Beef Nutrition News

China, U.S., and Brazil Lead Global Feed Surge Amid Regional Shifts

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:46:37 GMT

A newly released global feed survey estimates world feed production increased in 2025 by 2.9% to 1.44 billion metric tons.

In the 2026 Agri-Food Outlook released by Alltech , data shows most regions and sectors experienced growth.

“The numbers suggest a strong recovery phase for animal agriculture; but the data show that growth was uneven, increasingly regionalized and driven less by herd expansion than by structural change, productivity gains and shifts in how production is measured and recorded,” Alltech reports.

In North America, operational efficiency gains, sustainability pressures, formulation optimization and consolidation among feed mills continue to reshape the feed industry across the region. Feed tonnage contracted modestly, primarily due to a historically tight cattle cycle and declining beef herd dynamics. Alltech says the region still saw some selective, species-driven momentum, with growth concentrated in broilers and dairy. While pork feed stabilized, the egg and turkey sectors remained in recovery following health-related disruptions.

The survey collected data from 142 countries and 38,837 feed mills in late 2025. By analyzing compound feed production and prices, the survey provides a comprehensive snapshot of global feed production. Alltech says these insights serve as a barometer for the overall livestock industry, highlighting key trends across species, along with regional challenges and opportunities for growth.

Top 10 Feed-Producing Countries

The top 10 feed-producing countries produced 65.2% of the world’s feed in 2025. The survey also showed 47.7% of all global feed tonnage was produced in the top three countries: China, U.S. and Brazil.

Global Feed Volume by Species

More Regional Results

Asia: 559.297 million mt

Asia reigns as the global center of feed production, with growth via industrialization and price-conscious consumers increasing the demand for poultry and aquaculture in 2025. The survey shows continued shifts from on-farm mixing to commercial feed, especially in China. In addition, Southeast Asia experienced a recovery of the sow herd which lifted pork output. Poultry feed tonnage also remained strong.

Europe: 274.061 million mt

Europe’s feed sector in 2025 was differentiated, yet broadly resilient, growing by 1.0%, Alltech notes. Lower raw material prices, supported by large global harvests of soybeans, rapeseed, wheat and maize, improved margins and stimulated production in several key markets. The region stabilized overall even with ongoing disease pressure and regulatory constraints. Modest gains in dairy and broilers offset challenges in other segments.

Latin America: 204.446 million mt

Latin America solidified its position as the world’s premier “protein basket” in 2025. Compound feed demand expanded 2.8% year over year, rising by 5.536 million mt, supported by strong export markets and lower grain prices. Growth was broad-based across the poultry, pork and aquaculture sectors. However, local disruptions in parts of the Andean and Caribbean sub-regions tempered overall expansion.

Africa and the Middle East: 102.549 million mt

Africa expanded strongly (+11.5%) on commercialization and rising compound feed penetration as the Middle East entered a structural plateau (+1.1%). Across both sub-regions, Alltech says three forces shaped performance: protein affordability, input vulnerability driven by grain prices and currency volatility, and continued disease disruptions — particularly related to foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza.

Oceania: 11.104 million mt

Oceania experienced broad-based gains last year, with an overall 3.4% increase supported by population growth, resilient livestock sectors and strong export demand. Absolute increases were at their strongest in the broiler, layer, beef and pig sectors, the report says. High feedlot numbers and elevated cattle inventories sustained record beef production, particularly in Australia (+11%), with more moderate growth in New Zealand (+1.6%). Recovery in layer feeds following an avian influenza outbreak, along with steady demand for chicken and pork, led to a balanced regional expansion.

FAQs

Q: What was the total world feed production in 2025?
A: 1.44 billion metric tons.

Q: Why did U.S. feed production decrease?
A: Production fell by 0.8% due to a tight cattle cycle and declining beef herd dynamics.

Q. Which countries are the top producers of animal feed?
A. The top three feed-producing countries are China (330.06 million mt), the United States (267.38 million mt), and Brazil (89.90 million mt). Together, they account for 47.7% of the world’s total feed tonnage.

Q. Which livestock species saw the highest growth in feed demand?
A. Aquaculture experienced the highest growth rate at 4.7%, followed closely by the broiler sector at 3.7%.

Q. What is driving the growth in the global feed industry?
A. According to Alltech, growth is being driven by structural changes, productivity gains, and shifts in production measurement rather than simple herd expansion.

Q. Which global region had the highest percentage of growth in feed production?
A. Africa saw the most significant growth at 11.5%, fueled by increased commercialization and the rising use of compound feed.

The compound feed production totals and prices reported in the 2026 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook were collected in the first quarter of 2026 with assistance from feed mills and industry and government entities around the world. These figures are estimates and are intended to serve as an informative resource for industry stakeholders. To access more data and insights, visit alltech.com/agri-food-outlook .

ADM and Alltech Launch Akralos Animal Nutrition Joint Venture

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:56:55 GMT

A new animal feed and nutrition company, Akralos Animal Nutrition, launched on Feb. 1. This company, formed through a joint venture between global agriculture leaders ADM and Alltech, combines Alltech’s U.S.-based Hubbard Feeds and Canada-based Masterfeeds businesses with ADM’s U.S. feed operations.

“Akralos brings together proven scale, innovation and infrastructure with a deep commitment to service and results,” Akralos chief executive officer Brian Gier says in a release. “From day one, our focus is on delivering nutrition our customers can rely on, support they can count on and partnerships that help their animals and businesses thrive.”

Through an extensive network of more than 40 feed mills across North America and more than 1,400 team members, Akralos plans to deliver reliable, high-quality feeds, minerals and supplements through its trusted brands, backed by advanced nutrition expertise, leading-edge science and personalized service, the company says.

“Akralos is dedicated to helping customers gain a measurable advantage, bringing together passionate teams, proven products and shared values. Its experienced team works closely with customers to deliver tailored solutions, consistent performance and actionable insights, supported by leading-edge research and development, broad logistical capabilities and strong connections across the agri-food value chain,” Akralos says.

ADM and Alltech’s longstanding relationship goes back to 1980 when ADM was Alltech’s first customer. Akralos brings together both company’s complementary strengths to form a unified organization with a mission to serve as an advanced nutrition partnership committed to delivering a competitive edge for producers, retailers and animal owners across North America.

“With the unique strengths and shared values of Alltech and ADM, we can deliver deeper expertise, broader support and a stronger portfolio of nutrition solutions and services, all designed to help our customers build more profitable and resilient operations,” said Akralos chief operating officer Brad Dalke, an animal feed industry veteran who has served in numerous leadership roles at ADM over the past 27 years.

Akralos will be headquartered in Lexington, Ky., with a footprint including feed manufacturing, research and laboratory facilities.

Hubbard and Masterfeeds remain Akralos’ core customer-facing brands, preserving continuity for customers across North America, the company says.

“Our vision is to become the most trusted name in animal nutrition by delivering high-performance feeds and partnerships that drive results,” Gier says. “We’re here to listen, collaborate and use science to solve real-world challenges — nourishing advantage for all of our customers and partners.”

Updated Meat Processing Guide Released by Meat Institute & Meat Foundation

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:39:26 GMT

The Meat Institute and the Meat Foundation has released an updated “Guide to Meat Processing” to increase understanding of meat production and the unique nature of the ingredients and processes used to make nutrient dense meat and poultry, according to a release.

“Robust scientific evidence demonstrates that meat is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential vitamins, and highly bioavailable minerals that are support human health throughout the lifespan,” said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute.

