For someone only at the dawn of her career, Bailey Mack has already traveled the path of many a professional’s dreams. Currently a 2016 Alltech Career Development Program member, selected as one of 11 from more than 2,000 global applicants, Mack is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has traveled the world, spending at least a month each in Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Peru.

Growing up, the Louisville, Kentucky-native and her family were active in scouting, which led to a love for all things outdoors and a particular passion for environmental and sustainability issues. She received her Girl Scout Gold Award for rehabilitating a pond at a state park in Kentucky.

“When I started to learn Chinese, I tied my background in environmental issues into it,” she said.

This led to Mack’s first application for a Fulbright research grant. She was named a semifinalist at the time.

After a second attempt for a Fulbright grant to India for an English Teaching Assistantship, Mack discovered that her third attempt, this time for Malaysia, would prove to be a charm. Recently, she was named one of 90 Fulbright grant recipients for Malaysia, where she will live and work as an English teaching assistant next year.

“My application centered around and was interested in looking at the environmental issues faced by countries and markets that want to evolve and become more economically developed,” said Mack. “They are facing a lot of pressure from other countries that want them to evolve in a sustainable manner. In Malaysia specifically, rainforest preservation and palm oil are really hot topics.”

Where exactly Mack will be located in Malaysia is yet to be determined and will depend on the needs in the school system. In addition to teaching English, Mack will serve as an ambassador of the U.S.

“They want you to do things like run afterschool clubs, whether badminton or helping set up English clubs,” said Mack.

She is also looking forward to integrating her environmental and sustainability interests into conversations and learning more from her Malaysian neighbors.

“My perspective is someone coming from the U.S. and is totally different from someone who is actually living there and understands how it is going to affect them and change certain things.”

Following her time in Malaysia, Mack plans to return to Alltech with a desire for more adventure and opportunity.

“I just see this as a natural continuation of what I’ve been doing for so long,” said Mack.

Considering the list of Fulbright alumni, it is quite a promising path for her. Mack joins an elite group; Fulbright recipients have gone on to win  Pulitzer Prizes (82 recipients) and Nobel Prizes (54 recipients), take on roles as heads of state (33), and become members of the U.S. Congress (10) and the U.N. (one secretary general).

Weaning calves has always been a challenging time for producers. During this period, a calf’s immune system is not yet fully developed, which can lead to a variety of challenges, including increased costs of gain, greater chances for morbidity and higher risks for scours. Any of these individually or in combination can result in decreased profitability.

Traditionally, producers have had limited options for ensuring maximum growth and health for their calves. Some strategies include supplementing calf diets with concentrates or pushing for more intensive diet rations, while others include introducing antibiotics for growth promotion.

So, what will happen when the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) hits?

What is VFD and what changes will come with it?

VFD is the mechanism the FDA will use to apply veterinary oversight to a broad range of products used in animal feed, such as antibiotics. In December of 2016, VFD will be implemented to promote the judicious use of antibiotics and to protect public health by limiting the development of antibiotic resistance. In short, the upcoming directive will restrict the use of antibiotics for growth promotion and feed efficiency. Once the changes are in full effect, it will be illegal to use medically important antibiotics without a veterinary prescription and antibiotics will only be available for use to prevent, control or treat a specifically identified disease.

With these regulations in place, producers will be searching for new, viable alternatives to keep their operations profitable.

New research supports antibiotic-free program

New research from the University of Florida has been released supporting the Alltech Antibiotic-Free program. During a 52-day weaning period, Alltech’s Actigen^® was fed to calves. The focus of the demonstration was to evaluate the effects of these technologies on animal health and performance.

The results of the study demonstrated Actigen, a unique technology from Alltech, to be a cost-effective means of maintaining gut health and integrity to support performance. For producers focused on growth and feed efficiency, Actigen in weaning calves showed profitable returns on investment and overall decreases in cost of gain.

Looking to the future, Actigen and the Alltech Antibiotic-Free program will continue to address key issues for profitability in weaning calves, including developing a healthy gut and stable rumen environment. Particularly during weaning, healthy calves will eat and produce more efficiently, ensuring they can perform at their maximum potential.

