North America
Europe
Latin America
Asia Pacific
Africa
Middle East
ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (#ONE19) has some big name keynote speakers but the biggest is Dr. Mark Lyons, President and CEO, Alltech. I spoke with Mark to get a preview of this year’s conference. I’ve been attending this annual event since 2007 and it has continued to grow with an expectation of a record attendance this year according to him.
Alltech continues its commitment to improving the health and performance of animals and protecting the environment through scientific innovation
[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Alltech’s flagship brand, Yea-Sacc®, has been validated by the Carbon Trust to reduce cattle methane emissions and nitrogen excretion rates. Yea-Sacc is the only yeast culture designed for use in ruminant diets that has been awarded this certificate. The Carbon Trust, a global organization that provides independent advice to businesses, governments and institutions on reducing carbon emissions, formed an opinion based on evidence from public research and on-farm trials demonstrating the efficacy of Yea-Sacc in ruminant diets.
The Carbon Trust’s findings on Yea-Sacc highlighted that reduced emissions do not need to come at the expense of improved animal performance; Yea-Sacc was shown to increase milk yield, milk fat and protein content, and nitrogen uptake via improved ruminal bacteria.
“This recognition from the Carbon Trust is another hugely exciting milestone for Yea-Sacc, the product that put Alltech on the map in the early 1980s,” said Matthew Smith, Alltech vice president.
In dairy and beef animals, methane is an indicator of waste not only for the animal, but also in terms of farm profitability. Increasing animal efficiency helps the animal retain more of that potential energy. This allows for both more environmentally sustainable production as well as increased profitability for the farm.
“For many years, Alltech has been working with farmers to help them determine exactly where their operations fit into the emissions picture and to reduce their carbon footprint,” continued Smith. “The Carbon Trust certification is a significant development for Alltech and for our customers, who are equally as committed to reducing farming’s impact on the environment.”
Alltech continues to enhance its portfolio of solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms as it contributes toward sustaining and nourishing the world’s plants, animals and people. Additional announcements will be shared at the Alltech European Technical Summit held in Dublin, Ireland, from March 13–15, 2019, and at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference from May 19–21, 2019, in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
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Contact: Maria Daly
About Alltech:
Founded in 1980 by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech discovers and delivers solutions for the sustainable nutrition of plants, animals and people. With expertise in yeast fermentation, solid state fermentation and the science of nutrigenomics, Alltech is a leading producer and processor of yeast additives, organic trace minerals, feed ingredients, premix and feed.
Our guiding ACE principle seeks to develop solutions that are safe for the Animal, Consumer and the Environment. Our more than 6,000 talented team members worldwide put this purpose to work every day for our customers.
Alltech is a family-owned company, which allows us to adapt quickly to emerging customer needs and to stay focused on advanced innovation. Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, USA, Alltech has a strong presence in all regions of the world. For further information, visit www.alltech.com/news. Join us in conversation on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About the Carbon Trust:
Established in 2001, the Carbon Trust works with businesses, governments and institutions around the world, helping them contribute to, and benefit from, a more sustainable future through carbon reduction, resource efficiency strategies and commercializing low-carbon businesses, systems and technologies.
The Carbon Trust:
* Works with corporates and governments, helping them to align their strategies with climate science and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
* Provides expert advice and assurance, giving investors and financial institutions the confidence that green finance will have genuinely green outcomes.
* Supports the development of low-carbon technologies and solutions, building the foundations for the energy system of the future.
Headquartered in London, England, the Carbon Trust has a global team of over 30 nationalities based across five continents. For more information, visit; www.carbontrust.com.
The following is an edited transcript of Tom Martin's interview with Dr. Karl Dawson. Click below to hear the full interview:
Tom: Have we finally found ways to improve the well-being of our pets by understanding how nutrients interact with their genes? Here to discuss that question is Dr. Karl Dawson, vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech. Dr. Dawson directs activities at the company's bioscience centers around the world, including Alltech’s Center for Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition, where he is the co-director. Thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Dawson.
The science of nutrigenomics has been your focus for many years, and you've applied that body of knowledge to agriculture. But, here, we're talking about something that's near and dear to everyone who shares living space with an animal of one species or another, whether they live on a farm or in a big city. Let's go to that question. Can nutrigenomics be used to improve the well-being of our pets?
Karl: Nutrigenomics has been used a lot to understand health, digestion, the way nutrients influence an animal's growth. In the last several years, we've begun to focus a little bit more on not only the animal's genes — the composition and gene expression — but we’ve also started to look at the microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract. This is a population that has a whole different set of genes to work with, and we have some new tools today that allow us to look at this. It's very important because, in many respects, we're starting to believe that this microbial population in the gut is almost like a separate organ in the animal. It has its own genetic makeup, and it is contributing a lot to the way those animals develop and respond to nutrients and their resistance to disease.
Tom: You're thinking of the microbial presence as kind of an organ of its own?
Karl: In and of itself.
Tom: Interesting.
Karl: That’s the concept that's really developing. If you look at human medicine or human physiology, we're starting to learn that, in fact, the microbial population in the gut and the way you influence it by eating is influencing such things as brain development, cardiovascular development and even the way your hormones are distributed throughout the body.
