction, Separation and Purification - July 13-15, 2016

29/04/2016: USDA offers new loans for portable farm storage and handling equipment

Portable equipment can help producers, including small-scale and local farmers, get products to market quickly

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide a new financing option to help farmers purchase portable storage and handling equipment. Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator Elanor Starmer announced changes to the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program today during a local and regional food roundtable in Columbus, Ohio. The loans, which now include a smaller microloan option with lower down payments, are designed to help producers, including new, small and mid-sized producers, grow their businesses and markets.

"As more communities reconnect with agriculture, consumer demand is increasing for food produced locally or regionally," said Mr Dolcini.

"Portable handling and storage equipment is vital to helping farmers get their products to market more quickly and better maintain product quality, bringing them greater returns. That's why we've added this type of equipment as a new category for our Farm Storage Facility Loan program."

The program also offers a new 'microloan' option, which allows applicants seeking less than US$50,000 to qualify for a reduced down payment of five percent and no requirement to provide three years of production history. Farms and ranches of all sizes are eligible.

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome

Kit need replacing? The USDA may be able to help with that (Image: Mike)

The microloan option is expected to be of particular benefit to smaller farms and ranches, and specialty crop producers who may not have access to commercial storage or on-farm storage after harvest. These producers can invest in equipment like conveyers, scales or refrigeration units and trucks that can store commodities before delivering them to markets. Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply.

"Growing high-value crops for local and regional markets is a common entry point for new farmers," said Ms Starmer.

"Since they often rent land and have to transport perishable commodities, a loan that can cover mobile coolers or even refrigerated trucks fills an important gap. These producers in turn supply the growing number of food hubs, farmers markets or stores and restaurants interested in sourcing local food."

Earlier this year, FSA significantly expanded the list of commodities eligible for Farm Storage Facility Loan. Eligible commodities now include aquaculture; floriculture; fruits (including nuts) and vegetables; corn, grain sorghum, rice, oilseeds, oats, wheat, triticale, spelt, buckwheat, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, sugar, peanuts, barley, rye, hay, honey, hops, maple sap, unprocessed meat and poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt and renewable biomass. FSFL microloans can also be used to finance wash and pack equipment used post-harvest, before a commodity is placed in cold storage.

AMS helps thousands of agricultural food producers and businesses enhance their marketing efforts through a combination of research, technical services and grants. The agency works to improve marketing opportunities for US growers and producers, including those involved in specialty crop production and in the local and regional food systems. Learn more about AMS services HERE.

Today's announcement will further advance the efforts of the USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative, which coordinates the Department's work to develop local and regional food systems. The USDA is committed to helping farmers, ranchers, and businesses access the growing market for local and regional foods, which was valued at US$12 billion in 2014 according to industry estimates.

Under this Administration, the USDA has invested more than US$1 billion in more than 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects. More information on how USDA investments are connecting producers with consumers and expanding rural economic opportunities is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium.

Learn more about Farm Storage Facility Loans HERE or contact a local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, click HERE.

Visit the USDA site HERE.

29/04/2016: Nature: Devastating wheat fungus appears in Asia for first time

Image: CIAT

Fields are ablaze in Bangladesh, as farmers struggle to contain Asia’s first outbreak of a fungal disease that periodically devastates crops in South America, Ewen Callaway writes in Nature.

Plant pathologists warn that wheat blast could spread to other parts of south and southeast Asia, and are hurrying to trace its origins.

“It’s important to know what the strain is,” says Sophien Kamoun, a biologist at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, UK, who has created a website, Open Wheat Blast, to encourage researchers to share data.

Efforts are also under way to find wheat genes that confer resistance to the disease.

First detected in February and confirmed with genome sequencing by Kamoun’s lab this month, the wheat-blast outbreak has already caused the loss of more than 15,000 hectares of crops in Bangladesh.