The guides are meant to help the public better understand nutrition, processing definitions, labeling practices and ingredient functions. The guide defines processed meats and provides more transparency on meat and poultry’s nutritional importance and safety.

All meat is processed and falls into two categories:

Minimally Processed Meats (MPM): Raw, uncooked meat products that have not been significantly transformed compositionally and contain no added ingredients. Products may be reduced in size by fabrication, mincing, grinding, and/or a meat recovery system. Products include: steaks, chops, roasts, grinds and more.

Further Processed Meats (FPM): Products that undergo an alteration, beyond minimal processing. Products may contain approved ingredients and/or be subjected to preservation through salting, curing, drying, or fermentation; thermal processing; batter/ breading; or other processes to enhance sensory, quality, and safety attributes. Products may include ready-to-cook or not ready-to-eat and ready-to-eat products. Examples include: deli meats, hot dogs, sausages, hams, bacon, jerky and more.

The Guide also contains easy-to-read tables explaining ingredients uses and processing methods:

Table 1. Processes Applied to Meat to Create Minimally or Further Processed Meat Items.

Table 2. Common Further Processed Meat Products.

Table 3. Ingredients Commonly Used in Further Processing.

Meat and poultry products are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Any meat product with two or more ingredients must comply with strict FSIS ingredient labeling regulations. All ingredients must be included on the product label in descending order of predominance.

The Guide also references the best nutritional science available to underscore the importance of nutrient dense processed meats to the healthy dietary patterns of children and vulnerable populations like adolescent girls and the elderly.

KatieRose McCullough, Ph.D., MPH Chief Scientist of the Meat Foundation and Senior Director of Science and Public Health at the Meat Institute, authored the guide, which also addresses public health concerns regarding cancer, heart health and obesity. An earlier version of the guide was submitted for use in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans process.

Global Feed Production Rebounds, Says Alltech in Agri-Food Outlook

Tue, 13 May 2025 16:06:02 GMT

Global feed production rebounded in 2024 after a stagnant 2023, increasing 1.2% from 1.380 billion metric tons (mt) to 1.396 billion mt. This growth, achieved despite challenges that included highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), climate fluctuations and economic uncertainty, underscores the resilience and adaptability of the international agriculture industry, Alltech reports in the 2025 Agri-Food Outlook.

The annual report includes the results of the company’s 14th annual global feed production survey with data collected from 142 countries and 28,235 feed mills in 2024. Through an analysis of compound feed production and prices, the survey provides a comprehensive snapshot of global feed production.

Alltech says these insights serve as a barometer for the overall livestock industry, highlighting key trends across species, regional challenges and opportunities for growth.

Top 10 Countries
The Top 10 feed-producing countries in 2024 produced 65.6% of the world’s feed, with 52% of global feed production concentrated in only four countries (China, U.S., Brazil, India).

The Top 10 include:
1. China: 315.030 million mt of feed, down 2.03% from 2023
2. U.S.: 269.620 million mt; up 0.68%
3. Brazil: 86.636 million mt; up 2.43%
4. India: 55.243 million mt; up 4.56%
5. Mexico: 41.401 million mt; up 1.38%
6. Russia: 38.481 million mt; up 8.53%
7. Spain: 35.972 million mt; up 1.46%
8. Vietnam: 25.850 million mt; up 3.41%
9. Türkiye: 24.502 million mt; up 4.83%
10. Japan: 24.297 million mt; up 0.14%

Species Highlights
Poultry feed experienced an increase in production, both for broilers (up 1.8%) and layers (up 1.4%). Broiler feed is the largest species segment, accounting for 27.6% of the total feed tonnage in the world.

“As a ‘budget-friendly’ protein option, the broiler industry benefits from surges in red meat prices,” the authors of the report share. “Affordability drove demand in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, while rising incomes boosted growth in Africa.”

Although HPAI was a persistent issue for poultry production, broiler feed volumes are expected to continue seeing moderate growth in 2025 because of broiler meat’s affordability and export opportunities, the report says.

The slow 1.4% growth rate of layers reflected the challenges facing the industry, including the disruptions by avian influenza and oversupply in some regions, Alltech points out.

Global pig feed production experienced a loss in 2024 of 0.6%, leading to a decreased total of 369.293 million mt, the report notes. Growth in the European, Latin American and North American pork segments was counterbalanced by downturns in Africa and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Oceania.

“These trends were partly dictated by how well producers in each region continued to recover from outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF), with export demand allowing Europe and Latin America to reclaim lost ground,” the authors explain. “Survey respondents were divided in their outlook for pig feed production, which recorded the highest amount of pessimism among all feed segments.”

The report adds that disease management and stabilized feed costs will continue to be critical for the pig feed sector to achieve growth throughout the world.

Dairy feed tonnage increased by 3.2%, to 165.500 million mt. Analysts attribute this to robust consumer demand, favorable milk prices and a shift toward more intensive farming practices, with Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and Latin America all displaying growth.

“While dairy feed production remained stable in North America, Oceania’s reliance on abundant pasture led to a slight dip in its feed tonnage,” the authors say. “Despite challenges that ranged from disease pressures to volatile weather conditions, the global dairy sector continues to exhibit strong resilience and growth potential. The modernization and intensification of production and higher milk yields are expected to foster further increases — but lower farmgate prices in China could limit global gains overall.”

Beef feed tonnage rose from 131.6 million mt in 2023 to 134.1 million mt in 2024. Alltech says this reflects a global increase of 1.8%. North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe and Oceania all recorded gains thanks to a rise in demand for beef exports due to tight supply elsewhere around the world.

“Scarce forages in parts of North America, Latin America and Australia drove cattle producers to rely more heavily on commercial feeds. The decline in beef feed tonnage seen in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East was attributed to oversupply and lower prices,” the report says.

Access more data and insights from the 2025 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook here.

Editor’s Note: The compound feed production totals and prices reported in the 2025 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook were collected in the first quarter of 2025 with assistance from feed mills and industry and government entities around the world. These figures are estimates and are intended to serve as an informative resource for industry stakeholders.

Your next read: A Pinch of This, A Dash of That: It’s Time to Update Pork’s Recipe for Sustainability

Proactive Strategies for Managing Increased Mycotoxin Risk

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 22:29:09 GMT

Mycotoxins are natural substances produced by molds and fungi and are more prevalent in agriculture now more than ever before, according to 2024 U.S. Harvest Analysis released by Alltech. More than 95% of crops today are contaminated with at least one mycotoxin, and often with two or more. Mycotoxins are are difficult to detect and can cause significant damage to animal health before producers even realize their presence.

The comprehensive report determined the combination of heavy early-season rains and late-season droughts has created distinct challenges for crop producers in the United States and indicated that overall risk is moderate to high.

“The trend for corn grain and corn silage is somewhat higher across all regions of the U.S. than it was for 2023,” says Dr. Max Hawkins, global technical support for the Technology Group at Alltech. “This increase in risk is due to the occurrence and levels of type B trichothecenes primarily, but zearalenone and fumonisins are also included in the increase, particularly in the Eastern U.S. The result is an increased pressure on animal health and performance that producers will need to monitor moving forward to maintain a proactive mycotoxin management program.”

What can producers do to manage and mitigate mycotoxin risk?

