Selko’s newest webinar episode, which took place on May 7th, 2025, highlighted the addition of IntelliBond to Global Feed LCA Institute’s (GFLI)’s database of branded feed ingredients, emphasizing the importance of branded directory in supporting transparency and trust in sustainable feed formulation.
The latest installment in Selko’s webinar series, held on May 7th, 2025, spotlighted the Global Feed LCA Institute’s (GFLI) new branded directory as a tool to support more transparent and sustainable animal feed formulation. The database has been enhanced to provide precise environmental data for individual ingredient brands.
The branded database involved a pilot collaboration between GFLI and Selko in 2024 to evaluate Selko IntelliBond as the first branded product added to the branded ingredient database. According to the announcement, GFLI completed an extensive, independent verification of Selko IntelliBond’s life cycle assessments (LCA) as a fundamental part of their internal and external evaluation process. This effort to elevate the transparency of ingredients used in animal feed responds to the market’s growing demand for credible substantiation of sustainability claims on products derived from animal protein.
IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST WITH SUSTAINABLE INGREDIENT SWAPS
Third-party verification helps boost trust at a time when greenwashing is a growing concern in the animal protein sector. Including ingredients with verified LCAs can help formulators reduce the carbon footprint of feed and differentiate their offerings, according to Claudia Meeusen, Secretariat of GFLI. Adding branded ingredients to the GFLI database also brings more precision to feed formulation, as branded ingredients must meet more precise data standards.
Replacing ingredients that have a higher carbon footprint with ingredients that have an independently verified LCA can help reduce the carbon footprint of animal feed. For example, choosing a trace mineral source with an independently verified LCA over a sulfate or oxide-based mineral source can help formulate more sustainable animal diets that meet the market’s demands for greater transparency. Until GFLI’s verification of IntelliBond C, Z, and M, only sulphate or oxide trace minerals were available within the GFLI database, Selko points out. To date no additional sources of improved trace mineral nutrition have been approved via the GFLI approval process.
MEASURING CARBON FOOTPRINT REDUCTION
Measurement is an essential aspect of sustainable feed production. LCAs verified by GFLI reportedly consider all of the inputs that go into a feed ingredient, including manufacturing processes, energy use, transportation, packaging, and more. The ultimate metric is the reduction in feed’s carbon footprint. Compared to sulphate or oxide sources of copper listed in the GFLI database, IntelliBond® C delivers a 26.8% reduction in the carbon footprint. The reduction can also be seen in the carbon footprint for complete feed. For example, formulating a complete broiler feed using IntelliBond® C, Z, and M resulted in a 9.5% weighted average reduction within the feed’s trace mineral pac.
Kevin Perryman, Global Trace Mineral Advisor at Selko, stated: “Given that more than 50 percent of animal protein carbon emissions are attributed to feed, formulators can play a tremendous role in meeting the market’s growing demand for greater transparency and improved sustainability.” He noted that for many years the industry conversation has focused on switching from a sulphate or oxide trace mineral to an improved trace mineral source to improve animal productivity and health. Now the verification of IntelliBond’s ability to assist with the reduction of the feed’s carbon footprint offers producers an additional reason to upgrade their trace mineral program at no additional cost.”
“Demand for more sustainable protein is growing every day and formulators need tools that can convey to customers all the efforts they are making to reduce CO2 production,” Perryman continued. The latest Selko webinar exploring the GFLI database and explaining the process that led to its verification of IntelliBond C, Z and M is available online.