“It’s really an explosive, devastating disease,” says plant pathologist Barbara Valent of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

“It’s really critical that it be controlled in Bangladesh.”

Read the full article in Nature HERE.

The Interview - Erik Heemskerk - Victam International

Victam recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary of holding events in Asia. On the first evening of the event a Celebration Dinner was held. The international audience of over 400 executives from our industry were treated to a wonderful evening program that featured both modern and traditional Thai entertainment.
However, during this evening, came the confirmation of the sad news that Victam’s General Manager Henk van de Bunt is soon to retire. Mr van de Bunt has been with the organisation since the very first show in Bangkok in 1991, in the quarter of a century since Victam has enjoyed a growth rate of over 600 percent. Mr van de Bunt will vacate his post on June 31st. A well-known and respected industry personality, he will certainly be missed by all, although he will still have some presence within the organisation as he will take up a role on the board of the Victam Foundation.
He will be succeeded by Erik Heemskerk, who will start on June 1st. Milling and Grain Magazine met with Mr. Heemskerk at the recent Victam Asia show to discuss his feelings about succeeding Mr. van de Bunt, as well as his past experiences and future plans for when he takes the helm at Victam.

Hello Mr Heemskerk and thank you for sparing a few moments of your time to speak with us. Our first question is just to ask if you could provide a bit of background information about yourself, who you are, and why you feel that you are the right man to be taking over control of Victam?
I am Erik Heemskerk, I am Dutch and I have been working in the events industry for about 20 years now. I started my events career in the Netherlands with Amsterdam RAI, which is one of the main venues in The Netherlands and largest exhibition organisers. After this I did some work in IT for a few years and then I came back into the exhibition industry where I worked for Jaarbeurs (VNU exhibitions).
So basically in the Netherlands I have worked for both of the bigger exhibition organisers. Some time later I decided to set up my own marketing company and tried to develop an event in the applied games industry, which unfortunately didn’t go so well. I then had the opportunity to go to UBM where I became a brand director with the responsibility for pharmaceutical events in Asia and Turkey. I am currently responsible for seven events that take place every year.

That’s great, so you have had a very varied degree of success throughout your career. How do you see your role at Victam and what do you think you bring to your new role?
I start at Victam on June 1st and the reason that I am very happy to be joining Victam is firstly that Victam is an international event which I really like, I really enjoy working in an international environment; basically bringing together the world. Another is the topic, although I don’t know much about it, I think that it is a topic that is incredibly important and it goes much further than you or me.

When you say that our industry goes much further than you or me, what exactly is that you mean by that?
If we realise that there are still well over a billion people worldwide who are starving, then we understand the absolute importance of this side of the industry for the global population, which is something that I really appreciate. If I, through the Victam shows, can make a difference then I will feel I have achieved something.
We are an organisation that right now works with a large and varied list of companies who work within our show profile but also in other industry sectors. There may be interesting opportunities here. The only shareholder of Victam International BV is the Victam Foundation, which reinvests the profits back into our industry through its charitable projects. So as you can see there are many reasons why I am so happy to be with Victam!

Victam events focus on animal feed, rice and flour milling, grain processing and more recently biomass pelleting. With regards to Europe and Asia, do you see that Victam will be expanding further on a regional or international scale?
Well, that is certainly the million dollar question. I would certainly love to tell you but unfortunately, coming from outside of the industry I do not yet know enough about the industry to make any judgements on this. At the moment, I am sitting back and learning from everything I see. Victam has recruited me to continue to develop the brand’s portfolio. Hopefully I will be able to tell you much more in six months’ time.

April 28, 2016

28/04/2016: Alltech opens state-of-the-art mycotoxin laboratory in Europe

Mycotoxin contamination in feed continues to be an ever-present risk. According to Alltech’s 2015 European Grains and Forage Harvest Analysis, dairy and beef cattle are at high risk for mycotoxin exposure.

