The Greek physician Hippocrates, often considered the father of medicine, was the first person recorded to suggest a relationship between nutrition and maintaining good health. In the thousands of years since, the effect of nutrition on health has gained a whole new perspective through a scientific area of study called “nutrigenomics.”

What is nutrigenomics?

Your pet’s genome consists of all of its genetic material, or DNA. It provides the basic information for your pet’s life. You can think of it as a blueprint, providing carefully drawn out plans for your pet’s healthy life. However, outside influences, such as the environment and nutrition, can have a strong impact on the expression of this genetic information, or essentially how that blueprint is read.

The canine and feline genome sequences were first reported in 2005 and 2007, respectively. These breakthroughs opened the door for cutting-edge research approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms behind everyday life. While knowing the DNA sequence of a genome is an essential first step, the real breakthroughs come from understanding how each of the genes in that sequence responds to outside influences and how this relates to health and disease.

By up-regulating (“turning on”) or down-regulating (“turning off”) genes, the body changes the levels of the proteins that make up structures and functions in the cells. This, in turn, alters physiological processes like energy production or immune response. Nutrigenomics is the field of research we use to study if changes in genes occur with changes in the animal’s diet. By understanding nutritional influences on the genome, we can understand how these responses impact animal health. Using DNA microarrays, the basis for nutrigenomic studies, allows researchers to evaluate the activity of thousands of genes at a time. These studies provide us with new tools for understanding how nutrients precisely work, why different forms of nutrients have different effects and how such nutrients can be optimized for health.

Nutrigenomics is disrupting the classical view of animal nutrition, allowing us to look at “you are what you eat” in a whole new light.

How can we use nutrigenomics in pet nutrition?

A vast amount of data is generated from nutrigenomic studies. From a single experiment, we find out how thousands of genes respond to a diet change. This slew of information can help elucidate the complex interactions between nutrition, an individual animal’s genetic code, and the onset or prevention of diseases and disorders. By considering these aspects of nutrient-gene interactions, we can ultimately design diets for the treatment or prevention of specific diseases. For instance, if we can understand the molecular changes that occur prior to the onset of joint inflammation and arthritis, we can potentially use nutrition to diminish these changes and prevent this disorder.

Nutrigenomics can also help us focus on the area of “precision nutrition.” This is especially important when considering the unique nutritional challenges of different breeds and life stages of pets. For instance, if a breed of dog is predisposed to a disease like obesity, researchers can use genomics to determine what changes occur in gene activity with the onset of disease. They can then test different diets to see what nutritional strategies can prevent these changes in gene expression.

Even further, we can use nutrigenomics to identify the unique nutrient requirements of different breeds, life stages or activity levels of pets. We can then use the information gathered to design appropriate and precise diets to these specific aspects, which will help ensure our pets experience optimal health and well-being.

Is this the future of nutrition?

The more we understand about nutrition, the more we can use it in the way Hippocrates envisioned, as a tool to fight disease and maintain good health. While the idea of personalized nutrition for pets is still a long way off, research in the field of nutrigenomics makes steps toward this ultimate goal every day. Even more important is that every bit of data generated in this quest helps us feed our pets better and make steps toward optimal health through nutrition.

Want to learn more?

Americans sure do love their pets. With 68 percent of U.S. households owning a pet, we collectively spent $66.75 billion on our best friends in 2016. It goes without saying how much we care about them, and our concerns certainly include their health and the health of our family members who interact with them on a daily basis.

Because we have made our pets a part of our family, we want them to have the best we can offer in food and nutrition, always considering the source of the food, its ingredients and its quality. But the actual safety of their food goes beyond these important considerations.

When we think of pet food safety, there are two sides to this issue: the potential that the food could cause harm to our pets, and the possibility that the food could cause harm to family members who interact with them and their food.

