SPECIAL STORY FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2023 49 to already used by-products) • revising the use of feed additives according to current challenges in feed ingredients and at farms • following on the previous one: strategic uses of enzymes, emulsifiers, and feed additives that may help the animals to improve their FCR. BY-PRODUCTS CAN PARTLY COMPENSATE FOR HIGH FEED-INGREDIENT PRICES Over the last few decades, industrial and agricultural by-products from crops, vegetables, and fruit processing have been widely evaluated and used in livestock. As a result, many studies have been conducted to determine the nutritional composition of straws and residues from food manufacturing. Now more than ever, by-products are needed since more of the leading agricultural products will be taken to feed the human population instead of animals. Agricultural by-products can be classified into various types: straws, brans, midds, cakes, meals, and industry residues, among others. Their price is typically lower than traditional energy and protein sources, making them suitable alternative ingredients to potentially reduce the overall cost of the diet. WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN USING BY-PRODUCTS? To guarantee safety and effectiveness, just as with any other feedstuff, it is necessary to check the nutrient composition of the alternative ingredients using feed composition tables and laboratory analysis. Besides the composition and nutrient concentration, the availability of these nutrients and palatability are critical parameters to consider. The feed/animal producer, when purchasing by-products, should: • try to find his by-product sources close to the feed production site to reduce costs with logistics and transportation • collect and test samples right after the by-products are delivered • check if the feed mill is ready to handle and process those ingredients, especially when they are bulky or have flowability issues • compare the difference in animal performance and cost per unit produced when using traditional grain-soybean meal diets vs. by-product ingredients. PROCESSING FOR IMPROVING BY-PRODUCTS’ QUALITY The safety and nutritional availability of by-products can be improved by chemical, physical, and biological treatments. Physical processes, such as drying, grinding, peeling, pelleting, extruding, and expanding, increase surface area and can deactivate certain anti-nutritional factors. Biological processes include the use of enzymes and microbial fermentation to tackle anti-nutritional factors and increase the nutritional value and digestibility of by-products. BE AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE RISKS OF BY-PRODUCTS! With all the economic benefits and positive impacts on animal performance, we must not lose sight of the possible risks and health issues that by-products might imply. MYCOTOXINS CAN BE A PROBLEM Most agricultural by-products have a higher moisture content than traditional ingredients. High-fiber and high-moisture materials can quickly become contaminated by molds that produce mycotoxins, Wheat milling by-product Fusarium ssp. produce mycotoxins such as fumonisins, trichothecenes (DON, T-2 toxin) or zearalenone
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