The Alltech Antibiotic-Free program, including technologies like Actigen, supports producers looking for solutions to address feed efficiency and to help promote a healthy and profitable future for their operation. Alltech technologies bring together more than 35 years of research and practical application with state-of-the-art support tools and technical expertise. This gives producers a holistic approach to navigate the challenges of antibiotic-free production, and in particular, the upcoming VFD initiative.

For more information, contact your Alltech representative or visit www.alltech.com/beef.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my beef cattle.

As dairy producers begin to steadily feed out their 2015 corn silage, nutritionists might want to take a proactive approach by testing their clients’ feed bunks to see what risks may be present. Since Alltech’s 2015 North America Harvest Analysis, additional testing through the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analysis is now indicating type A trichothecene mycotoxins are on the rise.

According to Dr. Max Hawkins, Alltech Mycotoxin Management team nutritionist, type A trichothecenes, composed of T-2, HT-2, diacetoxyscirpenol and neosolaniol, have shown an increase in levels present from 33.18 parts per billion (ppb) in September to 86.38 ppb in February (as illustrated by the trend line in Figure 1). Type A trichothecenes are now present in 46 percent of all samples of corn silage.

“The levels are higher than in years past, and exactly why that may be is difficult to identify. There may be many causes,” said Hawkins.

Type A trichothecenes are produced by Fusarium molds. Fusarium molds require moisture levels at or above 70 percent humidity as well as oxygen and a temperature range that can include cool days and nights to cool nights and hot days. Corn plants stressed from insect damage or birds, plant disease, wind and hail are always a concern for mold proliferation. Corn silages that are drier, poorly packed and allow greater oxygen penetration are also at a greater risk.

The Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis tested 239 corn silage samples from Sept. 1, 2015, to March 8, 2016. The average sample contained 5.28 mycotoxins. The Risk Equivalent Quantity, or the risk represented by all of the mycotoxins present, is at higher risk in 59.1 percent of all corn silage samples with another 17.7 percent at a moderate risk.

“Over 75 percent of corn silage presents an increased risk to dairy cows,” said Hawkins. “This contributes to the complexity of the mycotoxin mixture that is included into total mixed rations (TMRs) and can lead to increased mycotoxin impact on cow health and performance.”

Type B trichothecenes and fusaric acid were present in more than 90 percent of the samples, while fumonisins have been found in over 70 percent of the samples. The levels of these mycotoxin groups have remained relatively constant at a moderate-to-high risk since harvest. Type A trichothecene toxins, however, have shown a steady increase since January.

In the dairy cow, type A trichothecenes first affect the rumen where they are partially metabolized. Rumen adsorption may be increased by rumen acidosis. When cellulolytic bacteria activity decreases, protein synthesis is reduced.

The ingestion of type A trichothecenes can cause reduced feed intake, slower weight gain, decreased milk production, digestive disorders (vomiting and diarrhea), acute hemorrhagic enteritis, reproductive failure, increased mortality, hemorrhages (stomach, heart, intestine, lung, bladder, kidney), edema, dermatitis, immune suppression, abomasal and ruminal ulcers and death. Serum immunoglobulins and complement proteins are lowered in calves receiving T-2 toxin. Also, a reduction in white blood cell and neutrophil counts in calves can be observed after exposure to these types of toxins.

“The increasing level of type A trichothecenes, along with the steadily higher level of type B trichothecenes and fusaric acid, creates a combination of mycotoxins that can easily increase the risk of corn silage that is being included into the TMR,” Hawkins said.

JPW Nutrition recently utilized Alltech’s 37+ mycotoxin analysis program to test corn silage and TMR samples for some of their customers in the Midwest. The results indicated type B trichothecene toxins were most prevalent; however, type A trichothecene mycotoxins were also showing up. Jason Prins, a nutritionist with JPW Nutrition, wasn’t surprised the analysis found type A trichothecenes, as he had observed issues with stomach linings being excreted and gut health challenges on the dairies.

“From a reproduction, immune response and gut health standpoint, we need to know what type of mycotoxins are having an impact. Finding out which types of mycotoxins are present in the feed allows us to make adjustments in the diet accordingly,” said Prins. “For our clients, we have found that it is better to be proactive than reactive with these issues.”