Inconsistent weather conditions during the summer of 2015 increased the risk for mycotoxin contamination, leading to irregularities in plant growth and wreaking havoc on the 2015 European crop.Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland aims to be one step ahead of the mycotoxin challenge. Today sees the opening of its first European-based, state-of-the-art Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory.

The state-of-the-art Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory now open at Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre in Ireland. Dr Sanja Trajkovic pictured analysing samples for mycotoxin contamination

The laboratory will be the third of its kind for Alltech, which has two similar laboratories in the US and China. To date, the laboratory in the US has analysed more than 10,000 samples since opening in 2012. The new laboratory will provide much-needed, high-throughput mycotoxin profiling services in Europe to accelerate the detection process, while saving time and money for European farmers and food producers. Having such a laboratory in Europe will allow Alltech to investigate more than 38 different mycotoxins quantitatively and more than 50 others qualitatively in animal feed in less than 15 minutes per sample.

“The new laboratory at Alltech Ireland will assist European farmers and producers in the identification and management of the risks associated with mycotoxins,” said Nick Adams, global director of the Alltech Mycotoxin Management Team.

“The Alltech Mycotoxin Management Program and global Mycotoxin Management Team of researchers and specialised consultants offer unique and precise solutions to manage the menace of multiple mycotoxins. This new laboratory is yet again evidence that the Alltech team has always led the way in innovative technologies for combating the threat of this hidden global killer here in Europe.”

Diagnosis and effective remediation of mycotoxin problems have, to date, been limited by the ability to accurately measure these toxic contaminants in feedstuffs. Alltech’s new laboratory is an innovative resource that will house a team of analytical scientists who will assist farmers with their constant monitoring of mycotoxin presence and levels in stored forage, which is an integral part of a forage management programme, with the end goal to reduce the impact on cattle performance and health.

In the background from left to right: Dr Sanja Trajkovic and Emma Daniels analysing samples for mycotoxin contamination

The laboratory will be able to rapidly identify these hidden killers in feed and provide a final report with recommendation for next steps to the farmer.

“To have a dedicated centre for this innovative technology in Ireland will have a significant impact on the productivity, animal health, traceability, profitability and efficiency of not only Europe’s farmers, but also Europe’s food production systems,” said Mr Adams.

Alltech’s cutting-edge research and global science teams are not shy of accolades. Alltech’s North American Mycotoxin Management Laboratory has been accredited with ISO/IEC 17025:2005, an international standard that recognises the competence of testing laboratories. This objective third-party assessment distinguishes the managerial and technical requirements of the lab and ensures the accuracy and impartiality of analytical results.

In 2013, the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis programme garnered a one-star innovation award from INNOV’SPACE in France, a distinction programme that awards new product and service innovations in agriculture. The Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis programme also earned a 2014 Dairy Herd Management Innovation Award, and China Animal Health Magazine presented the Alltech 37+® programme with the 2014 Double Effect Star Solution award.

In September 2015, the China Feed Industry Information Network presented the Alltech Mycotoxin Management Program with the Star Feed Additive—Top 5 Mycotoxin Solution award. For further information on the Alltech Mycotoxin Management Program click HERE.

Visit the Alltech site HERE.

28/04/2016: Ardent Mills names VP of Research, Quality and Technical Solutions Team

Ardent Mills, the premier flour milling and ingredient company, announces that Kent Juliot will join the Ardent Mills team as Vice President of the Research, Quality and Technical Solutions and member of the senior leadership team.

“We are pleased to announce that Kent has accepted the role as Vice President of the Research, Quality and Technical Solutions team at Ardent Mills,” states Dan Dye, CEO.

“Kent is a proven leader in the food industry with an extensive background in food production and customer technical interactions. He also brings to Ardent Mills a strong track record in the flour milling business, along with relationships that span the FDA, USDA and in the international arena.”

Bill Stoufer, COO adds, “Kent was selected for this role based on his long track record of success in the food industry, his broad range of food safety and quality experience and his passion for developing high-performing organisations, leaders and teams.”