Tom: Now, if the genetics influence how certain dietary components are associated with disease, is it possible to know how to adjust a pet's food to avoid disease?
Karl: There's a lot of work that's been going on in this particular area. We’re looking to see what you can do to change the microbiota in particular, or this population of bacteria that live in the intestinal tract. We know quite a few things that are important. For example, we know what the distribution of microorganisms is in an animal that has acute diarrhea. We know that if we feed certain things, such as fiber, we can change the way that microbial population develops.
Now, it may not sound very exciting to everyone, but I've been a microbiologist for 35 years now, and this stuff really gets me excited. I could never really describe what microorganisms were there before. We could culture some and see them, but now we have new tools with high throughput sequencing techniques to allow us to separate out those microorganisms and see things we've never seen in the past.
Tom: What sort of research related to pet nutrition has been happening in your laboratory lately?
Karl: Well, we've been focusing a lot on what we can do to the microbial population. This is something that comes from the work we've done in livestock. We know that we can influence the way the microbial population develops. We have a line of feed supplements — whether you call them prebiotics or probiotics, both of those will influence the way the population develops. We've been interested to see what happens to the distribution or the profile in this microbial population when we change management as well as nutrition.
Tom: When we talk about pets, we're talking about a wide variety of creatures — everything from dogs and cats to birds and fish, from snakes to pigs — you name it. How can it be determined among these different species which additives or ingredients best align with each species' diet and health? Can that be done?
Karl: Well, I don't think we're quite there yet. We cannot tell you what the optimal beneficial microbial population looks like. That's probably a little bit of a disappointment for me because we've been doing all the detailed work on what profile of microorganisms is in the intestinal tract and what it's doing. We know we can change things, and we know that that's reflected in the health of the animal, its immune response and disease resistance. But we don't really know what the optimal way to do that is.
There is a new science that's coming up today, which is the idea of metabolomics. This is a little bit of a different area to look at. Not only does it look at the microbial population but, in this situation, we're also looking at metabolites — the compounds that these bacteria are producing. These compounds are very important because they do enter the bloodstream. You can measure them in plasma, for example. We know that these have significant influences on hormonal response — neurotransmitters. So, we're controlling such things as the way the animal eats; we can influence immunity in things like that. This is a different area that we're starting to delve into right now, and it's really bringing together the animal a little bit more with this microbial population that you find in the intestinal tract.
Metabolomics is still in its infancy, but that is where the answer is going to come from when it comes to understanding what microbes and nutrients do in the animal, because we’re influencing the way the metabolism of that animal is changing through their genetics — or their gene expressions — so we can understand that today.
Tom: Metabolomics. Now you've given us yet another reason to be standing outside your door, tapping our toes, waiting for another interview in the future. This is going to be interesting. Are new foods on the horizon that will improve health — new foods that are based on this science?
Karl: I think so. One of the exciting things that we've had the opportunity to do in the last couple of years is see the effects of such things as a probiotic, a bacterial supplement or a prebiotic. We can see what they're doing today. We know there are considerable differences in the prebiotics. For example, one of our products is a biomass product, a mannan-based product. There is such a thing as inulin. The two things act completely separately, so now that we can see what they're doing to the microbial population, we have the ability to start customizing products with very specific types of prebiotics, and maybe even probiotics, as we move forward. This is something that's revolutionary. We don't think that much about it, but never before have we been able to go in and say that a particular probiotic in the animal's food is changing what goes on in the gut and actually measuring what those changes look like. That's the whole area that's got the excitement in the scientific community: we're now able to see the changes.
Tom: Tell us about developing a pet food that's intended to support heart health, brain function, joint health and overall well-being. Can those goals be achieved in a single feed, or are there other conflicting characteristics that have to be overcome?
Karl: I think there's going to be some interaction there between nutrients. We're not going to be able to address everything. I think you can go after some of the ideal situations. We're a couple of years away from actually doing that sort of thing at this point in time, but it's very important to remember that we now have the tool to actually measure some of those issues. We're getting an idea of what we need to measure in the animal — for example, to overcome obesity in dogs. This is an area that plagues nearly everyone who is a dog owner. But we do know that there are certain surprising areas that allow us to change that. For example, some of the prebiotics we're looking at today change the structure of the intestinal tract, change the way nutrients are introduced into that animal, and actually address the hormonal imbalances that are associated with obesity. We're getting to the point where we know what to look for now, so it's going to be a relatively small step to say, “Here is, nutritionally, what we can do to change that.”
Tom: What are the environmental implications of developing more efficiently- digested pet foods?
Karl: I carry my little plastic bag around my dog every day, so there's an environmental impact that I think about a lot. There are a lot of things that can be done, but I think the overall approach to shifting the microbial population will change the digestion efficiency without changing the overall health status of the animal. Those two things have to go together. For example, there has been work done with fiber sources like beet pulp. Beet pulp is something that considerably changes the microbial population. It is somewhat indigestible, but it has a tremendous impact on the health of the animal. It actually improves digestion overall. There is a way to decrease fecal excretion — what we think about after we have to clean up after our dogs on our walk every evening.
Tom: Is beet pulp being used in pet feeds?