If we consider food safety for the pet, then we could certainly mention the melamine scare of 2007. In that instance, pet foods were produced with vegetable protein tainted with melamine, an industrial chemical not approved as an ingredient in animal or human food in the United States. The tainted food led to renal failure in many cats and dogs, with some unfortunately dying from their illness. More information about this incident can be found at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

Another example of contaminants that may sicken our best friends is mycotoxins. These are naturally occurring toxins produced by molds. Mycotoxins can be associated with many plant products as a result of toxigenic molds growing on them. Even though the FDA has regulations and guidelines related to maximum allowed levels for some of these toxins in pet food, once in a while we have issues related to these compounds. One example would be from 2005, when aflatoxin-contaminated dog food was shipped to 22 different states and at least 29 different countries. Nineteen different types of pet foods had to be recalled.

The other aspect related to pet food safety is the safety of family members who interact with pets. In more than one instance, human illnesses have been associated with the handling of contaminated pet food. In one of these situations, in 2012, 49 individuals were infected with Salmonella infantis, and investigations found the source of the bacteria was the dry dog food offered by those individuals to their pets. This outbreak also triggered a recall of 17 product brands, representing more than 30,000 tons of dry dog food.

Lessons learned for better safety

All these incidents have served as painful lessons for the pet food industry, government and pet owners. Much has changed in regard to the implementation of pet food safety management systems by the industry: pet owners have become aware of the potential hazards associated with their pet’s food and guidelines have been promoted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help prevent outbreaks associated with Salmonella. In an effort to further increase the safety of foods for humans and animals, the FDA has also recently implemented a series of rules, known as the Food Safety Modernization Act, related to the processing of foods that will certainly contribute to reducing the occurrence of these incidents in the U.S.

If you would like to learn more about the hazards associated with pet foods, the tools used by the pet food industry to control them, new regulations that will support efforts to produce wholesome and safe pet foods, as well as some guidelines to keep your family safe while feeding your pets, be sure to check back on this blog. Future entries will be dedicated to each of these topics.

I want to learn more about pet nutrition.

Environmental control in pig housing is important for animal growth and health. Modern farms have computer-controlled systems that are adjusted automatically to optimize the environment depending on the stage of growth or reproduction, based on ideal temperature curves established from research and models. For example, for growing pigs, temperature needs to decrease by set amounts as they increase in body weight. However, it is important to ensure the correct growth curve is selected in any automated system to account for breed, age and health of the animals.

When animals have been moved to new housing, perhaps following weaning, it may take several days for them to adjust to their surroundings and the new supply of water and feed, and feed intake may drop during this time. The environmental temperature will need to be held at a higher level, compared to their weaning shed, until they have adapted suitably and resumed consumption and growth. Therefore, although computer-controlled systems are very useful, management by personnel and suitable reactions regarding changes in the regulation of temperature are still key to ensuring the growth and health of the pigs.

Relative humidity

Relative humidity (RH) is defined as the ratio of air-water vapor at a specific temperature compared to the maximum amount of water vapour the air could hold, expressed as a percentage. Under normal, ambient temperatures, pigs can tolerate wide ranges of RH, although RH is still used to assess air quality in housing, and RH should be maintained between 60 percent and 90 percent. Nasal mucosa can be severely reduced in very dry housing conditions (low RH), leading to an increased risk of developing health problems from airborne pathogens, particularly those of the respiratory tract. Conversely, in wet conditions with higher RH, pathogens present in water droplets increase exposure to disease.

For nursery pigs, high RH can be a problem when the ambient air temperature is low, as automated ventilation systems reduce the amount of fresh air circulating within the house, allowing RH to increase to problematic levels. Under these conditions, an increase in respiratory disease can occur, which may affect the health and growth of the pigs. Intervention by management personnel is required under these conditions to ensure ventilation rates are maintained. Additional space heaters can be used to get the house up to temperature before moving the piglets.

In modern housing systems, both temperature and RH can be controlled automatically via sensors. However, care is needed with these, as they can become damaged during clean out and power washing. Their accuracy should be verified on a regular basis using handheld and empirical devices.

Today’s high-quality pet foods include a number of functional ingredients to improve the overall health of our beloved pets. Some of these ingredients claim improved digestive health and better stool quality, which is especially important to on-the-go urban pet parents living in small spaces — less mess to pick up.