Learn which mycotoxins pose the highest risk to specific regions, crops and species.
Test and monitor: Regularly test crops and feed to understand what’s present and to ensure high quality.
Leverage weather data: Pay attention to weather patterns and farm-specific conditions to assess potential risks early.
Use comprehensive information: Gather unbiased data from all aspects of your operation and tailor it to fit your specific needs.
Combine methods: Utilize both traditional techniques and new technologies to refine processes and ensure feed quality.
Act proactively: If mycotoxins are present, be proactive with management to ensure high-quality feed production, thus protecting animals and safeguarding your operation’s resilience and success.

Key points included in the analysis include:

Corn silage

The Upper Midwest showed higher risk due to DON than in 2023, while other regions showed a similar risk to 2023. Emerging mycotoxins and Type B trichothecenes had the highest prevalence.

Corn

The risk from corn grain is primarily DON and fumonisins. The risk in the East is similar to 2023, while the risk in the Midwest is greater than 2023, particularly for monogastrics.

The final mycotoxin risk will ultimately depend on the animal species and groups being fed and the mycotoxin concentrations and combinations in the finished diet, according to the report.

Testing includes samples of new-crop grains and forages collected from farms or animal feed production sites across the country, ensuring an accurate picture of mycotoxin contamination. All samples are tested at the leading-edge Alltech 37+® lab, which can detect the presence of 54 mycotoxins.

Meat Institute Tells HHS Dietary Guidelines Should Include Meat as Part of Healthy American Diet

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:52:03 GMT

The Meat Institute urges the US Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) to include meat and poultry as part of a healthy American diet citing flaws and contradictions in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report (Report), according to a release .

“The Committee’s Scientific Report contains contradictory and confusing findings,” said Meat Institute President Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, Susan Backus. “Meat and poultry products are nutrient dense foods that help Americans meet their essential amino acid and nutrient requirements and yet the Report recommends a reduction in red and processed meats. When 95 percent of Americans eat meat, it is important to provide clear dietary guidance to consumers on how they can include the meat products they love in their diets and also produce a positive, measurable health impact.”

The Meat Institute submitted its analysis of the Report’s findings during the comment period. The departments will use the 2025 Report as a key resource when developing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to provide meaningful dietary advice for the American population.

The Meat Institute made the following arguments in the comments:

• Meat and Poultry, Which Includes Red and Processed Meats, Are Part of Healthy Dietary Patterns.

• Protein Foods Are Consumed Within Recommended Ranges

• The Proposed Dietary Pattern Omits Key Nutrient Dense Foods: Meat and Poultry

• Reducing Animal-Based Protein Foods Will Result in Significant Nutrient Impacts

• Dietary Recommendations Based on Level of Processing is Not Appropriate and May Result in Unintended Consequences

• Context and Clarity around Dietary Patterns is Critical

• Dietary Guidance Should Be Practical, Affordable, and Achievable

• HHS and USDA Must Develop Final Policy with the Expertise of Food Scientists and Consumer Behaviorists

• Updates to the Existing Guidelines Must Be Clear and Consistent

• Additional Scientific Disciplines, Including Food Scientists, Should be on the 2030 Advisory Committee

“For guidance to be adopted, information must be communicated so it is understandable and easily translatable,” said Backus. “Guidance should focus on improving dietary habits within the foods Americans already consume; not the idealistic recommendations that will likely never be implemented because they may not be achievable or may be too confusing or expensive.”

The release also pointed out how meat and poultry products provide a balanced source of all essential amino acids and more protein than other food sources. Protein is critical for developing, maintaining, and repairing strong muscles; is vital for growth and brain development in children; and is essential to prevent muscle loss during aging.

The Meat Institute is extremely concerned that consumers will inaccurately perceive meat and poultry products as poor dietary choices, which may lead to a variety of unintended consequences, including nutritional deficiencies in certain sub-populations, said Backus.

The Report found iron deficiency is a public health concern for adolescent females, women ages 20-49 years; and individuals who are pregnant. The Committee also found that many individuals over the age of one year consume below the nutrient intake requirements for dietary protein, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and more.

A recommendation to reduce, limit or avoid nutrient dense products like meat and poultry will have significant unintended nutritional consequences across all life stages, especially in those subpopulations of concern.

“A modified Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern risks the potential for unintended consequences for nutrient and energy intakes. Americans need to improve their eating patterns to promote health,” said Backus. “Considering dietary choices based on taste and cultural preferences, health and economic status, and food availability will be key to improving the dietary habits of Americans. A recommendation to reduce, limit or avoid nutrient dense products like meat and poultry will have significant unintended nutritional consequences across all life stages.”

Other industry groups also weighed in on the Report.

A Champion for Meat

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 18:02:27 GMT

Meat scientist and Mom at the Meat Counter creator Janeal Yancey shares her knowledge to influence the next generation of meat and animal science students and give other moms more confidence in meat purchasing decisions.

Yancey has been working at the University of Arkansas since 2005. Initially, she was hired to run the food safety programs for the meat lab, but through the years her role has included research, teaching and outreach.

“I’ve taught all of the meat evaluation curriculum and have talked about evaluating meat grades, pricing cattle and pricing carcasses,” Yancey says. “I’ve always liked teaching, and they’ve added more classes as the years have gone on. I enjoy the students and helping them see what’s possible in animal and meat science.”

Currently she serves as a meat scientist in the department of animal science.

“I’m a meat scientist, but I’m the first person who gets the phone call when people want somebody to do a demo of the cannulated cow,” she says. “I do a lot of field trips and recruiting trips in the summer, sharing hands-on animal science teaching.”

She’s also been teaching the intro to animal science class since 2019.

“I like teaching and talking to the freshman,” Yancey says. “They are excited to be here. I encourage them that it’s OK if they don’t know exactly what they want to do with their lives. They do figure it out, then it’s nice to watch them grow as they reach the end of their schooling and start their career.”

About 70% of animal science students at the University of Arkansas are female, and a high percentage don’t come from livestock backgrounds, Yancey says.

“Many students coming into the University of Arkansas animal science program are considering veterinary school. When you survey the freshman class, probably 65% to 70% say they want to be a veterinarian,” Yancey says.

Opening students’ eyes to all the possibilities in animal science is a rewarding part of her job.

“Students realize you can be a part of agriculture and not be a veterinarian,” she says. “We’ve got students who go work for feed, poultry and meat companies. We also have students working in banking or for USDA. Some students even take the skills they have learned and apply them to other industries. For example, a former animal science student works in a lab making glasses now, and even Yancey’s obstetrician has a degree in animal science.

“It’s a degree that can lead down a lot of different paths,” she adds.

Yancey’s favorite part is seeing students’ eyes opened to new ideas or concepts.

“I love those ‘ah-ha’ moments when a student figures out something or learns something,” she says. “That moment when you see their eyes light up, and they realize ‘I get this now.’”

Consumer connection

Those moments happen when Yancey does consumer outreach as well. When she became a mom, she saw an opportunity to help other moms learn more about the meat they feed their families. She began blogging at Mom at the Meat Counter in 2011.

“I get to help people see agriculture and animal science from a different perspective and give them a better understanding of meat and meat processing,” she says. “I ask people to approach things with an open mind and not think that farmers and the meat industry are against them.”

Today, Yancey does most of her Mom at the Meat Counter outreach on social media, using Facebook and other platforms to engage with the public.

“I want people to know real people take care of livestock and do it with integrity,” she says. “Real people process them to put healthy food on the plate. The meat industry sometimes is vilified because of bad actors, but those of us in meat science are trying to produce a good, safe, wholesome product.”