Karl: It is, to some extent, but it is not a standard addition. The other thing about beet pulp is you have to use it at very high concentrations in the diet to bring about these types of changes.
Tom: As you explore the science of nutrigenomics and its application to pets, do you foresee a day when we will be extending the lifespans of these beloved animals?
Karl: Oh, absolutely. I'm sure we're going to see that happen. Longevity is an issue for us all. A lot of that comes down to the overall health of the animal. As we look at such things as insulin resistance — which is seen in a lot of aging animals — those are things that can become controlled, and we have a pretty good idea of how to do that by using specific supplements today. Some of those will be mineral supplements as much as anything, but we do see ways of controlling that. They'll never live forever, but we will be able to enhance the health of those animals so that they are living longer. Not only that, we’ll improve the quality of life they have in their older years.
Tom: Dr. Karl Dawson is vice president and chief scientific officer at Alltech. Thank you very much for being with us.
Karl: Thank you.
From nutrigenomics to metabolomics, scientists are exploring new frontiers to help pets live longer, healthier lives.
[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – The 2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey, released today, estimates that international feed tonnage has increased by a strong 3 percent to 1.103 billion metric tons of feed produced in 2018, exceeding 1 billion metric tons for the third consecutive year. The eighth edition of the annual survey includes data from 144 countries and nearly 30,000 feed mills. The feed industry has seen 14.6 percent growth over the past five years, equating to an average of 2.76 percent per annum. As the population grows, so does the middle class, which is well reflected in an increase in overall protein consumption.
The top eight countries are China, the U.S., Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico, Spain and Turkey. Together, they produce 55 percent of the world’s feed production and contain 59 percent of the world’s feed mills, and they can be viewed as an indicator of the trends in agriculture. Predominant growth came from the layer, broiler and dairy feed sectors.
“Alltech works together with feed mills, industry and government entities around the world to compile data and insights to provide an assessment of feed production each year,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “We are proud to present the eighth annual Alltech Global Feed Survey and share the results publicly to demonstrate the importance of the animal feed industry as we strive to provide for a planet of plenty.”
The Alltech Global Feed Survey assesses compound feed production and prices through information collected by Alltech’s global sales team and in partnership with local feed associations in the last quarter of 2018. It is an estimate and is intended to serve as an information resource for policymakers, decision-makers and industry stakeholders.
Regional results from the 2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey
North America: North America saw steady growth of 2 percent over last year due to an increase in the major species, with beef and broilers leading the growth at 3 percent each. The U.S. remained the second-largest feed-producing country globally, behind China. Feed prices in North America are the lowest globally across all species, and with the availability of land, water and other resources, the region is expected to remain a primary contributor to feed production.
Latin America: As a region, Latin America was relatively stagnant this year. Brazil remained the leader in feed production for the region and third overall globally. Brazil, Mexico and Argentina continue to produce the majority of feed in Latin America, with 76 percent of regional feed production. Brazil stayed flat, while Mexico and Argentina saw growth of 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Colombia’s feed production grew by approximately 8 percent, primarily due to an increase in pork and egg production. Several countries saw a decline in feed production, such as Venezuela (-27 percent), El Salvador (-16 percent) and Chile (-8 percent).
Europe: Europe saw an overall growth of about 4 percent over last year, making it the second-fastest-growing region in the survey, resulting from feed production increases in layer (7 percent), broiler (5 percent), aquaculture (5 percent), dairy (4 percent) and pig (3 percent). Beef was the only primary protein species to decline, though it was less than 1 percent.
Much of the region’s growth can be attributed to smaller countries, such as Turkmenistan, Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which all saw increases in overall production estimates of 20 percent or more. Additionally, larger-producing countries like Russia, Spain and Turkey saw strong increases in feed production estimates, which added to the overall production growth.
Asia-Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region is home to several of the top 10 feed-producing countries, including China, India and Japan, and accounted for more than 36 percent of the world’s feed tonnage. China maintained status as the top feed-producing country in the world with 187.89 million metric tons, with 10 million metric tons more than the U.S. Increased production for Asia-Pacific came from India with 13 percent due to growth in dairy, layer and broiler feeds. Other countries that demonstrated higher growth variance included Pakistan, Myanmar and Laos. Southeast Asia’s feed production represented over 20 percent of the Asia-Pacific region’s feed production, with Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand contributing to 93 percent of Southeast Asia’s feed production.
Africa: Africa continued strong growth with a 5 percent increase in overall feed production, and no country in the region saw a decline. Morocco demonstrated strong growth across dairy, beef, layers, broilers and turkeys. The areas that declined for feed production were equine (-4 percent) and pets (-14 percent). These two areas represent a very small proportion of Africa’s overall production, so the impact is very minimal. Most of the major animal production species in ruminant and poultry contributed to the overall growth of the region.
Notable species results from the 2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey
In the poultry industry, major growth areas for layer feed included Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. In Europe, Poland and Uzbekistan each saw growth of around 200,000 metric tons. Latin America had increases in Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Mexico. In the Asia-Pacific region, South Korea, India and Indonesia all saw growth of several hundred metric tons. North America experienced overall growth of 2 percent, in which both the U.S. and Canada saw increased production. Africa saw a small decrease in layer production due to declines in both Egypt and Seychelles.
