Weekly Livestock-Equine News: August 5, 2024
Feedstuff approved in EU for organic livestock production
UK-based Anpario plc announced that its Orego-Stim® Plus, an oregano essential oil-based product, has been approved for use in organic livestock production by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL Germany and Demeter International. The complementary feedstuff is now available in the EU for organic producers to help support optimal production.
Cell feed facility opens in the Netherlands
Dutch-based Nutreco has brought up to commercial operation a dedicated food-grade powder production facility for cell feed in Boxmeer, the Netherlands. The facility is said to produce the first cell feed product developed specifically for the cell-cultured meat industry and has successfully produced the first commercial batch of 50 kilograms of cell feed, with plans to produce several 100 kilograms per week.
PRRS cost pork industry $1.2 billion per year
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome caused an estimated $1.2 billion per year in lost production in the U.S. pork industry from 2016 to 2020, an 80% increase from a decade earlier, according to an analysis by an Iowa State University expert. The viral disease has been present in U.S. swine herds since the mid-1980s and remains a growing threat.
USDA study validates the safety of U.S. pork
At the urging of the National Pork Producers Council, a newly published USDA study found zero Trichinella positives in more than 3.2 million pork samples, demonstrating to domestic and global consumers the safety of U.S. pork. U.S. pork producers participate in the robust Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification program for continuous improvement, including biosecurity practices to prevent on-farm exposure to wildlife and rodents, the main sources of Trichinella in pigs.
Oatly trends toward profitability
Oatly Group AB’s strategic “resets” of its businesses in Europe, North America and China have progressed over the past few years and set the company on a path toward profitability, according to management. While the company experienced a loss of $30.4 million during the second quarter of fiscal 2024, volume growth across its three key regions and a reduced cost structure highlight some of the positive trends underpinning management’s optimism.
Agriculture Department proposes salmonella rule
The Agriculture Department announced plans to limit salmonella in poultry products in the U.S. Under the proposed rule, poultry companies would have to keep salmonella levels under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six particularly sickening forms of the bacteria, three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the bacteria exceeds the proposed standard and any of those strains are found, the poultry couldn’t be sold and would be subject to recall.
Are cow vaccines the answer to H5N1?
Multiple animal vaccine manufacturers are reportedly at work developing flu shots for cows. But a number of scientists question whether vaccination would be an effective way of stopping spread of the H5N1 virus in cattle. And some wonder whether farmers would be willing to absorb the costs of vaccines to prevent an infection they don’t currently view as a serious threat.