Read more: Whole Animal Health Trend Valuable to Ranchers

What Am I Buying? A Guide to Meat Labels

Hemp Seed Livestock Meal Receives Green Lights On Way to Federal Approval

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:07:07 GMT

After years of work and regulatory paperwork, the The Hemp Feed Coalition announces Hemp Seed Meal for laying hens has been recommended by FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine and voted by AAFCO into their Ingredient Definition Committee for the final step in the approval pathway.

The definition allows hemp seed meal up to 20% into feed mixes for laying hens. This marks the first hemp feed ingredient to get federal recommendation and uptake by AAFCO.

Wendy Mosher, CEO at New West Genetics and vice president of Hemp Feed Coalition, says this is something that has been in the works for at least four years.

“There’s a lengthy process for any new crop to get ingredient approval, but it’s worth it, you can’t have commodity crop without a feed opportunity for that crop,” Mosher says. “Federal approval gives us a leg up into adoption and scale.”

Mosher says before deregulation in 2014, hemp acres were zero, then by 2020, climbed to a peak of around 400,000 acres. Today, total U.S. hemp acres are reported around 55,000.

“I think this is a positive thing—it shows with the right incentives crops can be expanded rapidly, and that those participants with long term vision are still here, and are building the markets in a sustainable fashion. Hemp is a great opportunity for the crop rotation as well as soil health” Mosher says. “Hempseed meal as a feed ingredient contributes to the risk mitigation of planting the crop—it’s another place for the crop to go.”

As a feed ingredient, the coalition cites hemp grain providing essential vitamins, minerals, healthy oils, and a complete protein profile. For egg production, this can lead to a value-added product with higher omega 3 content. It has been verified that any potential cannabinoid contaminants do not transfer into the egg product.

With the regulatory obstacles starting to be removed, Mosher is optimistic about the educational opportunities for the market to increase in size.

“Hemp can serve the same basic protein and oil markets that currently use soybeans or canola,” she says. “Feed manufacturers are seeing success, including Wenger Feeds in Pennsylvania who make hemp feed for Kreider Farms’ eggs. In the next year we hope to get some additional adoption by some larger players.”

Mosher highlights her company, New West Genetics, has been developing improved hemp varieties to double grain yield.

“We’ve got momentum in hemp as we are providing high yielding and adapted genetics for hemp production in the U.S., and the industry is also near the finish line on this feed approval,” she says. “It’s a moment we’ve been waiting on for 10 years. In the not so distant future, we hope to see hemp on the million acre scale.”

Food Safety of Ractopamine-fed Beef and Swine

Tue, 03 May 2022 15:48:24 GMT

By Kara Lynch, Dale Rozeboom and David Thompson, Michigan State University Extension

Ractopamine is a feed additive for pigs and beef cattle that has gotten a lot of attention over the last several years. It is used by livestock producers to enhance or increase muscle mass and improve feed efficiency in animals. Because it adds lean muscle to animals prepared for market, it is also popular when feeding show animals to increase their chance of a top placement. It has many different trade names, including Paylean®, Lean Maximizer®, Explode®, XXL®, Overdrive®, Power-Max®, Actogain®, and Optaflexx®.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed many studies designed to establish the safety of ractopamine. They have determined that meat from animals fed ractopamine is safe for human consumption when fed to pigs and cattle according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Because ractopamine is metabolized and cleared rapidly from muscle (meat), the product can be fed right up to time of harvest.

The FDA conducted studies to ensure pork fed ractopamine was safe for human consumption and have established an acceptable daily intake (ADI). Though meat from animals with ractopamine is safe for human consumption, some global markets, including China and the European Union (EU), require that all beef and pork sold there be free of the drug, or from animals never fed the product. How do they justify this position?

First, though ractopamine is cleared rapidly from muscle, it accumulates in greater amounts and persists longer in certain tissues, including liver, lungs, kidney, eyes and hair. These tissues are not typically eaten by U.S. consumers, but may be in some other markets, including China. Second, the zero-tolerance policy for ractopamine in China and EU has been influenced by consumer safety events that occurred several years ago in China and Portugal, which involved serious illnesses caused in people who consumed meat from animals fed a different molecule called clenbuterol. In many countries, including the U.S., clenbuterol is not approved for feeding to meat animals.

Why have some U.S. meat packers stopped accepting ractopamine-supplemented pigs for processing? Economics have played a key role. Because China and the EU have become increasingly important export markets for U.S pork, many large meat packers in the U.S. stopped processing ractopamine fed pigs beginning in late 2019 and early 2020 to help preserve their access to those markets. This led some fairs in Michigan and other states to ban ractopamine use in pigs shown at fairs, since it was unclear if there would be a market for those pigs after fair season ended. Michigan State Univeristy Extension has produced a FAQ resource that can answer more questions relating to the drug itself, how it is used in show pigs and implications of packer restrictions for its use in show pigs.

In conclusion, the U.S. FDA has established and actively enforces safe limits for use of ractopamine in pigs and cattle. When used according to label directions, meat products from animals fed this additive are safe for human consumption. If you are interested in finding out if the meat you are considering purchasing has been fed ractopamine, you can look at USDA’s Official Listing of Approved Never Fed Beta Agonists Programs (updated March 4, 2022). Also, check with your retailer to determine where the meat they sell was sourced. Another option may be to buy a market animal from a farmer who can verify what they included in the feed provided to the animal.

5 Ways to Manage Mycotoxins

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 14:45:17 GMT

The adage that “knowledge is power” is especially true when it comes to understanding mold and mycotoxins. During a recent Phibro Animal Health webinar , Lon Whitlow, professor emeritus at North Carolina State University, discussed how harvest, storage and handling practices can set the stage for mold and mycotoxin growth, which can be potentially dangerous for livestock.

“Under certain conditions, mold can form and proliferate in the fields, in storage or in the feed bunks — and where there’s mold, there are often mycotoxins,” Whitlow explained. “Given this prevalence, coupled with the immense impact mycotoxin contamination can have on an animal’s immune and reproductive systems, feed intake and production, it’s imperative that producers know the causes of mycotoxins to better recognize and treat the symptoms.”

Whitlow offers five reminders to help livestock producers better prevent, recognize and manage mycotoxin contamination.

1. Mycotoxins are routine in the fields and are byproducts of stressed molds.
Insects, disease, low soil fertility and excess water can set the stage for mold growth, which in turn may produce mycotoxins. Once harvested, crops are subject to molds in storage, so Whitlow advised farmers to aerate dry feeds and properly pack and cover silage. Also, consider mold inhibitors or microbial fermentation aids to keep feed mold-free. Cold, wet conditions and winter damage can set the stage for molds and mycotoxins, which require water and just a small amount of oxygen.

2. Where you find evidence of one mycotoxin, there are likely more.
There are thousands of known mold species, Whitlow said, and they may replicate quickly under certain environmental conditions. Fortunately, approximately two-thirds of molds are non-toxigenic or don’t produce mycotoxins, but the remaining one-third may produce more than 500 mycotoxins.

3. Mycotoxicosis can have widespread effects on animal health.
Mycotoxins may impact almost every aspect of immunity, reducing an animal’s ability to process antigens and build antibodies to those antigens. This reduces the maturation of disease-fighting immune cells and also reduces the production of cytokines, which limits the communication of immune cells, he said. Mycotoxins can also have intestinal effects, creating a loss of barrier function, reducing enzymes, increasing intestinal pathogens and causing diarrhea, because animals are unable to maintain water balance.