Figure 1 - Type A Trichothecenes Risk in Corn Silage

To excel in their sport, most athletes consume a diet as carefully planned as their training regimen. Vitamins, minerals, proteins and other sports supplements enhance both their mental and physical strength. Plants respond similarly to biostimulants, which can be used to activate their metabolism and influence biological processes within the plant. 

What are biostimulants?

Biotstimulants foster plant development in a number of demonstrated ways throughout the crop lifecycle, from seed germination to plant maturity. They can be applied to plant, seed, soil or other growing media that may enhance the plant’s ability to assimilate nutrients and properly develop.

By fostering complementary soil microbes and improving metabolic efficiency, root development and nutrient delivery, biostimulants can:

• Increase yield in terms of weight, seed and fruit set.
• Enhance quality, affecting sugar content, color and shelf life.
• Improve the efficiency of water usage.
• Strengthen stress tolerance and recovery.

Currently, humic and fulvic acids constitute more than half of the biostimulant market, with seaweed extracts being secondary. Microbial extracts, plant extracts, vitamin B, chitin and chitosan round out the market offerings, according to the 2nd World Congress on the use of Biostimulants in Agriculture in November 2015.

Other names for biostimulants include plant strengtheners and conditioners, phytostimulants, bioactivators and soil, yield, crop and plant growth enhancers. Despite their increasing use, at this point, no country in the world has a regulatory framework that defines specifically what is a biostimulant.

Why are they being used?

The global market for biostimulants is projected to increase 12 percent per year and tip past the $2 billion sales mark by 2018, according to a November 2015 Markets and Markets report. There are multiple contributors to this rise:

• Proven performance and acceptance from NGOs, governmental bodies and academia.
• Increased commercial customization of solutions.
• The need to restore degraded soil.
• Demand from farmers and consumers for environmentally safe and organic products that provide alternatives to synthetic inputs.
• Increasing agronomic production demands.

Presently, Europe represents the lion’s share of the biostimulant market at 42 percent. North America and Asia are estimated to have approximately 20 percent market share each, with Latin America at 13 percent, according to the 2nd World Congress on the use of Biostimulants in Agriculture in November 2015.

Trace minerals, which originate from the earth, ultimately account for a relatively small portion of an animal’s diet, but they represent a critical component in animal nutrition and metabolism. Dietary trace mineral imbalances and deficiencies are commonly corrected by various levels of supplementation from inorganic or organic sources, depending on the animal’s minimum requirement and the trace mineral source bioavailability.

Trace mineral requirement and bioavailability depend on intrinsic factors (e.g., species, genetics, age, sex, criterion of adequacy, metabolic function, nutritional status, intestinal flora and physiological stress) and extrinsic factors (e.g., trace mineral element solubility, binding to other dietary factors, state of oxidation, competitive antagonisms and positive or negative chelation effects).

Trace minerals and poultry nutrition go way back

Trace mineral nutrition discovery and research has a rich history in poultry nutrition. Many of the early nutrient metabolism studies were conducted in chicks during the period between 1960 and 1980, and requirements were established for each poultry species. Based on this research conducted over 40-50 years ago, minimum dietary requirements were established for zinc, manganese, copper, iron, selenium and iodine, and the last official publication of these requirements for poultry was in “Nutrient Requirements of Poultry” (National Research Council, 1994). 

The genetic potential for growth in commercial poultry has changed dramatically during the last five decades, as has the nature and quality of the diet fed to these animals. This is why supplementation of these trace minerals (usually from inorganic sources) in commercial feeds often exceed the National Research Council (NRC) (1994) recommendations by three- or four-fold to compensate for variable bioavailability, yet resulting in public concern about excessive environmental emissions.

Trace mineral programs today

Recent research on organic trace minerals has challenged this paradigm of high dietary inclusion of inorganic trace minerals. Due to their increased bioavailability, organic trace minerals have demonstrated opportunities for improved physiological/metabolic functions and reduced environmental emissions, justifying the establishment of new minimum nutritional requirement recommendations.