He comes with nearly 11 years of progressive leadership experience at ConAgra Foods where he was responsible for food safety, quality and sanitation for 58 ConAgra Foods and co-manufacturing processing facilities. He also led the supplier quality department, managing over 10,000 ingredients and packaging supplies. Prior to his experience at ConAgra Foods, Kent held leadership posts in quality and plant management over a 20-year span with the Kellogg Company.

Kent will be relocating to the Denver area and will be reporting directly to Bill Stoufer, COO, beginning his new role here on April 25, 2016.

Visit the Ardent Mills site HERE.

28/04/2016: PIX/AMC 2016 meet the speakers

PIX/AMC 2016 is pleased to announce the following confirmed speakers:

Rob Cumine, Coles Supermarkets Australia
Rob is the Coles Responsible Sourcing & Agricultural Manager, looking after the supermarket’s ethical, sustainability and agricultural programs. He is the newly appointed Supply Chain representative on the APIQ Panel.

He has a degree in Agricultural Economics and a Masters in Agricultural Marketing. Prior to Coles he worked in agriculture, food manufacturing and retailing in the UK. He also has hands on practical farming experience and through his UK business supplies Wholefoods Market with a range of grass-fed wagyu beef.

* Rob will deliver the joint PIX and AMC opening presentation on Monday, 30 May 2016.

http://www.pixamc.com.au/program/speakers/

Tobin Gorey, Commonwealth Bank
Tobin Gorey is the Commonwealth Bank’s Agri Commodity Strategist responsible for strategy and research in agri-commodity markets. Tobin returned to CommBank in October 2014 after a six-year stint offshore working for JP Morgan (in London) and Olam International (in Singapore).

Over that time he has been a continued supporter of the view that the world will demand more, and better, food. This growing demand requires a larger and more productive agriculture sector both in Australia and globally. He was educated at the University of Western Australia (Bachelor of Economic, Hons) and later at Macquarie University (Master of Applied Finance).

* Tobin will deliver a joint PIX and AMC plenary presentation on Monday, 30 May 2016.

Cheryl Kalisch Gordon BAG EC (HONS I), PHD, GAICD, Grain Growers
Cheryl is Senior Economist and Manager of Trade and Market Access for GrainGrowers Ltd. GrainGrowers’ Trade and Market Access activities include advocating for improved market access for Australian grains, supporting efforts to maintain technical market access for Australian grains, pursuit of a level playing field in grains supply and development of strategic initiatives to underpin the international value proposition of Australian Grains.

In recent years this has included Dr Kalisch Gordon representing Australian grains in the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, advocating for Australian grains with respect to the north Asian trade agreements of ChAFTA, KAFTA and JAEPA, communicating trade agreement outcomes to the Australian grains industry and representing Australian grain farmers in WTO negotiations. She has also been involved in development of strategic market support activities for Australian grains in Southeast Asia and, in particular, for Indonesia.

Prior to joining GrainGrowers, Dr Kalisch Gordon lectured in economics, including Agribusiness Marketing, Benefit Cost Analysis and Market & Price Analysis, at the University of Sydney and the University of Hue in Vietnam, which followed earlier teaching roles at the University of New England. Cheryl also has considerable commercial experience across a wide range of agricultural and natural resource industries, gained while managing GHD’s Economics & Agriculture consulting group and as Consultant Economist and then Program Manager of R&D and Industry Economics for Hassall & Associates.

Cheryl has a PhD in Economics and an ongoing interest in the farm in Central West NSW where she grew up.

* Cheryl will deliver a joint PIX and AMC plenary presentation on Monday, 30 May 2016.

AMC and PIX speaker biographies can be viewed on the conference app. For information on how to download the conference app, click HERE.

A full list of the speakers can be found on the PIX/AMC site HERE.