Globally, broiler production increased by approximately 3 percent in 2018. There was growth in all regions, except for Latin America, in which a very small decline was observed. Africa showed 9 percent growth, demonstrating an overall trend that as populations grow and become wealthier, interest in protein — particularly in palatable chicken — does as well.
Pig feed production saw an increase of nearly 1 percent in 2018. The primary producing region for pig feed is Asia-Pacific, but this was also the only region that saw a decline in pig feed production as Mongolia, Vietnam, China, New Zealand and Japan experienced decreases. From a tonnage standpoint, Europe saw the largest growth at approximately 2.2 million metric tons. Russia and Spain accounted for the majority, while Finland, Denmark, France and Poland also contributed. Latin America saw the greatest growth in pig feed as a percentage at 5 percent, with the largest growth seen in Mexico and Argentina.
Global dairy feed production saw growth in North American, Europe and Africa, while Latin America remained flat. Europe, a global leader in dairy production, grew on average by approximately 4 percent. The largest increase was in Turkey with 10 percent, while Ireland, Russia and the U.K. also contributed to the region’s growth. Africa’s growth was primarily due to a significant increase in both Morocco and Nigeria.
North America has always led beef feed production and continues to do so with an increase of 3 percent in 2018. Europe saw a small decline at barely 1 percent and remained in second place. Latin America saw strong growth of approximately 8 percent, with Mexico and Argentina as the primary contributors. As a result, the Latin American region has taken third place in beef feed production, moving ahead of the Asia-Pacific region. China and Australia both saw growth in the Asia-Pacific region but could not offset the overall decline in countries such as Bangladesh, Mongolia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Pakistan.
Overall, aquaculture feeds showed growth of 4 percent over last year. This was primarily attributed to strong increases in the Asia-Pacific and European regions. The traditional Asia-Pacific leaders in aquaculture, Vietnam, India and Indonesia, combined for an additional 1.58 million metric tons of feed in the region. China, the region’s leader, also saw an increase of 1 percent over last year. The primary European leaders either experienced strong growth or remained relatively flat. Those that did grow included Norway and Turkey, both at 7 percent, and Spain at a substantial 31 percent. The other regions remained relatively flat or saw only a 1 percent increase or decrease in feed production, demonstrating the continuity of the industry as a whole.
The pet food sector saw growth of approximately 1 percent, primarily attributed to an increase in the Asia-Pacific region, which was offset by a decrease in the Latin American and African regions. North America and the Middle East both remained relatively flat. In previous surveys, Europe had been the top-producing region for pet food production, but after a reassessment of 2017 numbers and despite growth of 2 percent, it ranks just behind North America. Europe is estimated in 2018 to have produced 8.6 million metric tons in total, approximately 200,000 behind North America. Africa saw a small decrease in production, but the actual tonnage is quite small compared to many of the other regions. The Latin American region experienced a decrease of about 5 percent, which was spread across several countries, including Chile, Venezuela, El Salvador, Colombia, Argentina and Ecuador.
To access more data and insights from the 2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey, including the results booklet, an interactive global map and a pre-recorded video presentation of the results by Dr. Mark Lyons, visit alltechfeedsurvey.com.
The 2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey estimates world feed production increased by 3 percent to 1.103 billion metric tons, with the top eight countries producing 55 percent of the world’s feed production.
Alltech now collects data from 144 countries and nearly 30,000 feed mills to compile its annual Alltech Global Feed Survey. This data collection is a major undertaking, made possible only through Alltech’s global reach.
However, the real work (and fun!) begins when all the data is received, and we have the opportunity to dig deep for insights and trends. We seek to answer the following questions:
Which countries are growing the fastest? Which species saw declines in production? Are any major players slowing down? What are the surprises?
The data presents seemingly endless opportunities for comparison, and we’ve decided to share 18 of the facts we’ve found most interesting from our 2018 data. Perhaps this will serve as “food” for your next dinner conversation!
These quick facts are just a few of the insights we can derive from the Alltech Global Feed Survey. To discover more from the 2019 Alltech Global Feed Survey, including the results booklet, an interactive global map with information from each country and a presentation of the results, visit alltechfeedsurvey.com.
As a general rule, when people think about getting a new puppy, they tend to idealize what it might be like. After all, puppies are often incomparably adorable — and, as a lifelong dog owner, I can attest to the fact that life with a dog really is better. Still, I think it’s important to remember that this change in lifestyle can be complicated. Raising a puppy is typically not for the faint of heart.
Much like small children, young dogs are incredibly demanding of your time and attention, and they are often prone to bouts of sheer willfulness. Your patience will be tested, and you may find yourself occasionally feeling unsure about the added responsibility — but if you put in the time and effort, you will almost certainly be rewarded with an enjoyable companion for many years to come.
Puppies mature rapidly and have twice the daily nutritional requirements of adult dogs. Their muscles, joints, bones, internal organs and immune system are just a few of the major components still developing in their first one to two years of life. A complete and balanced puppy food designed for your dog’s mature size (i.e., small, medium or large) will contain specific nutrients tailored to meet their critical needs. I specifically elaborate on puppy nutrition in this previous article but feel it is also worth noting that you should resist the urge to feed your dog table scraps or “people food” of any kind. Begging is an incredibly difficult habit to break, and human food is typically unhealthy for dogs, as it can lead to digestive issues and increase the potential for obesity.
