Accreditation available to New Zealand feed manufacturers

New Zealand animal feed manufacturers now have a quality of production accreditation.
FeedSafeNZ is a new accreditation available to New Zealand Feed Manufacturers Association (NZFMA) members who pass independent audit standards as to quality of feed production. The FeedSafeNZ accreditation has two main aims: to provide safe feed for animals and thereby to protect the safety of human food.
Michael Brooks, NZFMA executive director says, "High-quality feed is vital not only for the health and well-being of animals but also for humans, so it's imperative that feed is manufactured to strict guidelines and is packed and stored correctly to ensure its quality is maintained.
"New Zealand has an enviable reputation when it comes to locally manufactured feed, and with the FeedSafeNZ accreditation farmers can be even more reassured that the feed they are purchasing is manufactured to the highest possible standard."
FeedSafeNZ audits are carried out annually by AsureQuality, a company that provides food safety and biosecurity services to the food and primary production sectors worldwide. Manufacturers undergo a stringent testing regime that involves a thorough on-site audit of their plant and storage facilities and operations. Only FeedSafeNZ-accredited sites are permitted to use the FeedSafeNZ logo on their packaging and other materials.
Michael Brooks says that with the growing emphasis and awareness of food safety among consumers, the introduction of the FeedSafeNZ accreditation is timely.
"The FeedSafeNZ accreditation will help maintain the high quality of feed sold to farmers and eliminate product that can lead to poor animal growth and production, as well as reducing cross-contamination of ingredients from storage or processing,” he says.
The NZFMA is encouraging its members to achieve the FeedSafeNZ accreditation, which in time will become compulsory for NZFMA members. Fourteen feed manufacturing sites have achieved accreditation, including Advanced Feed Methven, Farmlands Nutrition Winton, Farmlands Nutrition Rolleston, George Weston Foods Rangiora, Inghams Enterprises Hamilton, Inghams Enterprises Mount Maunganui, Mainfeeds Levin, Mainfeeds Wiri, Mainfeeds Waikouaiti, Takanini Feeds Ltd., Tegel Auckland, Tegel Christchurch, Sgt. Dan Stockfood Ltd., Gore, and Seales Winslow Whanganui. More are expected to come on board over the coming months.

Feed Management Systems launches enhanced Brill Formulation

Feed Management Systems Inc. has announced the global availability of Brill Formulation 2.5, which includes 30 new capabilities aimed at improving feed manufacturers' production efficiency and accuracy.
Highlights of the new Formulation include the abilities to input and use longer nutrient names, increase capacity for stored formula comments, delete a nutrient from all ingredients, and compare new versus stored formulas. "Customers who use our solutions every day are at the very heart of our product development philosophy," said Duey Yliniemi, vice president of product strategy and development. "They provide us with a real-time view of their business challenges, enabling us to leverage our deep formulation and operations expertise and create the best solutions for their business. The Brill 2.5 software solution is a good example of how we work with customers to help address business challenges."
The Brill 2.5 software solution also delivers more safeguards against input errors, and additional data management capabilities, according to Feed Management Systems. Brill Formulation is sold globally through a network of company resellers.

ADM expands with India oilseed processing factories

Archer Daniels Midland Co. has expanded with the purchase of two oilseeds processing factories in India, according to reports.
The Kota facility has soy processing capabilities that enable it to supply soy oil directly to the northern Indian market. It also can crush, refine and package rapeseed. The Akola facility has soybean crushing, refining and packaging capabilities that will let ADM produce vegetable oil and meal for food and animal feed markets. The company has also opened a new headquarters office near New Delhi.