Milling and Grain - May 2016 edition - available now

Back issues available

April 27, 2016

27/04/2016: Feed Safety Culture: crucial for effective feed safety control

https://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1603_w1/36

by Johan den Hartog – Managing Director of GMP+ International

First published in Milling and Grain, March 2016

Companies spend a lot of effort and money to control the safety of feed and food, in order to satisfy their customers and to reduce financial risks. Quality management systems are implemented, improvements in buildings and machineries are realised, records are kept, performances are monitored and results are analyzed, evaluated and further improvements introduced.

When a company operates according to a food /feed safety management system, a third party carries out an independent assessment of compliance with normative standards on a regular base.

These assessments, by means of audits, are carried out according to certain methodologies and with welldefined tools. All these facilities, methods and tools are the ‘hardware’ side of the feed / food safety assurance system. However, the human-factor cannot be neglected or underestimated.

Human factor
The human factor relates to the people who are operating within the certified companies. A precondition is that these people are qualified with the proper knowledge and competences. The knowledge is about the products and processes in the feed companies and service providers. Additionally, they need to have understanding of risk assessment methodologies, etc.

This knowledge can be obtained by a minimum of professional education, as well as regular additional training. Because not each person in a company knows everything, cooperation in a (HACCP) team is important to bring all knowledge and experiences together.

Read the full article in Milling and Grain HERE.

Yemtar company profile

YEMTAR was established in Bandırma in 1980. Since its inception, YEMTAR has planned, produced and installed lots of modern feed mills.

As a matter of principle, YEMTAR employs experienced and informed permanent staff, closely following international technological developments and transferring the benefits to customers.

YEMTAR initially targeted Turkey's domestic market; after that it rapidly expanded its target market to Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Balkans. YEMTAR's feed mills, galvanised silos, grinding systems, pelleting units, coolers, feeders and lots of modern equipment projects offer value-added services and production on location.

Read more HERE.

27/04/2016: FY 2016 funds amended for Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102)

http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/export-credit-guarantee-program-gsm-102/gsm-102-allocations

Image: SCT México

The US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has amended the fiscal year 2016 funds for the Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102). Details are available HERE.

For additional information, please contact the FAS Credit Programs Division at gsm.registrations@fas.usda.gov or (202) 720-6211.

27/04/2016: Alltech agrees to acquire Keenan, Ireland’s leading farming solutions manufacturer

Alltech has agreed to acquire Keenan, a leading farming solutions company in Ireland. Keenan, now part of the Alltech family of companies, is the 14th acquisition for Alltech globally since 2011.

“The Keenan group has long been a friend of Alltech. This is a story about two great Irish; globally-minded companies coming together. As an Irishman, I am delighted to welcome Keenan to our family, because together we can deliver greater value to our global farming customers with a wider variety of technological solutions,” said Dr Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech.

“Between Alltech’s primacy in science and Keenan’s manufacturing strength and technological know-how, we have a winning combination for delivering greater farm efficiency and profitability direct to our farming customers.”

Alltech and Keenan have identified possible growth opportunities together, which may include nutritional technologies and feeding programmes focused on feed efficiency and herd health as well as advanced ration formulation.

“This is an exciting time for Keenan to join us here at Alltech,” stated Alric Blake, CEO of Alltech.

“Alltech is looking for avenues to better deliver the Alltech brand to farmers and provide nutritional solutions to those who directly benefit from their use, whether in animal or crop production. Science and technology are at the forefront of everything we do. This new journey with Keenan further strengthens our ability to deliver on-farm nutrition solutions.”

Keenan will continue to be headquartered in Borris, County Carlow, Ireland. Together, Alltech and Keenan employ nearly 300 people in Ireland and close to 5000 globally.

The Keenan farm mixer wagon, also known as a 'green machine,' has earned a reputation for its reliability and service. Keenan mixer wagons, together with InTouch technology are designed to deliver the optimal on farm feed mix consistently. Alltech confirmed its acquisition of Keenan today; Keenan is the 14th acquisition for Alltech globally since 2011

Visit the Alltech site HERE.