4. Symptoms of mycotoxin toxicity can be difficult to diagnoses.
Two of the more common mycotoxins are fumonisins and deoxynivalenol (DON). Fumonisins are known to disrupt metabolism and cause nerve degeneration, while DON may cause intestinal irritation, reduction in weight gain, changes in feed intake or lowered immunity. Aflatoxins tend to target the liver, while zearalenone often reduces conception and reproductive performance. One of the least prevalent but potentially most dangerous of all, T-2 toxins, produced by Fusarium molds, can cause cellular injury to multiple organs, resulting in increased disease incidence and even death.

5. Producers can reduce the threat of mycotoxin toxicity.
If contaminated feeds are discovered, Whitlow encouraged producers to sample and test their feeds to help identify what mycotoxins are present and to dilute or remove the contaminated feed if possible. Consider feeding immune enhancers, antioxidants, fibers, buffers or microbials to help strengthen immune systems and GI tracts and include binding agents in feeds to help protect animals from the harmful effects of mycotoxins.

“While prevention in the field and in storage is important, it’s also incumbent upon livestock producers to be vigilant in looking for signs of illness that might be a result of mycotoxin contamination and to act accordingly,” Whitlow said. “The best treatment requires multiple approaches, from buffers to binders.”

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Continue Testing for Mycotoxins

Feed Sustainability: Moving the Animal Protein Industry Forward

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:22:09 GMT

As the animal protein industry continues to find innovative ways to decrease the carbon footprint of animal products, a new resource guide may help move those efforts forward.

The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) recently released the Resource Guide on Sustainable Animal Feed , a digital resource to help companies in the animal feed supply chain better understand and address how the demand for animal protein products – and subsequently animal feed – affects the environment, including air, land, soil, water and biodiversity.

The free resource guide was developed by TSC alongside a group of stakeholders made up of over 20 different organizations including the National Pork Board, Pipestone Systems, BASF, The Nature Conservancy, Syngenta, American Feed Industry Association, Sustainable Food Lab, and others.

“As the demand for animal protein increases, so does the demand for animal feed. Every company along the value chain has the opportunity to make a significant contribution towards feed sustainability. This resource guide supports these organizations in their efforts,” Christy Slay, TSC’s senior director of science and research, said in a release .

Demand Is Rising
Population growth, rising income and changes in diet are just a few reasons why the global demand for animal protein is increasing. According to TSC, recent life-cycle assessments estimate that feed production accounts for 70% of the total carbon footprint of animal products.

The resource guide was created as a resource for sustainability professionals, procurement teams, feed and animal protein industry professionals, researchers, and non-profits. The guide brings together relevant resources and information related to feed sustainability globally with a focus on the U.S.

“The National Pork Board is committed to greater transparency about our industry’s efforts regarding environmental sustainability and our journey of continuous improvement,” Brett Kaysen, vice president or sustainability at the National Pork Board, said in a release. “This means making information, resources and tools available to those who buy pork to sell pork and help them better understand the animal feed supply chain. We’re proud to work with TSC and the other stakeholders to produce this valuable guide.”

A Holistic Approach to Sustainability
The authors behind the guide, Slay and TSC research assistant, Teresa Garcia-Moore, LL.M., hope companies will use this guide to create a more holistic approach to enhancing the overall sustainability of the animal and environment systems.

The guide addresses these key topics:
1. Leading organizations engaged in feed sustainability efforts
2. Useful tools
3. Reports and case study spotlights
4. Research
5. Companies’ feed sustainability initiatives

TSC plans to continually update the guide as resources become available. Access the free, digital guide here .

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How Popular Is Fake Meat In America?

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:54:37 GMT

Research into consumer acceptance of alternative proteins reveals nearly a third of Americans believe fake meat products are simply incomparable to real meat.

That’s the take-away from a survey of nearly 32,000 Americans by Piplsay Market Research, who released their report during the Consumer Technology Association’s annual CES show earlier this month in Las Vegas.

Piplsay’s study found 53% of Americans, mostly millennials, have tried fake meat just out of curiosity, but just 12% of those surveyed said they eat fake meat quite often.

Fewer than 1 in 3 consumers consider fake meats healthy and environmentally friendly. Nearly half of those surveyed believe alternative proteins are highly processed and can’t compare to real meat.

However, the study found a distinct difference in opinion by age group as 16% of millennials said they eat fake meat regularly, while only 8% of baby boomers say they do so. And about a quarter of millennials who eat fake meats say they do so for environmental reasons, the highest among age groups.

More than 50% of baby boomers say they have no interest in trying fake meats – the highest among age groups. Thirty percent of men believe fake meat is healthy and eco-friendly, while only 25% of women share those same views.

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Dan Murphy: Our basic problem

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:53:02 GMT

There’s no shortage of analyses of why we 21st century folks are so unhealthy, despite our high-tech, info-immersive, healthcare-centric lifestyles. Now, here’s the solution to that dilemma.

What’s the basic problem of modern man?

By “man” I mean humanity.

By “modern” I mean postwar, Western societies.

And by “problem” I mean a fundamental dynamic that crosses economic, social and demographic categories as a virtually universal affliction.

With those stipulations, here’s my answer to the question of our basic problem: A radical departure from the lifestyle that marked the first, oh, million or so years of the existence of Homo sapiens, that’s what.

I don’t make that claim based solely on my own insights, formidable as I like to pretend they are. Rather, it’s the conclusion of a thoroughly sourced, elegantly developed thesis of a bona fide researcher published in the scientific journal Nutrition and Dietetics.

Of course, when the findings of actual, credentialed scientists align with my own top-of-mind musings, let me tell you: It’s pretty satisfying.

The author of the article in question, titled, “Meat in the human diet: An anthropological perspective,” is Neil Mann, a retired professor of nutritional biochemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne and a member of Australia’s Mulloon Institute Science Advisory Council. His conclusion is summarized as follows: “Numerous evolutionary adaptations in humans indicate high reliance on meat consumption.”

Meaning that, contrary to the proselytization of today’s activist veganistas, the human race progressed through untold millennia on the basis of a diet rich in animal foods, not the processed plant proteins we’re now supposed to believe is our “natural” sustenance.

The evolutionary timeline

As Dr. Mann detailed, human diets were transformed four or five million years ago, as climate change back then created open grassland environments suitable for the grazing megafauna that sustained eons of human existence.

“We developed a larger brain balanced by a smaller, simpler gastrointestinal tract requiring higher quality foods based around meat protein and fat,” he wrote, noting that his assertion is backed up by fossil evidence of early hominid dental features and isotope analysis of those fossilized remains.

Anthropologists already knew all that, but studies of more recent hunter‐gatherer societies also demonstrated an “extreme reliance” on animal foods derived from hunting and fishing.

Of course, vegetarians argue that we’ve evolved beyond such reliance on animal foods, although since no-meat-for-me vegetarianism first came to prominence a mere two centuries ago, it hardly qualifies as “evolution.”

While there’s little scientific controversy over whether Paleolithic diets represent “a reference standard for modern human nutrition and a model for defense against certain Western‐lifestyle diseases,” as Mann phrased it, there is the matter of the Garden of Eden fantasy, a favorite framing of born-again veggie believers.

According to that theory, humans evolved largely as herbivorous creatures, living in some Garden of Eden-type of environment, where, to quote Genesis, people ate “Every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every fruit of a tree yielding seed, which shall be for meat.”