Dietary inclusion of organic trace minerals at levels as low as 12.5 percent of typical commercial levels have been shown to result in equal or superior growth performance and tibia ash. Along with phytase supplementation, which is typically used for most commercial poultry, growth performance can be maintained with organic trace minerals at levels well below the NRC recommendations. Future recommendations for dietary trace minerals will depend upon strategic applications in poultry nutrition that affect environmental sustainability, health and welfare, meat and egg quality, and epigenetic programming.

¹NRC = Nutrient Requirements of Poultry, 9^th Revised Edition, 1994. Subcommittee on Poultry Nutrition, Committee on Animal Nutrition Board on Agriculture, National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.

²FSM = Ferket, P.R., and S.L. Leeson, 2015. Feedstuffs Magazine 2014 Reference Issue and Buyers Guide, pp 42-51, Feedstuffs, St. Charles, IL.

¹Positive control treatment diet was supplemented with a trace mineral premix to contain 80 ppm Zn as ZnSO4, 100 ppm as MnSO₄·2H₂O, 60 ppm Fe as FeSO4·7H2O, and 12 ppm Cu as CuSO₄·5H₂O.

²OTM = Organic trace mineral supplied as a proteinated complex (BioplexÒ Zn, Mn, Fe, and Cu, Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY)

^a,bParameter Values within a row having different superscripts are different (P<.05).

Figure 1. Broken-line analysis plot of weight gain in broilers as a function of supplemental zinc as BIOPLEX^Ò Zn with or without phytase (from Ao et al., 2007).

Have a question or comment?

As the distance between farmer and consumer closes around the world, we must continually adapt our methods to meet the ever-growing demand for high-quality, safe food. In the webinar, “The Path of Least Resistance,” we took a dive into the world of antibiotics, specifically how they have impacted and will continue to impact the agriculture industry. The key speaker, Dr. Richard Murphy, explained why we should worry about antibiotic resistance, where we are now with restrictions on antibiotics in livestock health and what opportunities exist for your operations.

Our three key takeaways were:

1. Worldwide, scientific evidence indicates an overall decline in the total stock of antibiotic effectiveness; resistance to all first-line and last-resort antibiotics is rising.
2. The livestock and poultry industries are not only facing increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies such as the FDA and EFSA, but, worldwide, meat processors are starting to demand change.
3. Alternative growth promotion strategies are available that utilize strategic nutritional management practices as part of an antibiotic-free strategy for animal production.

To view the webinar and get the full story behind the takeaways, click on the button below:

When it comes to your animals’ mineral diet, you’ve likely never been thinking about “Star Wars” but just like the characters of the epic movie series, you have a choice to make. Do you go with organic trace minerals, or do you turn to the dark side: inorganics?

It should be an easy choice, but many get led astray by practices that date back over a decade-and-a-half. If you were to look at how many times the human food pyramid has been updated since then, you would see constant improvement. Likewise, how can we keep our animals’ diets in pace with this constant development of nutritional innovation? It starts with choosing a side when it comes to your minerals.

Choose the side with less mineral waste

To examine an animal’s diet, you often have to look at what is coming out the other end. If the animal’s waste has undigested feed in it, that signals two possibilities: One, the diet is over-fortified with an ingredient; or two, the animal is having trouble digesting the ingredient. Recent studies have shown that grow-finish pigs fed a diet with the total replacement of inorganics with organic minerals had reduced fecal manganese, copper and selenium excretion (Alltech-Zhejiang University Animal Nutrition and Feed Science Research Alliance). Another study looking at supplementing organic trace minerals at 0, 50 or 100 percent of the National Research Council (NRC) recommendations showed that nursery pigs and finishing pigs’ trace mineral requirements did not appear to need dietary trace mineral supplementation at the levels recommended by NRC. This research highlights the fact that organic minerals are better absorbed, stored and utilized by the animal. The more that is absorbed by the animal means less waste reaches the environment and less is wasted from the producer’s pocket book.

Choose the side you can trust

Not all minerals are made the same. Inorganics have an added level of contamination risk for both feed and food. This comes in the form of dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals. In the 2015 Asia-Pacific Heavy Metal Survey, where 498 mineral samples were tested, the trend for heavy metal contamination over the past five years showed an average of 19.4 percent. This contamination figure should be scary for producers, as that leads to an increased risk of immune suppression, liver/kidney damage, decreased growth and even contamination of the tissue. It is important to know where your minerals are coming from and that they are being tested to ensure safety for your animals and the food chain. Alltech’s Q+ (Quality Plus) process is a positive release program that guarantees all incoming batches of raw material sources and final product batches are tested for dioxins, PCBs and heavy metals prior to sale, providing a safe and traceable product that producers can trust.