27/04/2016: White Paper published today on insect protein for feed

PROteINSECT project’s key publication recommends review of insect protein legislation & funding to help address European protein deficit

PROteINSECT fish feeding trials demonstrated insect meal can replace up to 50 percent of feed without affecting animal performance
PROteINSECT pig feeding trials revealed improved gut health in piglets
PROteINSECT poultry feeding trials showed that chickens fed on insect-containing diets performed as well as those fed on commercial diets

Following three years of international research into the potential of insect protein in animal feed, the EC-funded PROteINSECT project has published a White Paper setting out recommendations for future use of this additional protein source in Europe.

Since 2013, experts from Europe, China and Africa have been investigating the use of two species of fly larvae in the diets of chicken, pigs and fish, carrying out feeding trials and analysing quality and safety of rearing farmed flies on organic waste substrates such as manure.

Their research findings are summarised in the White Paper published today (Wednesday 27 April) along with recommended next steps to help European policy makers, legislators, industry and consumers grasp ‘the insect opportunity’.

Image: Gilles San Martin

The document, titled Insect Protein – Feed for the Future: Addressing the need for feeds of the future today, encompasses safety, nutritional value, environmental impact, commercialisation and consumer acceptance of insect protein in animal feed. It endorses two key actions:

A review of Regulation EC 999/2001 and Regulation EC 1069/2009, which prohibit a) the use of insects as a source of protein for animal feed for animals raised for human consumption; and b) the rearing of insects on manure or catering waste, respectively.
A commitment to undertake the necessary research to ensure that the required evidence is available for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to carry out a full risk profile for insects reared on organic wastes (building on EFSA’s ‘Risk profile related to production and consumption of insects as food and feed’ published in October 2015)

Dr Elaine Fitches, PROteINSECT project co-ordinator, says, “We are delighted to share our White Paper as a key stepping stone towards furthering our understanding of the potential for the use of insects in animal feed in Europe.”

Copies of the White Paper have already been distributed to key members of the European Parliament and it will be formally presented at PROteINSECT’s final conference taking place in Brussels today.

PROteINSECT’s White Paper is designed to safeguard the impact and legacy of its research, ensuring that the potential of insects to make a valuable contribution to existing and future animal feed demand in Europe is fully realised.

“The protein gap in Europe is a very real risk to social, economic and environmental progress,” says Dr Fitches.

“As we seek sustainable European long term solutions we must consider the benefits that the introduction of insects - specifically fly larvae - could have on the content of animal feed. PROteINSECT believes these highly effective protein converters offer great potential for Europe to become global contributors to the provision of alternative and additional innovative protein sources.”

Visit the PROteINSECT site HERE.

Download the White Paper HERE.

April 26, 2016

26/04/2016: The fundamental importance of education and training

https://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1603_w1/30

by Chris Jackson, Export Manager UK TAG

First published in Milling and Grain, March 2016

So the time has come to write another column, as we progress towards the end of the first quarter of this year. Time seems to fly by, as we here, try to arrange yet more missions to and from the UK to help develop the agri-tech industries of the world, whilst working closely with our exhibition partners in Holland and Germany.

We look forward to appreciating the new technologies that the world offers to increase production, whilst maintaining the environment. I believe that these technologies will be fundamentally important for developing countries where agriculture is a vital part of the economy.

As I am very privileged in having had the opportunity to visit many countries and see their economies develop over the years, with a move to city dwelling and away from the countryside. One of the consequences of this is that the importance of their agricultural industries gets less well appreciated. We all expect food to be available as our incomes increase.

Read the full article in Milling and Grain HERE.

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies company profile

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies designs and builds key process machines, but also offers complete plant solutions for the global animal feed industries. Our business is based on a competitive approach to matching the requirements of successful livestock feed, aquatic feed and pet food companies.

