NEWS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2022 15 be down by at least 50%. Wheat producing regions outside of Ukraine and Russia are expanding production. With so many disruptions, the feed production sector should anticipate the potential for lower quality grain supplies and consider interventions to help safeguard grain quality. Moulds that generate mycotoxins are an ongoing concern for grain quality. Moulds can threaten crops in the field, during transport or in storage. Damaged kernels or broken grains can host moulds while oxygen levels, temperature, relative humidity, pH, and water activity can all increase mould growth rate. Managing water activity is an area of focus for defending against moulds in grains. For several years, the pet food industry has evaluated how even low water activity levels can affect mould growth. About 80% of agricultural commodities are infected with mycotoxins and the problematic effects of mycotoxins can make some grain unusable in feed. Looking just at the reductions in stored grain, losses during storage as well as mycotoxin contamination can be more than 30%. Mould growth results in a noticeable difference in the nutritional quality of corn including a drop in metabolic energy, crude protein and fat content. To guard against mould’s adverse effects, contamination prevention efforts should start in the field and continue through transport, storage and production. In the field, weather, drought, harvest rains, pests and mould growth can harm quality. Scoring systems created by the USDA are a helpful tool for evaluating quality factors including grade, moisture, nutritional profile, physical quality and mycotoxin presence. Scoring systems are available for corn and other grains and oilseeds. In storage, temperature shifts can allow condensation build-up and conditions for moisture to pool on stored grain. Grains and oilseeds can be contaminated with mycotoxins during transport or at the feed mill where moulds are typically present in screw conveyors, ingredient bins, elevator legs, pellet mill coolers, feed bins and trucks. Kemin Industries opened a new 36,000-square-foot office and a distribution center to enhance Mexico and Central America operations. Kemin Industries opens new facilities in Mexico Kemin Industries opened new offices and a distribution center in Mexico based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. For nearly 30 years, Kemin has been growing its business within Mexico and Central America and this new location will offer improved service and solutions to better serve its customers. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, May 17, which included Kemin's worldwide executive team and members of the Nelson family who founded Kemin in 1961, Libby Nelson and Kimberly Nelson. The new state-of-the-art, 36,000-square-foot building has 5,800 square feet of office space that can accommodate up to 40 team members and includes conference rooms that will allow Kemin customers, stakeholders, and partners to collaborate at the facility. The new product distribution warehouse can hold more than 1,000 metric tonnes of product and features a dedicated Kemin Application Solutions (KAS) area to build, pilot, and demonstrate customer-tailored systems for optimal product application. To help support the growth in Mexico, Kemin made strategic shifts in their leadership team. In addition to Romero and Garcia, Kemin has promoted Gloria Noriega to Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager for Mexico and Central America. Noriega serves as the official government liaison for the country's regulatory authority and represents Kemin as part of the company's membership with CONAFAB.
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