Dutch companies propose international animal feed development center

Plans to create an international facility for the development of new animal feed products have been unveiled at the Victam International feed industries show in Cologne, Germany. 
With a starting budget estimated at between €3-4 million (US$4.5-5.9 million), the facility would represent an investment by a collection of industry suppliers and feed manufacturers in order to provide an independent center where ingredients and formulations could be tested under controlled conditions using the latest technology.
Four companies from the Netherlands are behind these plans — equipment company Dinnissen Process Technology, feed products supplier Vitelia, ingredients specialist DSM and software house Imtech. They hope to be joined by one or two manufacturers of complete feeds or premixes to complete the team of founders, but emphasize that the proposed center will not be allied to any one company. It will be open to any developer to use on a confidential basis and will contain system components from a range of suppliers. The partners also envision that it will have an international training role in introducing young people from various countries to the different parts of the feed manufacturing process.
This process will be fully represented from the grinding stage right through to final steps such as extrusion, according to the plans. Tests can involve any or all stages, in production runs from 200 kilograms to 2,000 kilograms per hour.
Design details have been finalized, said Henri Michiels, director of Dinnissen, and the center's location has been chosen. The group hopes to have financing settled during the second half of 2011 with construction beginning soon after.

Food Safety Modernization Act focus at feed mill forum

Vice President of Feed Regulation and Nutrition for the American Feed Industry Association Richard Sellers addressed feed mill managers at a recent seminar, focusing on the Food Safety Modernization Act and its ramifications on the industry.
During the event, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Poultry & Egg Institute, Sellers said that the industry is experiencing some of the most significant changes in the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of feed since 1958. “You need to know what is in the Food Safety Modernization Act in order to comply,” said Sellers. “You will not see anything like this law in the history of the Food and Drug Administration and probably will not see anything to the magnitude of this bill in the future.”  
The new law applies to all ingredient processing, feed manufacturing, pet food, feed and ingredient imports and transportation. Sellers discussed some of the new facets of the law that he said need to be addressed by all companies:

• Determining each company’s risk level
• Foreign supplier compliance to ensure they comply with the FSMA
• User fees for re-inspections
• Implementation timelines

Other talks at the event included Jim Norris, senior safety administrator of Bunge North America, presenting “Safe Entry and Reclaim from Flat Storage Spaces;" Andy Yersin of Kemin Industries presenting "Salmonella Control and Prevention;" and Don Holman of Tyson Foods discussing "Transportation Guidelines — Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010."

AFIA offering 'Fundamentals of Feed Manufacturing' distance education program

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) will be offering a new distance learning program, "Fundamentals of Feed Manufacturing," in conjunction with Kansas State University in January 2011.
The five-week course will provide an in-depth look at feed manufacturing and will be offered completely online. It will cost $499 for AFIA members and $685 for non-members, and course size is limited to 50 participants. To register, visit www.afia.org.

USPOULTRY to present grain forecast conference

The 2010 Grain Forecast and Economic Outlook Conference, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association (USPOULTRY), will be held November 10 at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.
“Feed manufacturing is a costly and vital function in today’s poultry and egg operations and the increasing cost of corn is a serious concern,” said program chairman, Lamar Nance of Keystone Foods.
The program will include a poultry industry situation report and an outlook on prediction of global weather patterns.

To register for the Grain Forecast and Economic Outlook Conference, click here.

American Feed Industry Association wraps up liquid feed tonnage survey

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has completed its annual liquid feed tonnage survey for 2010.
Eleven U.S. liquid feed manufacturing companies participated in the survey, providing their 2008 and 2009 liquid supplement production data. The report covers the categories of beef feedlot, dairy rations, range supplementation, feed mill blends and poured blocks. Overall, a slowdown of production levels was recorded in 2009, due in large part to the economic downturn and resulting herd reductions. Dairy rations were the hardest hit.

