ISSUE FOCUS 46 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE April 2024 The utility value of feed consists of the nutritional value and the quality. The first covers all characteristics concerning the essential nutrients and is important for feed formulation and the adequate supply of the animals. Feed quality comprises all characteristics of a feed influenced by treatment, storage, conservation, hygiene, and its content of specific substances. For many factors, guidance and threshold values are available which should be met to guarantee animal health and welfare, as well as to protect public health, since some undesirable substances can be transferred to animal products such as meat, eggs, and milk. In this article, we will focus on feed hygiene. We will talk about the consequences of low feed quality, how to understand it, its causes, and possible solutions. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DEFICIENT FEED HYGIENE? The consequences of deficient feed hygiene can be divided into two parts, impurities and spoilage. Impurities comprise: • the presence of soil, sand, or dust • contamination with or residues of heavy metals, PCB, dioxins, pesticides, fertilizers, disinfectants, toxic plants, or banned feed ingredients In the case of spoilage, we see: • degradation of organic components by the action of molds and bacteria • growth of pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella, etc. • accumulation of toxins such as mycotoxins or bacterial toxins (Hoffmann, 2021) Feed hygiene is important as diseases impact animals and their performance, and some diseases can be transferred to humans. Besides proper harvest and adequate storage, products are available to prevent feed spoilage and its negative effects on animals. FEED HYGIENE PROTECTS ANIMALS AND HUMANS Vaibhav Gawande Assistant Manager Technical Services EW Nutrition Inge Heinzl Editor EW Nutrition Marisabel Caballero Global Technical Manager Poultry EW Nutrition
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==