Functional additives

Feed additives tracker: Potential supply issues for carotenoids and vitamins A, E

30-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

Feed additive markets are steady, but with a heightened focus on vitamin E, according to a recent market intelligence report.

Phibro snaps up Zoetis' medicated feed additive portfolio for $350M

30-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

Phibro Animal Health is to acquire Zoetis’ medicated feed additive (MFA) product portfolio focused on cattle, swine, and poultry production, along with certain water-soluble products and related assets for US$350m.

Can cows flip the climate narrative?

25-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

Over the past five years, a research alliance has created tools for estimating the carbon footprint of grazing ruminant animals, and it has generated some surprising results.

Insights from 15 years research on use of yeast and probiotics in shrimp diets

18-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

Shrimp farming has encountered a series of new hurdles in recent years, challenging its traditional success model. Oversupply, plummeting farm gate prices, reduced demand due to inflation, higher production costs, and recurrent disease outbreaks have...

Cracking the code: How can poultry farmers navigate heat stress in barns?

15-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

Heat stress can catch poultry producers off guard, despite their awareness of its inevitability. Unpreparedness can pose a significant challenge.

Inside Danone’s methane strategy: ‘This is the most immediate opportunity we have to slow global warming’

15-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Methane reduction may not be well understood by consumers, but Danone wants to bring them along on the journey.

Seasoned industry executive set to retire

10-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

The Perstorp Group has announced a change in leadership within its animal nutrition business.

M&S to help dairy farmers slash methane emissions

09-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

M&S, the UK retail group, has announced a £1 million (US$1.3m) investment in altering the diet of pasture-grazed cows within its milk pool to mitigate methane emissions.

Aquaculture without antibiotics: Peptobiotics closes Series A round as it seeks to tackle ‘acute’ overuse and resistance

09-Apr-2024 By Gary Scattergood

Singapore start-up Peptobiotics has raised US$6.2M in Series A funding to commercialise its antimicrobial peptide technology as it seeks to replace the use of antibiotics, firstly in aquaculture, and in the future in livestock.

Geopolitical tensions and drought may disrupt poultry trade, feed additive supply

05-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

A recent report from Rabobank indicates a gradual recovery in the global poultry market following a sluggish second half of 2023 but warns of transport challenges.

The path to net zero in dairy: Exploring feed additives, anaerobic digesters, and soil carbon storage

04-Apr-2024 By Jane Byrne

An ING report scrutinizes various strategies aimed at slashing on-farm emissions, spotlighting those garnering significant attention within the dairy industry, while also delving into their potential and cost implications.

Animal rights groups sue FDA over failure to respond to petitions on ractopamine use in livestock

29-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

The Animal Legal Defense Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety, and Food Animal Concerns Trust filed a lawsuit this week demanding the US FDA provide a response to a 2012 rulemaking petition urging restrictions in the use of ractopamine...

How will industry meet demand for 100m tons of aqua feed by 2050?

28-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

The scale-up of novel protein resources to deliver significant volumes of raw materials for use in aquaculture feed still requires further development, according to a recent paper.

dsm-firmenich adapts as nutritional needs of fattening pigs evolve

22-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

Swine are undergoing changes, becoming leaner, with increased muscle protein retention, and thus, their nutritional needs are evolving.

Reports from IPPE 2024

Poultry industry told to prioritize immune health for profitability boost

19-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

A seasoned expert has been shedding light on how critical an aspect immune health is in poultry production.

Sodium butyrate supplementation in low-starch calf starters enhances growth

15-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

A newly published paper outlines how sodium butyrate (SB) and starch interaction reduces systemic inflammation in post-weaned calves.

Microaglae derived astaxanthin producer secures $3m in funds

13-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

Kuenhle AgroSystem (KAS), a startup focused on producing high value products from microalgae for the food, feed, and health industries, has raised $3m in a Series A2 funding round led by S2G Ventures.

IPPE 2024 Atlanta reports

Metanalysis indicates phytogenic product reduces inflammation and boosts nutrient utilization in broilers

13-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

The team behind Fytera Perform, the phytogenic product developed by Selko, the feed additives brand of Nutreco, say it diminishes intestinal inflammation, leading to improved broiler performance.

Ocean Harvest Technology gains ‘competitive edge’ on seaweed blends with new patent

07-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

Ocean Harvest Technology (OHT), headquartered in the UK, reports a significant competitive advantage with the issuance of a new patent by the UK Intellectual Property Office.

Protective suitcases: New gut technology targets disease and immune system function in pigs

07-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

Canada’s Renaissance BioScience (RBSC) is partnering with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan on two projects aimed at boosting health and immunity in newly weaned piglets.

Progress made in tackling AMR on EU farms but study shows reduction alone is insufficient

01-Mar-2024 By Jane Byrne

Progress has been made in reducing antimicrobial resistance in E. coli from farmed animals in many EU markets.

BioMar looks to manage stress and boost performance in salmon

23-Feb-2024 By Jane Byrne

In the last 10 years there has been increased use of mechanical and other forms of treatment to help with the challenge of sea lice, increasing the cost of salmon production and also involving stressful events for the fish such as handling.