Leaving aside the inconvenient fact that Eden didn’t exist, the reality is that modern dietary changes, like veganism, are incompatible with the human physiology that evolved over millions of years.

Mann’s article quoted Dr. Boyd Eaton, a diagnostic radiologist, professor of anthropology at Emory University in Atlanta and one of the world’s leading experts in pre-agricultural human diets and ancestral eating patterns.

“We are the heirs of inherited characteristics accrued over millions of years … prior to the advent of agriculture,” Eaton stated. “Genetically, our bodies are virtually the same as they were at the end of the Paleolithic period.”

And that was 10,000 years ago.

Which means that humans didn’t biologically adapt well to the new foods made available by the development of agriculture and certainly not to the immense dietary changes that followed the Industrial Revolution beginning only 200 years ago. As Eaton phrased it, there is “an inevitable discordance between our [current] dietary intake and that which our genes are suited to, a discordance hypothesis [that] could explain many of the chronic diseases of civilization.”

I’ve flogged that thesis relentlessly in this space over the years, but there’s one other factor to consider in pinpointing the epidemiology of humanity’s modern medical problems, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes: activity, or more precisely, the lack thereof.

When scientists such as Drs. Mann and Eaton reference “hunter-gathers” as models for how people maintain optimal health, it’s not just their reliance on unprocessed, natural animal foods that matters. It’s also the fact that hunting and gathering qualifies as the “vigorous daily exercise” in which our doctors urge us to engage.

Not that most physicians I’ve ever encountered could be considered paragons of fitness — but they sure know how to lecture the rest of about exercising as they say, not as they do.

So there you have it: The genesis of the lifestyle diseases plaguing our (allegedly) advanced and educated societies — our lifestyles.

We live on processed snacks and fast food and we spend our lives sitting at our desks, sitting in our cars, sitting on our couches and eventually sitting in some doctor’s office being told we need to eat better, exercise more and lose the excess weight gain those behaviors inevitably trigger.

We can’t go back to a whole lot of daily hunting and gathering, but at least we can resume eating like our ancestors did.

Because that would solve a big piece of our basic lifestyle problem.

The opinions in this commentary are those of Dan Murphy, an award-winning journalist and commentator.

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Nutritionists: Plant-Based Meat’s Health Halo a Nothingburger

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:52:54 GMT

Today the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom placed a full-page ad in The New York Times showcasing quotes from nutrition and medical professionals on plant-based meat’s healthiness—or lack thereof. At a time when 76% of Americans think “plant-based” foods are healthy, CCF is pointing to experts who urge caution about fake meat.

Companies that manufacture meat analogues are trying to latch on to clean eating trends by calling their products “plant-based.” In reality, these ultra-processed products, which can have dozens of ingredients, don’t grown on vines—they’re made in factories. As one dietitian puts it, “It’s not like you’re eating vegetables.” The National Institutes of Health recently found ultra-processed foods cause weight gain.

The ad, which can be found here , is the latest addition in CCF’s campaign to raise awareness of what’s in “plant-based meat.” Additional information, such as blogs and an ingredient comparison tool, can be found at CleanFoodFacts.com . Additional ads have run in The New York Times , USA Today , The Wall Street Journal , and the New York Post .

CCF managing director Will Coggin commented: “The fake meat industry has tried to play down the ultra-processing of these products by comparing them to yogurt or apple pie. But there’s a big difference between homemade baked goods and Frankenfoods created in labs.”

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Fake Meats Don’t Fit Chipotle’s Principles

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:50:22 GMT

Chipotle Mexican Grill joins the ranks of Arby’s and Taco Bell as fast food restaurant chains abstaining from alternative proteins. For now.

CEO Brian Nicole says Chipotle’s commitment to simple food created from just 51 ingredients will not feature alternative proteins the company considers too processed for its customers.

“We’ve spoken to those folks and unfortunately it would not fit with our ‘food with integrity’ principles because of the processing,” Niccol told Bloomberg . “If there’s a way for them to do this that would match our ‘food with integrity’ principles, I’m sure we would continue talking with them.”

Chipotle is currently doing all of its culinary development of new products internally, he added.

In response, Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown invited Chipotle to visit its factory in Columbia, Missouri, and suggested that meat producers are worse.

“You can come to our facility anytime,” Brown said in an interview on Tuesday. “Don’t call me, just knock on the door. I invite you to do the same with all of Chipotle’s meat-processing facilities. They won’t let you, and if they did, you wouldn’t want to see it.

The 2,500-unit chain – which last week reported strong second-quarter same store sales – is doing its own new product developments when it comes to new or adjusted menu items, Niccol added.

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Beyond Meat ‘Tastes Like Overpriced Falafel'

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:49:48 GMT

George Atuan has some interesting and astute observations about your competition, and a vision that may impact your financial success. His latest column is titled “Beyond Meat: An Overpriced Falafel.”

Wait…this is more than just a carnivore’s rant about fake meat. Atuan is a financial columnist for Seeking Alpha, and his study of the plant-based protein startup was designed to help him offer sound investment advice for Beyond Meat stock.

I, along with other card-carrying members of the Heartland Chapter of GCA (that’s Gravy Connoisseurs of America) am convinced fake meat will remain a niche player in the meat industry for the foreseeable future. But how fast these fake meat products capture market share is dependent on money from investors, so the observations of someone like Atuan are important.

George Atuan is the founder and portfolio manager at RedFox Capital, Santiago, Chile , which offers investment advice to high net worth individuals and institutional investors. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Toronto, an MBA from York University and he speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. Whew.

He writes as a free-lance contributor to Seeking Alpha, which offers market insights and financial analysis, investment ideas and stock research written by finance experts.

Atuan is not a dietician or a chef. But, after an in-home comparison of beef burgers and Beyond Meat, Atuan declared the plant-based stuff tasted like “overpriced falafel.”

That word sent me scrambling for a dictionary, because (for me) Atuan might as well have been using Arabic words. Falafel, according to Webster, is “a small croquette made with ground chickpeas or fava beans and spices, often served with salad and tahini in pita bread.”

Here’s Atuan’s description of his first bite of the Beyond Burger:

“At first, I couldn’t pin it, but the second bite took me to my teenage years back in Bethlehem in the Middle East... that is when I realized that Beyond Burgers are just glorified Americanized falafels.”

But, while we may like his comparison, we’re not interested in Atuan’s taste buds. His financial and stock expertise is what we want. Well…if you’re anti-fake meat, Atuan doesn’t disappoint.

Indeed, he offers seven reasons for not buying Beyond Meat stock. Here’s the list:

Problem #1: Tasty, but far from tasting like a real burger.

Problem #2: No moat. Meaning – when better products are made the competition will quickly copy any upgrades.

Problem #3: Tough Competition Ahead. Think Tyson, Nestle and other global behemoths.

Problem #4: Production Bottleneck. Beyond has co-manufacturers, which actually put the product together, and to grow Beyond needs more partners.

Problem #5: Unattractive business economics in steady-state. As Beyond expands it will cease being a niche player, and thus compete with meat packers and find lower returns.

Problem #6: Not a Healthy Substitute. Beyond’s patty has more fat, less protein and four times as much sodium as a beef burger.

Problem #7: Valued to perfection. Atuan says to justify Beyond’s $150 stock price, sales have to reach $22 billion by 2030. Analysts on average forecast full-year 2019 sales of $205 million. In other words, current sales are less than 1% of $22 billion.