Choose the side that’s better for your pigs’ health and performance

Minerals are an important part of the pig’s diet, but they are not meant to be just another ingredient. Effective mineral nutrition can have a very significant on health and performance. Organic trace minerals have shown to support the number of pigs born (The Ohio State University). That means a lot for producers looking to reduce overall production costs per pig. In addition to reducing costs, another major concern is the health of the pig. Additional studies have shown that trace minerals supplementation supports healthy antioxidant status. This allows the pigs that the producer has invested in to be healthier and more likely to make it to market (Alltech-Zhejiang University Animal Nutrition and Feed Science Research Alliance).

Don’t be lured to the dark side. Learn more about the Alltech^® Mineral Management program at alltech.com/pig.

I want to learn more about nutrition for my pig herd.

Today’s consumers expect very specific product information, pictures, customer reviews and ratings, all accessible within a few taps on their smartphone. More recently, they’ve come to expect the same immediacy and transparency when it comes to knowing where their food comes from, who produced it and where, as well as what went into production.

What’s in my food and is it good for me?

In recent years, many consumers have become generally uncertain about the safety and quality of their food, and their risk perception differs largely from that of those within the agriculture and food industries. Consumers sometimes display misguided and inconsistent behavior with respect to food safety and risk information. But, with widespread coverage of foodborne illness outbreaks from national chain restaurants and an abundance of seemingly credible misinformation,  it’s easy to empathize with consumers and their lacking confidence in food safety and quality.

The more consumers feel they know about food production practices, the greater the level of trust consumers have in the food production practices. In a survey conducted by Sullivan Higdon & Sink Advertising and Marketing Agency, 69% of consumers reported that that they think it’s important to know how their food was produced.¹

67% want more information on the meat packaging.

60% want to know if the animal was given growth hormones.

42% want to know what medicine the animal was given during its lifetime.

34% want to know what the animal’s living conditions were like.

34% want to know where the animal was raised.¹

Unfortunately, less than two-thirds (63%) of global consumers trust the information they receive on food packaging.² Consumers view food with a skeptical eye. In the food production industry, product quality, safety, nutritional value and consumer trust are vitally important to the success of the producer.

In the wake of this consumer doubt lies an opportunity for producers to be more transparent about the contents and source of the food they put on the market.  

What are the solutions for rebuilding consumer confidence in food safety?

1.  As industry professionals, it’s our responsibility to help consumers establish food system connections and help bridge the gap between lay and expert opinions regarding food risks, including traceability. Food producers should be the leading voice for food, giving consumers the information they crave, straight from a credible source—the person who’s growing the food to bring to their table.
2. Actively show commitment to quality, safety and traceability. It is vitally important to show your consumers that you are committed to providing them food free from bacteria that causes foodborne illness and free from contaminants like mycotoxins, heavy metals, dioxins and PCBs.
3. Be proactive with your on-farm practices to create a healthier animal and more nutritious crops, and in turn, a healthier consumer product. In food production, quality is as much about safety as it is about nutritional value.

Bottom line: Most consumers view food quality, safety and traceability as interlinked concepts. 

Reputable Resources: 

• IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center: http://www.ift.org/gftc.aspx
• Learn more about traceability as a consumer: http://globalfoodsafetyresource.com/food-safety-risk-management/food-traceability
• Of interest to those, especially producers, who’d like to read more on the topic: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/05/putting-food-traceability-at-consumers-fingertips/#.VwKRYPkrKM8
• EU Traceability Resource (also a great example of what will likely become common in other regions as well): http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/docs/gfl_req_factsheet_traceability_2007_en.pdf

References:

1.)Building Trust in What We Eat: Consumers’ knowledge of and trust in food production and how food marketers can improve it.” Sullivan Higdon & Sink Advertising and Marketing Agency, 2012

2.)Nielsen Global Health and Wellness Survey 2014