12th edition of vitamin supplementation guidelines published by DSM

DSM Nutritional Products has announced the publication of the 12th edition of its Vitamin Supplementation Guidelines. This work has been a feed industry reference tool on optimum vitamin nutrition (OVN) levels since the first edition’s appearance in 1958.

The DSM Vitamin Supplementation Guidelines is reviewed every 4–5 years and provides an ongoing summary of best industry practice in meeting the vitamin needs of animals under commercial production. The guidelines take into account advances in genetics, improvements in husbandry conditions and changes in feeding practices, including those driven by the regulator. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

New generation of products that helps the broiler industry reduce feed costs

Danisco's Axtra XAP is a new generation feed enzyme product, that allows the inclusions of lower cost feed ingredients such as Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). While DDGS is potentially a cost-effective and valuable feed ingredient for the broiler industry, its use is often limited by the high content of fibrous anti-nutrients such as arabinoxylans, and the low and variable digestibility of amino acids and other nutrients.

The unique enzyme combination targets the indigestible fibrous components, Axtra XAP releases starch and amino acids, thereby enabling higher inclusion levels of these lower cost ingredients. The triple enzyme combination is also very efficient in releasing nutrients from conventional ingredients such as corn and soybean meal. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

Alltech's Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium focus on Smart

The Alltech 2012 Animal Health and Nutrition Symposium will focus on the SMART Revolution - springing from SMART ideas, SMART industry leaders, SMART use of resources, SMART business practices, and SMART nutritional solutions. SMART is management jargon and an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound five criteria that a business case should encompass to increase the chance of success.

Over 100 speakers, all leading experts in their respective fields, will converge at the Symposium. Topics include:

• Global grain grab in a growing industry: Smart alternatives to scarce ingredients
• Fish meal replacement in a rapidly expanding industry – The algae revolution
• Smart starts start where? Foetal programming for optimizing meat quality
• North of 30,000 kg of milk per cow per year: Smart strategies for enhancing milk quality
• The most influential name in food you’ve never heard of
• Creating Raving Fans – Marketing excellence
• Keeping your companion animals healthy: Genetic factors and nutritional solutions for maintaining a healthy body condition and preventing obesity
• Getting closer to customers: Understanding generational differences for successful messaging and media
• The YUM experience in China: Successfully transforming a global brand for local success
• First mover advantage: Emerging consumer trends
• What consumers want - flavour!
• Evolution or revolution: Revisiting pig weaning age, NRC, productivity gains through genetic insights
• More with less – Where profitability and sustainability converge: The power of Nutrigenomic

Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers.  To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

100 years of vitamins highlighted by DSM

The year 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of vitamins. In 1912, a scientist named Casimir Funk coined the term “vitamins” to describe bioactive substances essential for human and animal health. In the years that followed, a series of scientific breakthroughs were made that identified 13 vitamins and explored many of their functions in the body. The last century has witnessed remarkable discoveries and research that have advanced understanding of vitamins and their vital role in health and wellness.

In 1912, the Polish biochemist Casimir Funk isolated the first vitamin (B1) from rice bran. At that time, European rice hulling machines were brought to Asia to process rice. However, the hulling process stripped the rice of its vital nutritional elements. As a consequence, new health problems began emerging among the people and animals who relied upon rice as a staple food. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers.  To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

Major feed business created in New Zealand

Ballance Agri-nutrients is joining forces with two of New Zealand’s independent suppliers of customised animal feeds to create a new nationwide business focused on meeting farmers’ complete animal nutrient needs from pasture through to supplements.

The company is purchasing a large share of two of New Zealand’s leading animal nutrient manufacturers; Seales Ltd in Morrinsville and Winslow Feeds and Nutrition in Ashburton.

The new operation, Seales Winslow, will be 51 percent owned by Ballance Agri-Nutrients. The shareholders of Seales Ltd and Winslow Feeds and Nutrition will each own half of the remaining 49 percent of the new business. Seales Winslow is expected to begin operations by June 1, 2011. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers

Research: Influence of cereal type and dietary fiber on broiler performance

Researchers at the Department of Animal Production of the University of Murcia in Spain studied the influence of cereal type and the inclusion of sunflower meal as a source of additional dietary fiber on nutrient retention, growth performance and digestive organ size in broilers from one to twenty-one days of age.

Two experiments involving male Ross 308 broiler chicks were conducted to study the influence of type of cereal (sorghum or wheat) and the inclusion of sunflower meal (SFM) as a dietary fiber source on nutrient retention and growth performance. The experiment involved two feeding periods, starter (1–10 days of age) and finisher (11–21 days of age) and four experimental diets per period. Read more ...
 
This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers

Press Release: FFI Matters: "Accelerate Africa" proposal approved; Uzbekistan begins fortifying flour

Dear Friends of FFI,

In early March, the FFI Executive Management Team approved a proposal for FFI’s continued work in Africa. Their action followed a comprehensive six-month analysis of historical trends, partner activities, industry capacity, consumption, grain trading patterns, urbanisation rates, and potential health impact of fortification. See the FFI newsletter for a summary of the proposal as well as links to an in-depth Power Point explanation.

In another part of the world, Uzbekistan began fortifying flour and salt this year as part of a mandate from the Ministry of Health. The country is adding iron, folic acid, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin to first-grade flour.

We’re interested in knowing which countries are fortifying maize flour. Please send us information about your experiences so we can share that information with other countries that are considering maize flour fortification.

You may have already seen the news that Scott Montgomery is the new FFI Director. Read how he will use his business approach to benefit FFI.

We look forward to seeing many of you next week at the Quality Assurance/Quality Control and Monitoring and Surveillance workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Then we will anticipate seeing many more of you in Manila 27-29 September for a meeting on the regulatory monitoring of salt iodisation and flour fortification programs.

Sincerely,
The FFI Team

www.FFInetwork.org
www.Facebook.com/FFInetwork
www.Twitter.com/FFInetwork

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Crop yield improved by removing manure solids

Manure has long been used as a crop fertiliser, but the challenge of finding an efficient use of the nutrients found in manure is ever present. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in manure is low in relation to the nutrient needs of most crops. Therefore, crops tend to be overloaded with manure to meet the nitrogen requirement of agricultural crops, but the excess phosphorus from the process can damage the environment.

In a study funded by agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, scientists at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Center in Agassiz, British Colombia, with collaborators in Quebec City, Quebec, and Brandon, Manitoba tested the effectiveness of removing solids from dairy manure to improve yield by increasing the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio and reducing the loss of nitrogen by hastening soil infiltration. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

Organic AA complexes improve vitamin stability in premixes

Researchers at the University of Minnesota studied the effect of metal specific amino acid complexes and inorganic trace minerals on vitamin stability in premixes. Stability of vitamin activity in a swine premix containing metal specific amino acid complexes, inorganic trace minerals, or no trace minerals was evaluated over a 120-day storage period. Two vitamin-trace mineral premixes containing either metal specific amino acid complexes or inorganic trace mineral sources were formulated to contain 200 percent of NRC (1988) sow requirements for I, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, and Se based on a 5g/kg dietary inclusion rate.

The vitamin premix and the two vitamin-trace mineral premixes were formulated to contain the same level of vitamins. Vitamin levels exceeded NRC (1988) and were chosen to represent “typical” industry levels based on an informal survey of vitamin levels in commercial premixes in the USA.
Premixes were stored in an environmentally controlled feed storage room and samples were collected every month to determine vitamin activity. Read more...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.