Your pup will need more regular visits to the vet in his or her first year of life in order to complete the necessary vaccinations and check-ups to make sure he or she is progressing normally. Spaying or neutering should also be completed within the first year, unless you intend to use your dog for breeding purposes. Along with preventing unwanted litters, getting your dog “fixed” provides many health and behavioral benefits, including a decreased risk for certain infections and cancers and a reduced breeding instinct, which can make them less inclined to roam. If you’re feeling unsure about spaying or neutering, this article from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is very informative.
Much like humans, dogs are creatures of habit who tend to thrive on a routine, which helps them feel more secure and comfortable in their environment. Feeding, walking, training and playtime should all be incorporated, and housetraining will go much more smoothly if your puppy knows when to expect potty breaks. Dogs who feel well-established in their day-to-day lives will find it much easier to weather the changes that will inevitably come along from time to time.
It really is never too early to start teaching your new dog the basics (e.g., sit, stay, down, come — and, as an aside, I think proper crate training is also very wise), but it is also important to remember not to expect too much from them too fast. As mentioned above, housetraining is aided by routine, but it is important to note that young dogs can typically only hold their bladders for one hour or so per every month of age; don’t expect them to “hold it” for longer and then get upset when they have an accident. In any case, your dog will be unlikely to associate their “mistake” with your frustration. It is also worth noting that positive reinforcement of good behaviors is critical. You should discourage any behaviors that might seem fine now but that will prove problematic down the road when your dog reaches its mature size, such as jumping. It can be rather difficult to curb bad behaviors that are essentially enforced during a dog’s youth.
Proper socialization is critical to a dog’s future behaviors, but you should supervise all interactions — and, for that matter, you should supervise your puppy as much as possible, since a young dog left to his or her own devices will most likely end up finding some sort of mischief. Enrolling in a puppy class is a great way to advance your training, develop your bond and get your dog accustomed to being around other puppies and people (note that reputable training academies will require current vaccinations for all canine participants). Take your dog along with you as often as you can so that you can expose him or her to all sorts of novel things but be careful not to overwhelm them; recall that patience is a virtue, one that new pet parents must have in spades. A young dog who learns to be comfortable in a variety of settings and situations will be far less likely to exhibit fearfulness and unwanted behaviors, such as aloofness and aggression, later in life. This is particularly important if you wish to do any advanced training or participate in activities like therapy dog work.
This might be the most important advice of all. Puppies are young, and they are going through a lot of big changes. Recall that they have just been separated from their mother and siblings and taken to a new home, a new family and a whole host of new expectations. It can be incredibly easy to become frustrated with them but remember: they may not know any better at this stage — and that’s where you come in! You play a huge role in shaping your dog’s behaviors and ensuring that he or she stays healthy. You must also realize that, while puppies can be difficult to deal with, adolescent dogs can be far worse. Much like teenagers (which they essentially are), they will test boundaries, want to explore their environment more, experience selective hearing and crave more independence. Your patience will almost certainly be tested the most during this stage of life (which will last between 6 months to 2 years of age, depending on your dog’s size), but hold firm, stay positive and be consistent — remember: this too shall pass.
Puppies sure are cute but they're a lot of work, too!
Over the last decade, the study of how nutrition can impact immune function — known as immuno-nutrition — has been examined as an alternative approach to treating or preventing chronic diseases. Many pet owners consider their pets part of the family. As a result, they are choosing higher quality, more nutritious diets for their pets and asking how the right nutrients can prolong their pet’s well-being.
Oxidation and inflammation are the main culprits that can jeopardize the immune system. Making sure that the nutrients delivered as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories are biologically available and absorbable helps ensure that pets are prepared for the excess stress that comes with the aging process.
In our recent webinar, “Immuno-nutrition: Structure function benefits and well-being for pets,” Dr. Rebecca Delles explored how oxidation and inflammation, when left unchecked, can result in damage to important biomolecules in the body.
Winners Tammy Wiedenbeck from Lancaster, Wis.; Rachel Ezzell from Waxhaw, N.C.; Jacob Pierce from Waxhaw, N.C.; and Katie Edmondson from Cortez, Col. were selected by public voting on Facebook
[LEXINGTON, Kentucky] – The Alltech #iamAG online agvocacy photo contest showcased the beauty of American agriculture through the eyes of producers, who submitted and shared photos of their farms for the opportunity to win a trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19), to be held in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 19–21, 2019.
The winners of the Alltech #iamAG photo contest are:
The submitted photos were posted on Alltech’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/AlltechNaturally) for public voting. Winners and a guest each received free registration to ONE19 and $2,000 for travel expenses.
General registration is now open for ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, held in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, from May 19–21, 2019. The annual international conference draws 4,000 attendees from nearly 80 countries to network and discuss world-changing ideas. For more information or to register, visit one.alltech.com. Join the conversation online with #ONE19.
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Contact: press@alltech.com
Jenn Norrie
Photo Caption:
Tammy Wiedenbeck from Lancaster, Wis. has won a trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, for their #iamAG photo.
