AFIA Nutrition Program Highlights New Insights into Traditional Feed Ingredients

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) hosted a two-hour nutrition education program focused on new research and evolving perspectives on long-established feed ingredients. Held Wednesday, Jan. 28, in conjunction with the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), AFIA's "New Understanding About 'Old' Ingredients" session brought together academic and industry experts to examine performance data, formulation practices and emerging insights related to micro and macro ingredients used in animal nutrition.

"The feed industry continues to refine its understanding of traditional ingredients as new research becomes available," said Yuan-Tai Hung, Ph.D., IFEEDER's senior manager of research. "This program demonstrated how updated data and modern tools can help nutritionists make more informed formulation decisions."

Su A. Lee, Ph.D., research scientist in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discussed the impact of excess and variable calcium levels in feed ingredients, emphasizing how variability can affect nutrient utilization and animal performance.

Katelyn Gaffield, assistant research professor in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, addressed commercial formulation practices with protein ingredients, outlining key considerations nutritionists face when balancing performance, cost and ingredient consistency.

Jarred Oxford, Ph.D., a poultry nutritionist at Cargill North America, presented on optimizing energy and amino acids to support animal performance, sharing strategies to better align nutrient supply with production goals.

Michael Kidd, Ph.D., professor of poultry nutrition at the University of Arkansas, concluded the technical program with a discussion of the industry's past and current understanding of protein ingredients for poultry, and how historical knowledge continues to inform modern feeding strategies.

Attendees were able to ask questions on the evolving role of traditional ingredients in feed formulation following the final presentation. The agenda has been approved for two American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists continuing education units.