When designing new technologies or customer specific plant solutions, ANDRITZ Feed Technologies has to take account of the demand for reliable processing, cost efficiency, uniform quality, and high-performance animal feed, considering the shifting availability of feed ingredients, the increasing number of environmental standards and hygiene regulations, and the requirement for traceability in the interests of food safety.

ANDRITZ Feed Technologies is a corporate group with worldwide development, production within process technology and after-sales service to the feed and biofuel industries. With branches in 13 countries employing approx. 800 people and a world-wide network of agents and distributors, we are the leading supplier of competitive system and process solutions for the feed and biofuel industry. We design and develop all feed and biofuel key productions process and design total solution fitting the customer needs, thus ensuring the highest standards for the customer.

Visit the website HERE.

26/04/2016: Contract Packaging Association continues partnership with IPACK-IMA

The Contract Packaging Association announces a continued partnership with IPACK-IMA, one of the largest global exhibitions for processing, packaging, converting and logistics.

CPA began working with IPACK-IMA at the Pack Expo International in 2014. In 2015, CPA sent a delegation to the IPACK-IMA exhibition to investigate synergies and opportunities for both organisations to expand their global exposure. CPA plans to attend the next exhibition - hosted every three years in Milan, Italy - taking place May 29 through June 1, 2018.

“These strategic opportunities [like working with IPACK-IMA] allow Italian manufacturers to tap into the entrepreneurial drive of CPA members with the joint vision of global synergy,” CPA Executive Director John Mazelin said.

According to CPA Member Communications Director Nikki Johnson, this partnership provides a tactical opportunity to supply resources on a scalable range, from local entry to nationwide coverage.

"The Contract Packaging Association represents an increasingly important sector in the packaging industry," says Riccardo Cavanna, President, Ipack Ima srl.

"We are especially pleased with the partnership of this American association to be continued on the occasion of IPACK-IMA 2018, a strategic platform for their members for high-level technological update and new business development."

CPA is the national, not-for-profit trade organisation for the contract packaging industry. CPA was formed in July 1992, for contract packaging firms and those businesses related to them in order to promote the growth and welfare of member firms.

Members are comprised of the nation’s leading contract packagers as well as suppliers to the industry, performing all packaging functions: from the glamorous to the hazardous and the simplest to the most complex. CPA members offer these packaging services to an extremely wide variety of consumer goods companies and brand owners.

Visit the CPA site HERE.

26/04/2016: Dr Eckel: 3 reasons why you should use MoldCid

Feed such as corn and silage as well as by-products and compound feed is very valuable and well worth an effective protection against microorganisms to maintain its high quality, Dr Eckel says.

Animal feeds generally contain mould spores and bacteria which originate from raw materials, storage facilities and equipment. Toxic metabolites produced by some species of mould can cause clinical disturbance and disease.

Mouldy feed can lead to diarrhoea, anaemia, mycotoxicosis and other diseases which in turn reduce animal performance and as a consequence the economical profit in animal production. Therefore preservation with MoldCid increases the efficiency of animal and feed production and helps to reduce feed costs. The profitability of animal production increases. MoldCid from the product group 'protection' of Dr Eckel shows various unique benefits.

MoldCid gets the best out of your feed and protects it
MoldCid shows reliable effects
MoldCid is safe to handle during processing

Protect the high quality of your feed

MoldCid guarantees a reliable and powerful preservation of grain and other raw materials during harvest and feed in the feed mill and on the farm. MoldCid acts against a broad spectrum of microorganisms and yeast. The protection of feed with MoldCid is profitable and allows to get the best out of the feed.

Due to the effective composition of ingredients, MoldCid reaches different stages of preservation. Liquid combination propionic acid and ammonium propionate shows a positive effect on pH-value while admixture in feed. Solid propionates remain active over a long period, assuring the long-term effect. Siliceous earth gets active at the end of the storage and binds mycotoxins. The specific mineral carrier assures an even distribution on the cereal grain. The water activity will be increased. This effect enhances the preserving performance. An additional benefit: no additional technical investments are necessary for the application of MoldCid.