Photo Caption:
https://photos.alltech.com/pf.tlx?KvMKg0Kp_XeA
Photo Caption:
https://photos.alltech.com/pf.tlx/7879y7YA833
Jacob Pierce from Waxhaw, N.C has won a trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, for their #iamAG photo.
Photo Caption:
https://photos.alltech.com/pf.tlx/tQyt4otU.iqpGt
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Founded in 1980 by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech discovers and delivers solutions for the sustainable nutrition of plants, animals and people. With expertise in yeast fermentation, solid state fermentation and the science of nutrigenomics, Alltech is a leading producer and processor of yeast additives, organic trace minerals, feed ingredients, premix and feed.
Our guiding ACE principle seeks to develop solutions that are safe for the Animal, Consumer and the Environment. Our more than 6,000 talented team members worldwide put this purpose to work every day for our customers.
Alltech is a family-owned company, which allows us to adapt quickly to emerging customer needs and to stay focused on advanced innovation. Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, USA, Alltech has a strong presence in all regions of the world. For further information, visit www.alltech.com/news. Join us in conversation on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
The winners of the Alltech #iamAG photo contest each won a trip to ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, to be held May 19-21, 2019, in Lexington, Kentucky.
The following is an edited transcript of Tom Martin's interview with Debbie Phillips-Donaldson. Click below to hear the full audio.
Tom: I'm talking with Debbie Phillips Donaldson. As editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry Magazine, it's her job to keep a sharp eye on trends in the industry, and she joins us to share some of those observations. Thank you for being with us, Debbie.
Debbie: Thank you for having me.
Tom: So, let's begin with the big question: What is the outlook for pet food marketing, the industry, the market?
Debbie: Overall, it’s very positive. The market is still growing at about 4 percent a year globally, which is better than most other consumer goods industries. In some of the emerging markets, it's growing even faster. But even in the very mature markets, like North America and the U.S. especially, it's still 3 percent or 4 percent growth a year.
Tom: Is it undergoing change, being reshaped? And if so, what's driving that?
Debbie: It's one of those industries — like any other consumer goods industry —that is always undergoing change, same as with human food. That is one big influence: what's happening in human food. But I will say the overall driver would be just that the consumer interaction has ramped up the last five to ten years for human food, and definitely for pet food. They want to know so much more about what's in the food — where the ingredients come from, how it is made — and that's causing pet food companies to be on their toes and to pay a lot more attention to what they're putting in the food. Not that they've never done that, but they are being forced to be more transparent about it, which I think is one of the big changes.
Tom: What would you say are the fastest-growing pet food categories?
Debbie: Right now, they are the what you would call “alternative formats” — raw, freeze-dried, baked — that are all fastest-growing. But, keep in mind, those are much smaller categories to start with. Dry food is by far the largest category around the world, and in some markets, canned food, but the growth is definitely happening in those newer types of food.
Tom: And what about these so-called “indulgence items” — toppers and additives or supplements — “inclusions,” I think they are called?
Debbie: Yes. That's definitely another very fast-growing category, and I will say they're not even necessarily indulgences in all cases. They're becoming much more functional. A lot of them, like treats, have functional ingredients in them and companies are marketing them that way.
Tom: In your role as an editor, what issues come to your attention as mattering the most to today's pet food consumers?
Debbie: Well, I would say definitely the transparency. As I mentioned before, the ingredients are always big. What is in the food, and almost as importantly — for some people, maybe even more importantly — what is not in the food? That is not necessarily coming from a base of knowledge or sound education about it, but that's what they're thinking and wanting to see.
Tom: Are traditional brick-and-mortar pet product retailers able to keep up with or to compete with the big online operations like Amazon or Chewy (now owned by PetSmart), Petco, Walmart — those big ones?
Debbie: It's a huge challenge. It's definitely a challenge all around the world, I think, but especially in more mature markets. I think, in the U.S., the independent pet stores are trying to stay ahead of the game by offering much more of an experience, and there is some data showing that millennials, which are now the largest group of pet owners, seem to value that experience. But, of course, they shop online more than anyone else.
In Europe, it's even more difficult because it's harder for companies to price competitively. In the U.S., they can establish what's called MAP — or minimum advertised price — so companies can try to ensure that what's being charged for one of their foods online is not undercutting the independent pet store retailers much. In Europe, that's not allowed to happen, so it's a challenge.
Tom: Amazon recently launched its own line of dog food — Wag, I think it's called?
Debbie: Yes.
Tom: And it was just the latest entry in the expansion into the online pet retail market. Should competitors be concerned about that?
Debbie: I think so. I would say that pet food companies should be concerned, but again, retailers should, too.
Tom: You mentioned that transparency is a concern among consumers. How is the pet food industry leveraging technology to become more transparent and to be more helpful to consumers?
Debbie: Well, obviously, social media is a key way to do that. I would say that a lot of pet food companies are still trying to find their way in terms of how to be more transparent. There are technological ways. For example, I know some companies will have a barcode or QR code on their packaging. Consumers can scan that and see exactly where the ingredients in that product came from. You go to an “interactive map,” if you will. That's the kind of thing that they are doing to aid transparency.
Tom: Are there some leading latest trends in pet food ingredients?
