The high scientific level of the event was reflected by the 17 experts from 9 universities and research institutes from Germany, Holland, Austria and France. The program was complemented by the speakers Prof. Bernd Hallier (founder of the European Retail Academy) and Prof. Bernhard Pörksen (Professor of Media Studies, University of Tübingen), who shared their knowledge on the food retailing industry and the mechanisms of a media shitstorm. These speeches gave exciting insights “outside the box” of our industry and ensured the guests had plenty of fodder for conversation.
How important the subject of safety is for feed additives and thus the entire food chain was presented by Dr. Christian Plath Kaesler Nutrition GmbH, in his speech on the Kaesler seal Quality & Trust. Particularly in light of the fact that many additives originate from Asia, it is important to cooperate closely with the manufacturers on equal footing. The aim of this unique seal is to keep the risk of contamination as low as possible through trustworthy, transparent and long-term business relationships.
The topic of „feed optimization without crude protein“ was given plenty of attention as there are many good reasons for reducing protien in feed. This not only makes a decisive contribution to reducing nitrogen emissions from animal husbandry, but also lowers the burden on the metabolism, has a positive effect on gut health and also allows more flexibility when formulating the ration. How feed optimization without crude protein can look was demonstrated through current trials in fattening pigs (David Guillou, Schothorst Feed Research) and broilers (Dr. Karl Schedle, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna). Both studies showed that there need be no loss of quality provided that an appropriate supplementation with amino acids is given. How such supplementation should look in broilers was demonstrated by Etienne Corrent (Ajinomoto Eurolysine S.A.S.) in his overview presentation. The interaction with other amino acids induced by an excess of leucine was explained by Anna Wessels (University Halle-Wittenberg) in her speech. In contrast to agricultural livestock, protein and amino acid evaluation in horses remains a topic where much research is still needed. This was made clear in the presentation by Prof. Anette Zeyner (University Halle-Wittenberg). As chairman of this session Prof. Andreas Susenbeth of Kiel University summarized that an ever increasing approximation to ideal protein is possible with commercially available amino acids. However, in the event of further protein reduction it may be necessary to reconsider the amino acid requirements due to the interactions between essential and non-essential amino acids. Appropriate feeding most certainly opens opportunities for lowering emissions.
The challenges in animal husbandry with regard to animal welfare were demonstrated impressively with extensive photo material by René Pijl (Hoof trimmer, Jever) and Mirjam Lechner (Independent Producer Association Hohenlohe) in their presentation on „Hooves and tails of cows and swine: what they tell us“. Which mechanisms precisely hide behind the phenomena shown in the presentation, is a topic for future research. Metabolism-associated problems in broilers (Prof. Korinna Huber, University of Hohenheim) and in horses (Dr. Ingrid Vervuert, University of Leipzig) were also examined, whereby metabolic stress at cell level is obviously of particular significance. Prof. Jürgen Zentek (Free University of Berlin) explained the diverse possibilities of dietetic and complementary feedstuffs for animal health. In general it can be said that „more“ is not always „better“, but the question of „when“ can be crucial. Roselinde Goselink (University of Wageningen) also pleaded to look more closely and show more understanding for the complex metabolic processes during early lactation of dairy cows with the aim of improving the health and lifespan of cows in the long term. The opportunities for using natural feed additives to prevent inflammation were explained by Frank Menn (LAN) in his presentation. It can generally be said that feed additives will play an increasingly important role in the future in the prevention of certain metabolic disorders. Kaesler Animal Nutrition supplies the international feed industry with safe and high-quality additives that enable economic animal nutrition and guarantee a sustainable and healthy future for man, animal and the environment. Around 120 people are cooperating closely on this demanding task at our headquarters in Cuxhaven and our global representations.