The effects of functional lipids and feed fats used in animal husbandry and aquaculture were the central topic of the symposium held by the Hamburg-based additive manufacturer Berg + Schmidt GmbH
Renowned animal scientists from international research institutions and the field of industrial applications research presented the results of recent studies on the value of feed fats, functional lipids and coated amino acids for animal husbandry.
“In view of favourable developments such as deregulation of the European milk market, an increasing demand for dairy products in the Far East and technical progress in aquaculture, the feed industry currently has good prospects of growth,” said Andreas Reith, managing director of Berg + Schmidt.
“But contrary developments like new trade barriers, shortages of raw materials and volatile markets are subjecting feed manufacturers and animal producers to increasing pressure from prices and costs. Our investments in applications research are a contribution to optimising the use of feed additives and making their use more profitable,” Reith added, explaining the motivation behind the company’s research activities.
In view of its increasing activities in the field of fish and prawn production, Berg + Schmidt recently engaged Dr Wolfgang Koppe, a well-known expert on aquaculture, as an adviser. In his lecture, Dr Koppe pointed out the wide diversity in the physiology of fish and the resulting demands on feed manufacturers. In addition, there are immunological challenges with which animals are confronted worldwide.
A further focal point was the global trend towards the reduction of the use of antibiotics in animal production. This holds great potential for supporting the animals’ health with monoglycerides of lauric acid (MCMs) – a market Berg und Schmidt occupies with its functional lipid LipoVital GL-90.
The slot “Gut health in piglet rearing and sow feeding” was devoted to the use of functional lipids for promoting animal health, longevity and productivity. Dr Klaus Männer from the Institute for Animal Nutrition of the Free University of Berlin spoke on the mode of action of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), triglycerides (MCTs) and monoglycerides (MCMs) in pig production and the ideal times for their use.
An insight into the novel technologies used in the coating process at the B+S production plant in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, was given by Dr Tobias Gorniak, product manager for feed additives. Since the beginning of September, the plant has been using a fluidized bed coating unit to encapsulate amino acids like methionine and lysine, and also vitamins, as rumen-bypass ingredients. Berg + Schmidt will shortly be publishing further details on the potential of this unit for customizing products to meet individual requirements.
After the symposium, Berg + Schmidt GmbH invited its international customers and partners to take part in a dinner at Meyers Festscheune. The informal conclusion to the event gave time for a further exchange of opinion and fruitful suggestions before the next EuroTier in 2020.