Debbie: Anything that you're seeing in human food as being big is definitely also big in pet food. I've even heard that sometimes pet food leads human food, which didn’t used to be the case. But grain-free is still huge, which sort of plays up the whole gluten-free trend in human food. Proteins — there's a big focus on proteins, and with pets, it's often novel proteins. I was at this big trade show in Germany two weeks ago called Interzoo, and I actually saw pet food with camel in it.
Tom: Camel?
Debbie: Camel as the protein source. That's a really novel protein. And then, the plant-based ingredients are becoming much more interesting, and you're seeing more and more of them being used and consumers seeming to seek them out.
Tom: What about black soldier fly larvae?
Debbie: Yes. Insect protein is definitely, at least, getting a lot of attention, whether or not it is actually being used a lot. In the U.S., it's not yet approved as a pet food ingredient, but, supposedly, that is being fast-tracked — as much as regulatory things can go quickly. I believe it is legal now or close to being legal in the EU. And so, you do see pet foods and treats in the EU with insect protein, and black soldier fly larvae are one of the big ones being developed right now.
Tom: Are smaller dogs gaining in appeal, and are there implications for dog food?
Debbie: Yes. Smaller dogs are definitely much more popular around the world. As urbanization increases around the world, it makes more sense for people to own smaller pets, including cats and small dogs. So, for the implications for pet foods, you've seen a lot more product devoted to those types of dogs — everything from the size of the kibble, to the shape of it, to the packaging size. Packaging sizes are declining — there is data showing that — and that is one factor.
Tom: Looking globally, what are some emerging pet markets?
Debbie: Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing regions — and within that, China. China is booming. Only 2 percent to 4 percent of the population own pets right now. But as incomes rise, there are more and more people owning pets and spending money on them. The growing middle class is not at all shy about spending money on their pets. So that's booming. It's growing by double digits every year.
Latin America is still growing strong. Eastern Europe has some strength, although decreased a little in the last few years. The Middle East and Africa are growing quickly, too, but those markets are still tiny right now.
Tom: Obesity — is it as much of an issue in pets as in humans? And, if so, how is that influencing the pet food industry?
Debbie: Yes, it is a very big problem in pets, especially in developed markets. Probably around 50 percent of pets are deemed to be obese or overweight. One of the issues is that a lot of owners don't recognize that their pets are obese or overweight, and so there's an education gap there that is a struggle for veterinarians and pet food companies.
In terms of product development, though, there are already lots of weight- control products out there, and I think there is some other research going on that is looking at specific ingredients that can help with that — with satiety and adding fiber and things like that, to help with weight control.
Tom: We hear so much about “fake news,” and we're all having problems with the matter of information and discerning what's real and what isn't. What are the challenges that this age of misinformation present to the pet food industry?
Debbie: They're huge. I would say that that's one of the drivers behind this consumer desire for transparency. About 11 years ago, there was a big pet food recall — 2007 — when a Chinese supplier deliberately contaminated an ingredient called wheat gluten with melamine to try to boost protein content. It caused all kinds of terrible sicknesses and deaths, unfortunately, among pets. It was massive. I think it really shone a light on the fact that a lot of people didn't know what was in their pet's food, where it was made and how it was made.
The industry has since come a lot farther in being more transparent, and they're saying this, but there's still a big gap there. So, into that gap has rushed all kinds of misinformation and myths. I always say, “The internet abhors a vacuum.” There are all kinds of advocates — some well-informed and some not — and activists, if you will, discussing how terrible pet food is, et cetera, et cetera. It's something that the industry has been fighting for a good ten years now. I think they're getting better. I think companies are getting better, but there's still a long way to go.
Tom: Any trends that we haven't touched on that you're keeping an eye on?
Debbie: Well, we touched on the whole online retail trend and growth. There is another trend that's on the retail side that's having a big impact on the industry, and that is what's called mass premiumization. It used to be that the premium pet foods that had certain product features or claims — natural, holistic and limited ingredients, et cetera, et cetera — those were pretty much exclusive to the pet specialty channels and pet stores. Five to ten years ago, some brands started figuring out how to take those products and features and offer them at a price point that worked in grocery stores or other mass marketers, and they've been hugely successful. Those brands have been hugely successful and have, in fact, been acquired by human food companies recently. So, it has caused this huge shift in the types of products that people could find. It's great for the consumers, but it is disrupting different elements of the industry. That's one trend.
I would say another one would be that the health and wellness and ingredient focus just continues to grow, and more research aids that. We'll be hearing a lot this week (at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference) about nutrigenomics and other -omics technology. That's definitely at play in pet food and pet nutrition. Personalization and customization is becoming more of a focus of the industry, too, aided by things like nutrigenomics. So, there are a lot of trends happening that are moving in lockstep with what’s happening for humans.
Tom: Debbie Phillips Donaldson is editor-in-chief of Petfood Industry Magazine. Thanks for being with us, Debbie.
Debbie: Thank you.
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Pet food trends are following human food, with pet owners often seeking functional ingredients, transparency and customized nutrition.