AFIA submits comments on Sanitary Food Transportation Act implementation

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested data and information on the food transportation industry and its practices as part of the implementation of the 2005 Sanitary Food Transportation Act.
In response, the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has published comments highlighting the success of current practices and expressing concerns over the industry's ability to provide complete documentation for previous loads. "AFIA expressed concern on the ability of feed and ingredient manufacturers to get information on previously hauled loads, especially by independent truckers and rail carriers," said Keith Epperson, AFIA's vice president of manufacturing and training. "Many companies own and maintain their own vehicles for transportation of products. This gives the company complete control over the vehicle with regard to feed safety."
AFIA and a coalition of several industry associations said they believe the public health and consumer protection objectives of the Act will be best served by improving compliance with existing requirements. They listed enhanced enforcement, industry guidance and outreach programs as key tools for success.

Poultry Federation sets nutrition conference

Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco Animal Health, will give the keynote address at The Poultry Federation’s 2010 Arkansas Nutrition Conference Sept. 7-9 in Rogers, Ark. The annual education event is co-sponsored by the group’s Feed Manufacturers Committee and the University of Arkansas, with technical symposium sponsorship from Alltech.
Simmons will speak on “Technology + Choice: The Keys to Enabling Abundant, Affordable and Safe Food for Our Growing Global Population.” He’s among international and domestic industry scheduled to speak at the event. Proceeds from this conference will support scholarships.

Danish feed groups merge

Two feed manufacturing organizations in Denmark plan to merge. Members of Jutland cooperative Nordjysk Andel voted during a special general meeting to merge with Danish Agro. The merger brings together businesses with about 700 employees and a turnover of $6.1 billion Danish krone. Their combined market share is estimated at between 30% and 32%.
Danish Agro chairman Jørgen H. Mikkelsen said the enterprises have already played a joint role in the consolidation of the Danish feed market, most recently by acquiring assets of Arhus-based regional mill operator Aarhusegnens Andel as well as participating in the takeovers of feed companies Hedegaard A/S and Aller Mølle A/S.
Both teams agree that the structural consolidation of Danish agriculture will continue and intensify. Newest predictions call for a fall in the number of full-time operations from over 15,000 in 2006 to around 9,100 in 2015. That will mean the national feed industry must face further adjustments.

FDA circulates letter on feed

Daniel G. McChesney, compliance director at the Center for Veterinary Medicine of the Food and Drug Administration has issued a letter regarding feed and pet food safety. The purpose of the letter is to alert the feed manufacturing industry of the need for intensified control systems to prevent future episodes of contamination. The letter makes references to mycotoxins and to Salmonella contamination, which has human health implications, and contaminants such as melamine.
The Center for Veterinary Medicine recognizes that contaminated ingredients are common to feed for a wide range of species, including swine, poultry and fish, and that feed issues parallel those associated with pet food.

Saudi Arabians visit UK to learn about milling efficiency program

Staff from Arasco, a large commercial feed manufacturer in Saudi Arabia, visited the United Kingdom recently to learn about the Anitox Maxi-Mil milling efficiency program. The visit was organized by an Anitox distributor and included a tour of a FeedCo mill in northern England that annually produces more than 80,000 tonnes of animal feed using Maxi-Mil.
Maxi-Mil was originally developed to help feed mills in Asia overcome the problem of moisture loss in finished feed and increase the storage life of bagged feed products by inhibiting mould development. Since then it has been adopted by feed manufacturers to reduce shrink, lower pellet press energy use, increase pellet durability, reduce fines, enhance digestibility, and reduce die and roll wear.
Roger Mann of Anitox said that Maxi-Mil’s moisture-regulating properties were useful in hot, dry climates such as Saudi Arabia’s.
ARASCO has more than 1,800 employees throughout the Saudi Arabia. Its feed mill at the Kharj Industrial Complex produces 650,000 tonnes of mash, crumbed and pelleted feed annually, while its Dammam feed mill has an annual production of 1,000,000 tonnes.

