Multiple Ways to Make Fish Feed
January 30, 2015
I recently attended a conference on “Innovations in feeding technologies and commercial fish farming”, which was a part of the 20th MVC: Cereals – Mixed Feed – Veterinary…
Author: Dave Albin
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Dietary Energy as Carbs
January 8, 2015
I recently published a blog that examined published data on growth performance of pigs when fed equal amounts dietary energy. I want to go one step further to…
Don’t Undervalue Oil or Meal
December 11, 2014
Recently, you may have noticed a sharp decline in the price of gasoline. This is certainly good news for anyone who drives, but it has led to speculation…
Responses to Concerns on Edible Oil Safety
November 26, 2014
I occasionally run across articles questioning the safety of consuming vegetable oils. Authority Nutrition, which is a great website containing informative articles, recently ran one such article. The truth is,…
How Much Quality Nutrition Are You Paying To Ship?
October 30, 2014
I recently spoke with one of our customers, and the topic of shipping costs came up. He relayed to me some information on this expense, and I was…
Should You Supply Dietary Energy as Oil or Carbohydrates?
October 16, 2014
The importance of dietary energy in formulating cost-effective, high-performing diets is a topic I have covered in the past. Nutritionists usually have some ingredient options in order to…
Lessons from Predicting DDGS Quality, Part 2: Prediction Equation
October 2, 2014
In my previous blog, I discussed data from a recent publication on variation in the quality of DDGS (Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles), a by-product of the corn…
Lessons From Predicting DDGS Quality, Part 1: Raw Observations
September 25, 2014
A recent publication on variation in DDGS quality, containing attempts to predict it with equations, has once again highlighted the inherent problems with using this ingredient to support…
Larger Equipment is Not Always the Best Choice
August 14, 2014
I recently spent some time on the phone with one of our customers who operates what most would describe as a small production line for shaped, extruded food products. I…
Corn is Not a Commodity
July 24, 2014
Corn is one of the most important crops in the world. In 2009, more corn (by weight) was grown than any other grain – production around the world…
GMO Corn for Ethanol: Incoming Raw Materials Plans More Important Than Ever
June 5, 2014
Syngenta has developed a GMO variety of corn called Enogen, which is designed for the ethanol fuel industry. Enogen is genetically-altered to produce its own heat-tolerant enzyme to…
Extruded Soy Can Be Used in Piglet Diets When PEDv from Blood Products is a Concern
May 13, 2014
Recently, swine producers have been dealing with a devastating outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). As the name implies, PEDv causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, and mortality…
ExPress the Genetic Potential of your Animals
April 29, 2014
There is a certain maximum achievable biological response that is specific to each individual living organism. This response is controlled by the genetic composition of the individual, as…
Antibiotic-Free Chicken Production – the Chick-Fil-A Effect on Broiler Production
April 15, 2014
The fast food chain Chick-Fil-A announced that it would only serve chicken raised without the use of antibiotics within 5 years. Chick-Fil-A is the latest food company to…
Jatropha – Oil for Biofuels and Meal for Livestock Feed: Risk Management in the Right Places
March 18, 2014
Demand for diesel fuel continues to grow. As such, this is reflected by higher prices. This effect is exacerbated in places with notable populations, a strong dependence…
Extrusion Improves Cassava-Based Products
February 18, 2014
Cassava is a major root crop, grown mainly in the developing world. Cassava is mostly a source of starch, and has very little protein (1.4% of raw cassava). …
Mycotoxin Contamination is Widespread in Feed Ingredients and Complete Feeds in Asia
February 4, 2014
It has been discussed in a previous blog here that high-shear dry extrusion is effective at reducing mycotoxin concentrations in grain. In particular, research on cottonseeds has exhibited…
Extrusion Effects on Fiber: Challenges and Opportunities
January 28, 2014
Extrusion cooking is a highly-versatile, globally-accepted method for processing and improving food and feed production. The effects of extrusion on improving starch digestibility, decreasing antinutritional factors (which inhibit…