The following is an edited transcript of Nicole Erwin's interview with Dr. Richard Murphy. Click below to hear the full interview:
Nicole: Like their owners, companion animals are living longer, but are they functioning optimally in their later stages of life? I'm talking with Dr. Richard Murphy, research director at the Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland. Thanks for joining us.
Richard: Thank you very much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here again.
Nicole: Dr. Murphy, are we providing our fur babies the right nutrition as they age?
Richard: That's a great question. We could sit and talk for hours on this. We're engaged with a lot of different areas of research in Dunboyne. Primarily, it's on gut health. We’re interested in how nutrition influences the makeup of the bacteria in the gut. We're also very much engaged in trace element research, so we’re looking at how trace elements can impact not only the health of the animal, but also the quality of the food ingredients that we give to our pets.
I think that we need to be careful of what we put into their diet — that's probably the easiest way to look at it. We might think we're doing good, but we could be having a profoundly negative impact on the overall health of our pets.
Nicole: And how can we tell? Will our animals tell us by losing interest in their food? Will their bowels change? What are some signs that we can look for when our pets might need a change in diet?
Richard: Again, a great question. I think a lot of it, when you look at intestinal health, when you look at the microbiome, certainly bowel movements will give a big indication of whether there's something wrong. We know, for instance, a lot of the work that we do on our so-called mannan-enriched fraction — which we isolate from yeast cell wall — we can have a very profound influence on the diversity of the bacteria within the gut.
For me, the key to intestinal microbial health is to have as wide a diversity as possible in the types and range of different bacteria that are present within the gut. That's something that we know we can positively enhance. When you positively enhance the diversity of bacteria within the gut, you tend to have a much healthier gut. The animal tends to be able to resist those pathogen challenges that they would get from time to time. Certainly, when we look at the literature, there's a clear link between diversity, pathogen load and the antimicrobial resistance populations that are present.
Nicole: Does the information and packaging provide the answers that pet owners need when they go to the store? Should they be looking for something specific on the label when they're buying food for their pet?
Richard: I don't think the labeling will even begin to cover that. Manufacturers are limited in many ways to the types of claims that they could make on the packaging. It would be very difficult to explain in one sentence, for instance, how diet is going to influence the makeup of the bacteria within the gut, or how nutrients in the food are going to influence the overall makeup of the nutrients in the gut. So, I think the labeling lets us down, but that's not the manufacturer's fault. There's only so much they can do.
Nicole: From a market perspective, are millennials driving the pet food industry like they are with everything else? I was skimming through Facebook the other day, and I saw a GIF that read, "I work so that I can provide the backyard that my dog deserves." I love that because so many of my friends have that same thought process. If we're making our living decisions around our pets’ happiness, how might that translate into market demands for food and nutrition choices for our fur friends?
Richard: Certainly, from what I've seen and from what I read in the popular press and the news, there is a clear drive now whereby people really want to give their pets the absolute best. So, they're not willing to accept second-rate for their pets. They really want to move more toward premium, and they are looking at providing optimum nutrition.
I think people are more in tune now with how diet and health are linked. With the internet being what it is these days, you can very quickly find a lot of information — some of it “fake,” perhaps — but certainly, you can find a lot of information that will tell you what is good or what is bad. I guess the old adage "pay peanuts, get monkeys" comes to mind as well. If you want a quality product, you really need to look at spending a little extra.
Nicole: I've seen many dogs with tumors — cancerous and non-cancerous — food allergies, you name it. These aging ailments, as with humans, get costly with vet visits. How are you gaining an understanding of how nutrition and immune defenses interact?
Richard: We’ve gotten a lot of insights over the years from the work on monogastrics like pig and poultry, for instance. So, we know that by providing the optimum nutrients and providing the right nutrition at the right time at the right stage of life, you can positively influence the health and performance of “meat animals,” if you want to put it that way. Certainly, the trend toward the development of pet food over the last 10 or 15 years has been more and more toward premium. People have tapped into work that would have been generated from meat production animals, and basically been able to translate that into more optimum nutrition for pets.
Nicole: If the secret to immunity starts in the bowl, which is what we're hearing more and more, how can we choose what is appropriate for our pets when each animal has its own unique microbiome?
Richard: Again, it's back to drawing insights from what we see and work with on the monogastric side. You can get a lot of information from peer-reviewed publications. Scientists will tell you that the overall microbial population in the gut is so important that they would ascribe it being alike to an additional organ. They would actually say that the microbiome is actually like an extension of the body. Such is the importance of it in regard to overall health.
It’s known through many different studies that the gut microflora population, with the way in which it works in terms of breaking down nutrients and producing short-chain fatty acids, can have a profound influence on the development of, not just immune function, but overall intestinal health.
We even see work coming out from a group at University College Cork in Ireland that basically indicates that the microbiome connection can control mood. So, if you look at the gut microflora and look at how we influence it, I think it's very profound in the way we can influence not just the health and performance of our pets, but also perhaps even, in the future, looking at enhancing their mood.
Nicole: Dr. Richard Murphy is the research director at the Alltech European Bioscience Centre in Dunboyne, Ireland. Thank you so much.
Richard: Thank you very much. It's a pleasure.
Dr. Richard Murphy spoke at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Click below to view presentations from ONE18:
Providing pets with the right nutrition at the right stage of life can have a profound influence on their health and immunity.