Reports from IPPE 2024

Enhancing sustainability in supply chains: Leveraging feed solutions for collective progress

09-Feb-2024 By Jane Byrne

Speakers at a conference organized by the AFIA at IPPE 2024 provided insights into how sustainability within the feed industry fits into the broader food supply chain and provides solutions for its customers.

Hired and Retired: Executive shifts at BioMar, Agrifirm and Copa-Cogeca

08-Feb-2024 By Jane Byrne

We keep an eye on employee moves in some of the leading feed and agribusiness players over the past few weeks.

Reports from IPPE 2024

AFIA advocates for legislative support to propel the Innovative FEED Act forward

06-Feb-2024 By Jane Byrne

Leah Wilkinson, vice president of public policy and education at the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), addressed the complexities of navigating Washington DC during an election year, at IPPE last week.

FAO intervention in Iraq brings success in animal feed and agricultural practices

02-Feb-2024 By Michelle Perrett

The transformative impact of interventions supporting Iraqi farmers is evident through the implementation of innovative animal feed crops and sustainable practices, according to Dr Salah El Hajj Hassan, the Iraqi representative of the UN Food and Agricultural...

Study: Tartaric acid improves growth and disease resistance in Pacific White Shrimp

25-Jan-2024 By Michelle Perrett

Tartaric acid (TA) can improve the growth, weight and disease defence of Pacific White Shrimp (L. vannamei), new research has shown.

Can plant and algae-based technology enhance laying hen production?

19-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

NUQO, a France-based feed additives company, asserts that trials conducted across various geographic regions validate the efficacy of its technology in boosting layer performance.

Astaxanthin production: Asteasier consortium unveils breakthrough microalgae technology

18-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

Natural astaxanthin commands a premium price tag, primarily attributed to slow growth rates, cultivation challenges, and the expensive extraction processes involved.

Essential oils: Devenish's European market launch aimed at boosting intestinal health in poultry

17-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

Devenish has introduced OregoPro to the European market, a product designed to enhance the performance of poultry flocks.

Cultivating global markets: AFIA leveraging federal funds to expand access for US feed, pet food products

16-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is allocating over $203m to support nearly 70 agricultural organizations in their efforts to expand export markets for US food and agricultural products.

Will fermentation tech prove a game-changer for feed industry sustainability?

11-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

A collaborative initiative involving academic and industry stakeholders, led by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Schothorst Feed Research (SFR), is aimed at enhancing the utilization of industry side streams in poultry and swine feed formulations.

People on the Move: New hires at Trouw Nutrition, Algiecel, TRACT and Novus

04-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

Who is changing career hats this month? We track recruitment developments in the international feed space.

Bezos Earth Fund among backers of US$5 million project focused on breeding efforts to reduce methane emissions

02-Jan-2024 By Jane Byrne

Professor Roel Veerkamp of Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands is leading a program to coordinate and accelerate global efforts to breed cattle with reduced methane emissions.

ADM snaps up Nutreco subsidiary in Indonesia

22-Dec-2023 By Jane Byrne

ADM has reached an agreement to acquire premix manufacturer, PT Trouw Nutrition Indonesia, a subsidiary of Nutreco.

Feed additive market tracker

Chinese vitamin suppliers navigate uncertainties amidst Suez Canal dilemma and rising costs

20-Dec-2023 By Jane Byrne

As markets transition into the year-end holiday season, the anticipation of the upcoming Chinese New Year in February 2024 looms large.

Proposed legislation aims to enhance FDA oversight: US House introduces measures to strengthen feed ingredient approval process

11-Dec-2023 By Jane Byrne

The Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act was introduced in the US House of Representatives on December 7. Supporters describe it as an important piece of legislation that will improve the regulatory environment for new feed ingredients

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Perdue Farms’ embraces transparency to improve animal welfare

11-Dec-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

After Perdue Farms received unsolicited but ultimately what it characterized as “fair” criticism for its approach to animal care years ago, the protein producer began inviting annually animal welfare advocates, farmers, academics and stakeholders from...

Transformative trends: A snapshot of agri-food in the midst of evolutionary change

07-Dec-2023 By Jane Byrne

In this edition of Feed Matters, we talk to Aidan Connolly about his collection of essays: The Future of Agriculture.

Soy compound may offer pathway to improved salmon health

06-Dec-2023 By Jane Byrne

A dietary supplement already consumed by humans for its anti-aging benefits could be used to help salmon digest food and improve their natural resistance to disease, with feed trials starting next month.

Mootral unveils breakthrough technology for methane reduction in confined and grazing cows

04-Dec-2023 By Jane Byrne

Mootral says its new platform for reducing methane emissions is scalable and cost-effective; it can be delivered to both housed and grazing cattle.

Danone ramping up efforts to curb enteric methane emissions

27-Nov-2023 By Jane Byrne

Danone has become the first corporation to join the Global Methane Hub’s Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, an initiative supported by an alliance of philanthropic organizations and governments.

WOAH: Use of antimicrobials for growth promotion must be completely phased out globally

24-Nov-2023 By Jane Byrne

The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) is calling on its member states to restrict the use of antimicrobials solely to veterinary medical use and to achieve a total ban on their use as growth promoters, starting with drugs that are critically...