Japan increases South American corn imports

A lower protein content in 2009 U.S. corn has led Japanese feed manufacturers to switch some of their purchases to Brazil and Argentina, Business Week reported. Japanese grain importers are also concerned about possible mycotoxin contamination due to wet weather in much of the U.S. last growing season.
From January through June, Japan is set to import more than 500,000 metric tons of corn from Brazil, compared to 46,702 metric tons during all of 2009, Nobuyuki Chino, president of Unipac Grain Ltd., told Business Week.
U.S. corn accounted for 96% of Japan’s 11 million tons of feed corn imports in 2009, according to the magazine. The lower protein content in last year’s corn was a result of lower fertilizer use, a senior economist at Norinchukin Research Institute Co. said.

Avoiding mycotoxins in corn feedstock and DDGS

Fusarium species are responsible for most of the mycotoxin contamination of corn harvested with 14%-plus moisture values in 2009, according to Dr. Frank Jones, professor emeritus and extension specialist with the University of Arkansas. This corn was harvested in areas that experienced high rainfall before and during harvest, said Jones, who recommends that feed manufacturers conduct mycotoxin assays on feed ingredients, particularly DDGS (dried distillers grains with solubles).
Although fusarium molds produce a wide range of toxins, deoxynivalenol—also known as DON or vomitoxin—is the most commonly encountered. Poultry are relatively resistant to DON at dietary levels of up to 10 parts per million. Swine, however, are extremely sensitive and will exhibit feed refusal at a level of one part per million.
DDGS derived from affected batches of corn can show up to three times the concentration of toxins when compared with the corn feedstock. Accordingly, most of the ethanol plants supplying DDGS implement some form of quality control using assays.
Despite these precautions, feed manufacturers—especially those supplying swine herds—are advised to conduct their own tests on ingredients and finished feed using available test kits for DON, aflatoxin and other specific toxins, as requested by clients.
Jones recommends a composite sample of at least 10 pounds to determine the specific mycotoxin content, derived using the U.S. Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration recommendation of a single 12-foot probe from each railcar or 5- to 7.5-foot probes from a truck. This helps obtain a representative sample, since toxins may not be evenly distributed in consignments.

Cambodia could become an Asian maize belt

When we asked feed manufacturers in Vietnam where their ingredients might be sourced in future, among their replies was a recommendation to look at what is happening in Cambodia regarding grain supplies. The southern part of Vietnam shares a long border with Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City is only about 400 kilometres from the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. What is more, the Mekong River runs through both countries.
Cambodia is already cited by Vietnamese executives as an example of what can be achieved to promote better drying and storage arrangements for harvested crops, due to the success of a private-sector initiative on this theme. But an even greater attraction for Vietnam’s feed manufacturers is Cambodia’s potential to be a regional breadbasket supplying much-needed grains.

Capable of becoming big producer
Several thousand metric tons of Cambodian maize, cassava and soybeans have already been exported for use in feeds in Thailand as well as Vietnam. Much more could follow. Compared with a current grain production in the range of 2-4 million metric tons per year, Cambodia is said to be capable of producing 10-20 million metric tons annually if the right investments are made.
The most obvious financing currently has been with money from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China and Korea for ethanol production from cassava. Their focus on the Cambodian provinces of Battambang, Kompong Speu and Kompong Cham overlaps the main corn-growing areas which are in Battambang, Pailin and Banteay Meanchey.
During the dry seasons of 2008 and 2009, according to a report from Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, the three provinces together grew red corn on 114,343 hectares, yielding 502,798 metric tons. This corresponded to 90% of the country's total production of 561,584 metric tons.

100,000 hectares suitable for maize
The director of Battambang’s provincial department of agriculture was quoted by the Phom Penh Post newspaper at the end of 2009 as saying the province had about 100,000 hectares of land suitable for growing maize. The farmers would use more of it for this purpose once they were sure they could find a customer for the grain.
The view from Vietnam is that Cambodia in total has 5 million hectares of arable land and the valuable possibility of using the Mekong River for irrigation and transport. Good climatological conditions should allow several million tons of maize, cassava and soybeans to be grown easily. Exported grain could simply be loaded into large barges to travel down the Mekong for delivery to the south of Vietnam