ISSUE FOCUS 30 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2024 “In the modern food industry, prioritizing safety and quality is essential. This means that effectively controlling microbial loads in feed plays a crucial role in both animal feed and food production. Sanitizing feed stands out as a highly effective method for managing microbial loads and reducing pathogen’s detrimental effect on poultry performance.” The foundation of good quality feed for animal production lies in the use of good quality raw materials. Once used in finished feed, high-quality feed ingredients should provide ample digestible nutrients while also having a low microbial load. However, microbial loads in feed and raw materials fluctuate and can impact animal health and performance. The quality of the animal feed is closely tied to the quality of its ingredients. Despite best efforts in sourcing high quality ingredients, the consistency of ingredient quality can sometimes vary. Research has shown that feed containing high levels of both pathogenic and apathogenic microbes can negatively impact animal health, leading to decreased performance and heightened risks of morbidity and mortality. It underscores the importance of maintaining high standards in feed production to safeguard the well-being of the livestock. Feed sanitation offers a four-fold opportunity to animal production: 1) to decrease the microbial loads in feed and feed ingredients, including total loads and potential pathogens; 2) minimize the role of feed to work as a vector to spread contamination within the house, 3) protect the feed from recontamination from manufacturing to the farm feeder, and 4) offer control of legacy bacteria established in the feed mill equipment and environment. Nutritionists have access to a diverse selection of ingredients based on geographic location that, in turn, brings the risk of multiple–source contamination. Utilizing feed sanitation in their selection of grains, oilseeds, and other protein meals to formulate a diet to meet the needs of the animal helps mitigate the risk of fluctuating microbial loads and potential introduction of pathogens, such as the African swine fever virus or Avian influenza. By blending these ingredients thoughtfully, producers ensure their livestock not only receive a comprehensive array of nutrients, safeguarding against the volatility of individual commodity prices and adding a layer of biosecurity to prevent the introduction of new pathogens through feed. SECURING VALUE: THE ART OF HIGH-QUALITY FEED PRODUCTION Dr. Enrique Montiel Global Director of Nutrition and Live Production Anitox
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