Presently, the Beyond patties are priced about 2.4 times higher than the real stuff. I’m no Wall Street analyst and I can’t speak a lick of Arabic, but cowboy logic suggests reaching sales of $22 billion in 10 short years is a tall order.

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Food: A Serious Quest at Olympics

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:49:14 GMT

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — First, U.S. snowboarding star Chloe Kim tweeted about being “down for some ice cream” while competing in Pyeongchang, then about being “hangry” because she hadn’t finished her breakfast sandwich.

Clearly, food is a big deal for Olympians, and it’s usually much more complicated than ice cream and sandwiches: the very specific, highly calibrated fuel they put in their bodies — for energy, for health, for warmth, for a psychological and physiological edge — is an important part of what makes them excel.

Korean food is some of the world’s finest — savory, salty soups with fish so tender it falls off the bone; thick slabs of grilled pork and beef backed with spicy kimchi that many Korean grandmothers swear cures the common cold. But it’s very different from what many foreign Olympians are used to.

“What I recommend for athletes right now in competition mode is to be as safe as possible. This might happen once in a lifetime; you don’t want to blow it with just having an upset stomach because you’ve eaten something that’s different to what your body’s used to,” Susie Parker-Simmons, a sports dietitian for the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said in an interview in Pyeongchang. “I say, as soon as the games is over, go at it; enjoy, be adventurous.”

FEEDING THE ATHLETES

The U.S. team has its own chefs and dietitians, as well as two “nutrition centers” here. And then there’s the food at two athletes villages, where nearly 3,000 athletes from 90 different countries — most of whom strictly follow unique food routines — get fed.

The goal is to provide lots of everything.

The two villages each have massive, 43,055-square-foot dining rooms where nearly 500 chefs and cooking assistants provide a combined 18,000 meals per day. Each dining room is open 24 hours a day and offers about 450 different types of food in buffets that include Western, Asian, Korean, Halal, Kosher, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, David Kihyun Kwak, the director of food and beverage at the Pyeongchang Olympics, said in an interview.

To determine what to serve at Pyeongchang, Kwak’s team analyzed food data for the past five Olympics and also worked closely with other nations’ nutrition specialists.

The amount of raw ingredients used each day to feed the athletes is staggering: 1,540 pounds of beef, 992 pounds of eggs, 771 pounds of lamb, 440 pounds of bacon, 374 pounds of chicken, 220 pounds of rice, 7,495 pounds of fruits and vegetables, about 15,000 pieces of bread and 800 pizzas.

FOOD SAFETY

Most Olympic athletes don’t eat outside of the villages because of worries about the purity of ingredients, Kwak said. The United States did tests before the 2008 Beijing Olympics that found some local chicken contained enough steroids to trigger positive test results.

Experts examine ingredients closely for possible contamination that could threaten athletes’ health or disrupt doping tests. South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has sent more than a dozen food safety specialists to take ingredients samples to buses equipped with fast-testing laboratories to look for potential problems before the food even gets eaten.

HOME COOKING

Finland’s Riikka Valila, the oldest women’s ice hockey player in Olympic history at 44, likes the food options here but misses the “really good bread” back in Finland. She said some of her teammates on gluten-free diets have brought food from home.

The Americans shipped over 85 pallets, each about 6 feet tall and 3 feet deep and wide, filled with pastas, sauces, peanut butter, grains and plants like quinoa, and spices, Parker-Simmons said.

There’s food meant to help with performance and recovery, but there’s also “psychological food,” which Parker-Simmons explains like this: Say an athlete training her whole life for the Olympics fails. She takes it hard; she stops eating. This is when the dietitians will turn to something special — a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, maybe, or Cheez-Its.

Vincent Zhou, a U.S. figure skater, said he needs a lot of carbs, “before, between and after sessions,” to fend off fatigue. “It hasn’t been very difficult finding comfort food,” he said.

EATING FOR PERFORMANCE

The work to optimize nutrition can seem as thorough as the work to perfect the sports skills.

Dietitians have to regularly test cross-country skiers, for instance, who have the highest energy expenditure of any sport in the world, Parker-Simmons said. An average-sized woman will need 4,000 calories or more per day to train and compete; a typical man needs about 7,000 calories, she said. Ski jumpers, on the other hand, sometimes have to drop 10 kilograms below their natural body weight, while keeping up their muscle mass and energy.

FANS SPLIT ON KOREAN FOOD

Foreign fans, of course, have their own food worries and routines.

South Korean officials have tried to provide menus in English and other languages to thousands of local restaurants. And the Korea Tourist Organization has published a brochure, complete with a hotline in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, that outlines “must eat” dishes and where to find them.

Some tourists embrace the exotic.

“I was impressed with the little fish, the eyes and everything,” Julie Thibaudeau, 53, from Quebec, said as she celebrated her son’s gold medal in mogul skiing in a local Pyeongchang restaurant. “I tried, and it was salty, but it was good. And after that I had a good glass of ... beer.”

Others play it safe. Very safe.

“We found Papa John’s (pizza) today, which was literally life-changing because ... we haven’t eaten a lot for the last few days,” Rachel Basford, 31, a teacher in Shanghai who’s from Kent, England, said while drinking in a fried chicken restaurant. “I’m not that adventurous when it comes to trying local foods. I just like to eat British food in various places around the world.”

Asked if she planned to try Korean food she said, with a laugh: “No. Absolutely not. We’re going to Seoul tomorrow so there’s the McDonald’s at Seoul Station, so that should be good.”

WILLPOWER IN THE DINING HALL

For the athletes, sheer abundance can be a danger.

When U.S. figure skater Adam Rippon got to Pyeongchang a coach told him about the last Winter Games in Sochi, when one of her athletes became very excited about all the food available even as his performance in training tanked.

The coach finally understood what was happening when the athlete donned his costume for the short program: “He’d been in the cafeteria the whole time; he’d gained seven pounds before the competition,” Rippon said with a laugh. “And my coach is sitting next to me, and he was like, ‘ha, ha, ha, ha,’ and he turned to me and said, ‘You’d better not get fat while you’re here.’”

Chloe Kim, by the way, finally got her ice cream — and a gold medal. She could be seen eating her treat while being swarmed by reporters.

Copyright, The Associated Press

Carl’s Jr. To Debut Cannabis-Infused Burger

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:24:11 GMT

That headline is not a misprint. Carl’s Jr., the fast-food restaurant with 1,490 locations, will debut a CBD-infused “Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight” at a single location in Denver. The CBD burger will be available for $4.20 during the one-day test, fittingly held on April 20, a weed-filled celebration for many Americans.

With its test of the CBD burger, Carl’s Jr. would become the first major fast-food chain to roll out a cannabis-infused menu item — even if just for a one-location, one-day event.

The CheeseBurger Delight consists of two beef patties, topped with pickled jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, fries, and CBD-infused “Santa Fe Sauce.”

According to Patty Trevino, Carl’s Jr.'s senior vice president of brand marketing, the test is more than a one-day 4/20 stunt. Carl’s Jr. will be monitoring sales and customer and franchisee responses, and if all goes well, Trevino said, expanding the test remains an option — with the possibility of one day rolling out a CBD-infused burger across the US.

“If anyone is going to do it, I would want Carl’s Jr. to do it,” Trevino said of the prospect of launching a CBD-infused menu item nationally.

In total, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, its sister brand that dominates the South and Midwest, have 3,800 locations in 44 states and internationally.