Scientifically proven: Reliable effects against yeasts, moulds and enterobacteriaceae
MoldCid demonstrated in several research trials that it works very excellently against microorganisms in a wide pH-range and is especially active against yeasts and moulds. The organic acid based preservative penetrates through the cell walls of the microorganisms and dissociates. The cell tries to maintain a physiological pH and has to expend energy which eventually leads to its death.

Grain is naturally contaminated with yeasts and moulds when harvested. The degree of contamination is dependent on the moisture content of the feed. Preservation with MoldCid showed a distinct effect on reducing moulds and yeasts in barley.

Enterobacteriaceae can also be reduced by the application of MoldCid (Fig. 1). Consequently, the feed hygiene is improved over a prolonged storage time.MoldCid combines the advantages of propionic acid and its ammonium and calcium salts enhanced with surfactants in combination with a synergistic carrier system.

Safety first: MoldCid protects staff and feed
The protection of staff, feed and equipment is an important criteria when evaluating mould inhibitors. MoldCid does not react with other active ingredients in the feed and has a high content of active ingredients. Straight formic and propionic acid in contrary are corrosive. The use of non- or less corrosive products as MoldCid is certainly a superior option. MoldCid is easy to handle and has no acrid smell. Furthermore iron and concrete materials in the production system are less affected by corrosion. This makes MoldCid safe to handle, despite its high concentration of active components. Due to the innovative two-phase production process, MoldCid is free-flowing and easy to handle, applicable also in silos.

Do you have any questions regarding successful and cost-effective preservation with MoldCid? Please contact:

Dr Eckel GmbH
Daniela Martin
Technical Sales
d.martin@dr-eckel.de
Tel: +49-2636-9749-47

April 25, 2016

26/04/2016: XXVII FEFAC Congress in Antalya: 'Social acceptance of livestock & feed production in the EU'

On 21-22 April 2016, the FEFAC XXVII Congress took place in Antalya, with the conference title 'Social acceptance of livestock & feed production in the EU'. At the Congress, the participants discussed the compound feed industry’s contribution to the circular economy, the measuring of the environmental footprint of feed production and the responsible sourcing of raw materials.

The discussions on all themes supported the view that the feed industry can provide solutions to livestock production with direct benefit for consumers and citizens, thereby stimulating increased societal acceptance of EU’s livestock and feed sector.

In a video statement, European Commissioner for Health & Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, highlighted the contribution of animal feed manufacturers to the circular economy and food waste reduction by using resources no longer suitable for human consumption in animal feed.

The participants agreed with Commissioner Andriukaitis that it is of vital importance to assure feed safety and animal health when using unconventional feed ingredients in order to maintain consumer confidence.

At the Congress it was highlighted that the current political attention for circular economy and resource-efficiency provides an excellent opportunity for the feed industry to showcase its contributions to reducing environmental impacts.

A key achievement in demonstrating the results of this approach is the development of pre-competitive measurement tools for environmental performance, such as the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). In the Feed PEF Pilot the category rules for feed production are currently being drafted and expected to be assessed and approved by DG ENVI in 2016.

All presentations given at the Congress can be found HERE.

Amandus Kahl company profile

More than 130 years' experience in plant and machine manufacture has made Amandus Kahl a respected manufacturer and supplier of extruders, compound feed presses, wood pelleting plants, granulate coolers and more.

The company's motivation has always been to develop ever better products for their customers. For this reason Amandus Kahl cooperate with research institutes and universities. You can always be sure that they will supply you optimally customised wood pelleting plants, grain cooking plants, waste-tyre recycling plants etc. Their range of services also includes maintenance and repair of compacting machines, compound feed presses, extruders and wood pelleting plants as well as all their other products.

Visit the company site HERE.

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