ARTICLE Alternative Proteins Magazine April 2024 45 About Andrea Lopez Andrea Lopez is Selko’s Global Product Manager for Yeast Control and Food2Feed program. She is a dynamic professional with a background in biotechnology and a wealth of experience in sustainable practices within the food and feed industry. Her work experience has been dedicated to implementing sustainable solutions that optimize the utilization of by-products as alternative protein and nutrients sources, replacing common raw materials used in animal feed. Currently, Lopez serves in a pivotal role focusing on the application of organic acids for nutritional preservation and microbial control in high moist by-products. As an integral member of the team, she spearheads initiatives aimed at harnessing the potential of organic acids to enhance the nutritional quality and safety of these by-products when used on animals. Her dedication to addressing environmental concerns while promoting nutritional preservation underscores her commitment to shaping a more sustainable future for the feed and food industry. true that you can’t buy time, proper treatment of ingredients can allow more time for a product to be kept in transit or storage and still maintain its nutritional value and other attributes like palatability and dry matter levels. We also should be mindful of production regions that may not have ready access to ingredients. Again, treating by-products with preservatives provides a workable way to get animals the high-protein ingredients necessary to achieve production goals. And, finally, if we can put materials that would otherwise end up as landfill or biogas, to use in animal feeds, we can reduce the amount of natural resources required to produce protein ingredients for livestock production. Do different phases of the ingredient life cycle present more challenges when it comes to preservation? The conditions on a farm are typically different than the conditions in a production facility or during transit. For example, varying levels of heat, humidity, or ventilation in the environment should be considered to ensure that products maintain quality and nutritional standards until they are consumed by the animal. At Selko, we’ve done studies to understand which specific organic acids and inclusion rates are most effective at treating different by-products in different conditions and life cycle stages. Data from these studies can help by-products traders, feed premix producers, and farmers evaluate the best approach to achieve a good return on investment. What species can consume feeds made with by-products? Brewer’s yeast by-products are particularly well suited for liquid swine feeds. Similarly, molasses is a good ingredient for liquid feeds used in ruminant nutrition. As a research-driven organisation, Selko is investing in studies to understand how the preservation of by-products can lead to more innovation in animal feed for a range of aquaculture. Some industries – like aquaculture – are more challenging than others, but there is an opportunity to build on the successes we’ve seen with by-product use in swine and ruminant nutrition.
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