CBD, which has been celebrated for its potential health benefits, is the nonpsychoactive component of marijuana — meaning that eating a CBD burger will not get you high.

Perdue Answers Buzz on Hemp in Animal Feed

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:21:07 GMT

From fiber and oil to clothing and makeup, hemp products are hot. And now some are exploring whether hemp could be a useful ingredient in animal feed.

So what’s the Secretary of Agriculture’s take?

“Hemp in animal feed? I’m not aware of any uses of hemp in animal feed. I know there are other uses,” Sonny Perdue says with a chuckle. “But we’re trying to determine really what those individual uses are.”

While hemp currently isn’t an approved ingredient in animal feed, the Association of Association Feed Control Officials has invited the hemp industry to present information about hemp’s value in feed for scientific review. A high sign agriculture is moving on scientific research is Colorado Senate Bill 17-109, signed by Governor Hickenlooper, that establishes a study group to look at hemp’s possibilities for commercial feed.

Perdue, who worked as a veterinarian and small businessman before entering politics, says he has seen signs that hemp is a hot topic in ag this year—in part because of its new crop status outlined in the 2018 farm bill, which labels hemp with less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as a commercial crop.

“You know, there’s a good bit of hysteria about hemp, and our marketing regulatory program, Under Secretary (Greg) Ibach, fields more questions about hemp than probably anything in the farm bill,” Perdue says.

He concedes that feed could be a potential use.

“Feed, it possibly could be involved in there. That has not been one of the primary uses we’ve heard of. We hear a lot of industrial uses for it, but I think it remains to be seen if part of the product could be used in animal agriculture. Happy cows,” he jokes.

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> What’s the Farmer’s Role in Growing Hemp?

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> From Farm Journal’s PORK:

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Drought Increases Aflatoxin Risk

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:08:44 GMT

Hot and dry cornfield conditions are breeding grounds for dangerous aspergillus ear and kernel mold that produces aflatoxins. This toxin is a known carcinogen, can harm livestock if fed and can lead to rejection at the elevator if abundant in a load.

Drought states are at a particularly high risk for the disease this year.

Aspergillus ear and kernel mold is a green to yellowish green, powdery fungus that survives on plant residue. In addition, spores can be transferred by wind. Damaged and exposed kernels are more susceptible to Aspergillus.

There are ways to manage aflatoxins, according to AgriGold Agronomist Brandon Nystrom.

Scout to determine if the mold is present
Change combine settings and grain moving equipment to minimize kernel damage and remove cracks, fines and lightweight, diseased kernels
Consider harvesting when the corn is above 20% moisture as less Aspergillus will be present and if you do, dry rapidly to at least 14% moisture in under 48 hours
Don’t store grain in any non-aerated site for more than six hours
Manage storage conditions to discourage fungi growth, cool dried grain to 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit

If you find mold that produces aflatoxins in fields it will limit where you can sell the grain. The table below, from Iowa State University (ISU) Extension showcases outlets for the infected grain.

Note, blending aflatoxin-contaminated corn is not legal except for on-farm use, according to Alison Robertson, professor of plant pathology and microbiology at ISU. Ethanol could be another outlet for infected grain. For on-farm use, anhydrous ammonia can reduce the contamination .

Be on the Lookout for Mycotoxins in Livestock Feed

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:08:13 GMT

Producers need to be diligent about monitoring for mycotoxins in livestock feed this winter on the heels of weather conditions that promoted their growth this fall.

Kansas State toxicologist Steve Ensley says Kansas’ summer drought conditions led to a heightened risk of aflatoxin in the state’s grain crop, while wet conditions during the 2018 harvest also made that grain susceptible to fumonisin.

“This year we have already had some death losses associated with mycotoxins in pigs and horses and so we’ve measured just a very few samples of corn and found very high concentrations of fumonisin and aflatoxin,” Ensley says. “I’m very concerned that it may be a bigger health issue statewide than the localized cases we’ve seen so far.”

States in the Corn Belt should be concerned about elevated fumonisin in corn, Ensley says. The fall weather patterns were conducive to a buildup of mycotoxins in feedstuffs, particularly harvested grain and livestock feed. Livestock producers should be on the lookout for feed that may contain unsafe concentrations of mycotoxins, or mold toxins.

“These molds are present in agricultural environments all the time, but when they get on the right substrate with the right temperature and humidity, then they grow and produce a toxin,” Ensley says. “They can be there and not produce a toxin or be there and produce a toxin like we are seeing this year.

“They are not infectious in nature. It’s a toxin that gets in the feed, and then the animal has to consume the feed at the right concentration to get ill.”

Different species show different symptoms, including damage to the animals’ liver, kidney, brain or other organs. The disease is not transferrable to humans, Ensley says.

In addition to aflatoxin and fumonisin, other mycotoxins of concern in Kansas this year include vomitoxin and zearalenone. He also noted that dried distiller’s grains, a by-product of corn ethanol production, can concentrate mycotoxins.

Collecting a reliable sample of grain is key to detecting mycotoxins in an operation.

“The best time to sample is anytime you move grain from the field to the bin, or from the bin to feeding,” he says. “Anytime that grain is moving and you can get multiple samples along that line, that’s the best way to obtain a random sample.”

Ensley says samples that test positive for a mycotoxin can sometimes be diluted to a safe level, except for aflatoxin, a carcinogen that is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Ensley recommends that producers work with local veterinarians to collect reliable samples and interpret results, or they can also contact the K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at 866-512-5650. K-State’s lab is also available by email, clientcare@vet.k-state.edu .

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USB Promotes U.S. Soybean Meal As A Safe, Dependable Feed Ingredient

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 05:07:48 GMT

By: United Soybean Board

The global animal agriculture industry consumes 97% of all U.S. soybean meal, and U.S. farmers are diligent about practices to ensure that U.S. soybean meal is a dependable feed ingredient.

Most of this soybean meal is consumed by swine and poultry. Because of this, the United Soybean Board (USB) is monitoring and responding to a recent outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Chinese swine herds and U.S. farmers are being encouraged to take extra measures to mitigate a potential domestic outbreak by using U.S.-produced soybean meal. While spread by direct or indirect contact, viruses can live on most surfaces for short periods of time, including feed that comes in contact with infected animals. African swine fever has not been detected in the U.S., although it has spread to parts of Europe. Consequently, U.S. pork producers are being cautioned to take extra care with imported meal or synthetic additives and to consider buying more U.S. soybean meal.

“I raise both soybeans and livestock, so I have a personal appreciation for the concerns of the animal agriculture industry,” says Lewis Bainbridge, United Soybean Board (USB) chair and soybean farmer from South Dakota. “We know U.S. soybean meal is a nutritious, reliable product for our animals, and the U.S. soybean industry is committed to providing this abundant supply of feed for poultry and livestock.”

The soy checkoff has consistently participated in efforts to control foreign animal diseases, including projects to mitigate and eradicate threats such as African swine fever, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and others. USB efforts related to pathogens include cross-industry discussions with USB’s feed technical team, who will continue to coordinate during this latest occurrence.

“U.S. soybean farmers know we are providing global pork producers with a wholesome, quality feed ingredient – U.S. soybean meal,” adds Bainbridge. “Through our checkoff, we’re working closely with the pork industry to produce the soybean meal that meets their needs.”

USB’s 73 farmer-directors work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds in programs and partnerships to drive soybean innovation beyond the bushel and increase preference for U.S. soy. That preference is based on U.S. soybean meal and oil quality and the sustainability of U.S. soybean farmers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

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