NEWS 12 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE October 2022 Earlyfeed incorporates a novel flavor strategy for piglet feed intake Novus International to shift from direct sales in China Inspired by newborn piglets, Earlyfeed - the young animal nutrition brand of Royal Agrifirm Group - incorporated an innovative flavoring in its piglet feed portfolio in September 2022. This pioneering flavor looks not only to the masking effect of sweet tastes, traditionally used in the industry, but also to the attractive and calming impact of maternal recognition. The flavoring, Piglet's Flavorit, will be included in the Babi® creep feed line and the Vitastart starter concentrates. The initial launch took place at their Factory of the Future awarded Drongen, Belgium facility and then will be integrated at their other plants for the European market. The traditional diet of a piglet 10-years ago looks much different than the diets fed today, this is related to legislation—antibiotic-free, ban on medicated zinc-oxide—and added inclusion of functional feed ingredients. These changes led to Earlyfeed seeking a new and innovative flavor solution for its piglet feed product line. Instead of pursuing the traditional concept of using only sweeteners to attract piglets and mask undesirable flavors, they considered what a piglet finds appealing. This started with observing the piglet and what naturally draws it to feed. The groundbreaking feed intake solution, called Piglet's Flavorit, is based on how olfactory cues can create feelings of familiarity and recognition. When applied correctly, a smell can trigger the piglet's innate reflex to search for its mother and food. Through this maternal recognition, piglets can achieve smoother feed transitions to result in improved continuous feed intake, reduced stress levels, and increased overall welfare and performance. When developing the new flavor blend, Earlyfeed looked to the base flavor profile of the products and added the necessary tastes and smells to mimic the maternal fluids a piglet is accustomed to. By including both sweet and umami, Piglet's Flavorit creates both an appealing odor and taste for the piglet. International feed additives, animal nutrition and health solutions manufacturer company Novus International plans to change to an indirect business model in China as part of better serving drive in its core markets. Company leaders said they are working to establish channel partners to continue serving customers in that country. This change is part of the international feed additive company’s drive to better serve those in its core markets through its strategic business plan, Project Destiny. While this decision will allow the company to invest in other parts of Asia, Novus leaders recognize the importance of their customers in China and the country’s own vital position in the animal protein industry. The decision to change business models in China is aligned with Novus’s business strategy to simplify operations and invest in markets that are aligned with its core strengths for driving sustainable growth.
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