Juan Ignacio Fernández
Managing Director AB Vista
Increasing raw material prices, supply chain bottle necks, sustainability concerns; these are just some of the market worries that are requiring the modern feed producer to be more adaptable in their feed formulation strategies.
From the use of more sustainable feed stuffs to doing more with less by improving feed conversion and nutrient utilisation, customer needs are rapidly changing and often overlapping. Feed producers, therefore, have fluctuating objectives that they need to meet in their formulations, which, in turn, requires some degree of flexibility from their partners and suppliers too. Something which AB Vista is happily putting up its hand for.
The animal nutrition technology company recognises the importance that feed additives can play in feed producers meeting these various objectives and is ready to help them with innovative strategies that employ its vast array of services, including Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), and industry knowledge.
In today’s Industry Perspectives, the company’s Managing Director, Juan Ignacio Fernández, shares with Feedinfo how AB Vista is helping feed producers with flexible feed additive approaches, how its Maximum Matrix Nutrition (MMN) application can be of service here, reducing feed costs with non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzymes, and how 40 years of experience in NIR has come in handy in the analysis of phytate and dietary fibre levels in raw materials.
Q: Why do you think there is still a need to encourage feed producers to have flexibility when it comes to their feed additive application strategies?
[Juan Ignacio Fernández] Producers regularly have to adapt their objectives to meet market challenges during these volatile times. Whether they are trying to reduce costs to limit the effect of rising raw material prices or their availability, looking for solutions to improve the health of their animals in this post-antibiotic world or reduce the emissions attributed to their operations, feed additives can be an effective strategy to meet fluctuating
Fernández goals.
Nutritionists can be apprehensive about adapting their formulations due to the potential risks and changes to animal performance. Although this often puts them off making changes, by carefully selecting an experienced enzyme
partner who can provide extensive technical data for their products and expertise in their fields, they can be confident that they will work to find the best solutions to the issue.
Q: What exactly is your Maximum Matrix Nutrition (MMN) application and how can it offer producers more flexibility?
[Juan Ignacio Fernández] The MMN concept is a good example of how to flexibly use an enzyme feeding programme. This strategy capitalises on the properties of Quantum Blue, an enhanced E. coli phytase with a high affinity for phytate, in addition to a thermostable and inhibitor-resistant xylanase, Econase XT. The key objective of MMN is to use NIR data to define the best and optimum Quantum Blue and Econase XT inclusion rate in feed formulation to maximise the potential nutrient release. Combining these enzymes enables feed producers to take higher dietary nutrient contributions whilst maintaining animal performance, enabling considerable cost savings and a reduction in the excretion of nutrients.
Q: You introduced your Quantum Blue phytase over 10 years ago. In that time poultry and swine production challenges have rapidly evolved. How has Quantum Blue kept pace with these developments and why should feed producers still consider it an effective solution when there are so many newer phytases on the market?
[Juan Ignacio Fernández] There are real differences between the commercial phytases present on the market in their ability to degrade phytate quickly, efficiently and effectively enough to have a real positive impact on performance. Approximately 90% of monogastric diets use a phytase to improve feed efficiency and we are seeing a trend towards higher usage per tonne treated. Quantum Blue has shown itself to be very effective in this area, in particular the superdosing application, which is when phytase is supplemented at 2-5 times the standard phytase dose without taking the full nutrient matrix.
Q: Your product portfolio also includes NSPases. How can they also support feed producer flexibility? What should producers consider when choosing their NSPase? And how is AB Vista helping them make the right choice?
[Juan Ignacio Fernández] NSPases can be used to reduce feed costs while maintaining animal performance, but it is important to select the right NSPase to minimise feed conversion ratio. As Arabinoxylan is the main NSP found in raw materials, we advise choosing a xylanase. Xylanases break down arabinoxylans, maximising NSP breakdown of the diet.
In our experience, NSPases can reduce the required metabolizable energy of diets by up to 150Kcal, depending on the cereal used, saving as much as $10 per tonne when the right application method is applied. Our feed intelligence programme, which combines innovative products, nutritional expertise and supporting technical services, provides the customer with the relevant tools to adapt their strategy and maximise the profitability of their business.
Q: How has your vast experience as an NIR provider helped you advance feed additive solutions in animal nutrition? What new developments in the field has it helped you unlock?
[Juan Ignacio Fernández] Developments in NIR could provide cost savings to the feed industry through a greater understanding of feed composition. NIR has traditionally been used to measure starch, protein fat, fibre and moisture levels. We have over 40 years’ experience in this area and hold one of the largest databases, giving customers confidence in the accuracy of their results. We have built on that experience and knowledge, advancing NIR technology to enable the analysis of other parameters, including phytate and dietary fibre.
The latest software and hardware developments can help our customers better understand their feed ingredients including the level of phytate and dietary fibre in raw materials and feeds. Emerging technologies including online calibrations, portable NIR and affordable NIR installations are making NIR technology more accessible across the entire feed industry. The subsequent expansion in the number of NIR analysed results available for industry-wide interpretations brings additional potential benefits, as market trends in feedstuff variability becomes more visible and accurate.Published in association with AB Vista