Today’s pet food choices are quite extensive, from specific breeds, sizes, life stages and activity levels to allergies and sensitivities. The choice overload can make the purchasing decision an intimidating task for some pet parents, especially for first-timers.

How can we make choosing what to feed Fido easier? Let’s take a closer look at functional ingredients and why you might want to consider finding a food that contains them.

Functional ingredients in pet nutrition

Functional ingredients are ingredients that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, such as prebiotic fibers, beneficial probiotic bacteria, omega-3 fatty acids (DHA/EPA) and enriched selenium yeast.

Why should I look for functional ingredients in a pet food label?

Functional ingredients can provide health benefits when part of a complete and balanced diet. Prebiotics and probiotics have been reported to positively influence and maintain normal digestive health.

The food you choose could cut time poop scooping

The amount of pet waste correlates to the amount of indigestible content in the food. A healthy stool is moist and firm and has a mild smell. Prebiotics and probiotics in your pet’s food would help maintain normal digestion, minimizing issues that could create messy and smelly stools.

What is that smell?

Your pet’s waste is just residues from digestion. Bacteria decomposition and ammonia production occurs inside the intestine and then is released with the feces. Smell can be a challenge, particularly in confined spaces with poor ventilation.

Yucca schidigera: The secret of the desert

Yucca schidigera is a plant that grows in the southwestern deserts of the United States and Mexico. It has mainly been used for ammonia and odor control in livestock production, but it has application in pet foods that have high meat content because of its efficacy in helping metabolize protein and nitrogen.

How do I know if my pet food contains functional ingredients?

Ingredients are listed by the name required by the regulatory authorities. Here is an example of how some functional ingredients may be listed on the label:

• Beneficial probiotic bacteria (e.g.,Lactobacillus strains)

• Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA/EPA): Marine sources are best, such as fish oil and algae.

• Selenium (e.g., selenium yeast)

There is only so much arable land on planet Earth. Only so much water. But people are plentiful and becoming increasingly so, year after year. And people must eat to survive.

So how are we humans doing on the matter of feeding ourselves?

The World Health Organization has set the bar high, defining food security as “a situation when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preference for an active and healthy life.”

We do not live in that perfect world.

The global population is on track to swell from the present 7 billion to nearly 10 billion people in the next 30 years, according to the United Nations (U.N.). And if World Bank projections are on target, Earth’s population will have doubled by 2080.

According to the most recent update (2015) of U.N. population data, most of the world (60 percent of the global population) lives in Asia, 16 percent in Africa, 10 percent in Europe, 9 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the remaining 5 percent in North America and Oceania (Micronesia, Fiji and all of Polynesia). China and India remain the two largest countries of the world, each with more than 1 billion people, representing 19 and 18 percent of the world’s population, respectively.

With such demographics to consider against the backdrop of finite natural resources, the security of a sustainable global food supply is challenging researchers and planners to map long-term strategies.

Agricultural production will have to increase significantly in order to meet the growing need. Can it be done safely and sustainably?

Food price volatility will somehow have to be brought under control — a tall order in a world of competing (even warring) nations and economies contending with increasing demand from finite resources.

Without agricultural innovation, half of the population could be undernourished by 2050

Those concerns, as pressing as they are, may pale in comparison, however, with the uncertainty and disruption brought on by climate change.

“Under a no-climate change scenario, based upon projected changes in population and agricultural land use only, 31 percent (2.5 billion people by 2050) of the global population is at risk of undernourishment if no adaptation or agricultural innovation is made in the intervening years,” according to projections cited in the report “Modelling Impacts of Climate Change on Global Food Security” by a team of researchers at the University of Dundee in Scotland and the University of Southampton and the University of Reading in England.

“An additional 21 percent (1.7 billion people) is at risk of undernourishment by 2050 when climate change is taken into account,” the report states.

A young girl in Kolminy, Haiti, eats peanut butter bread given to her by missionaries. Credit: Michelle D. Milliman / Shutterstock.com

The researchers concede that their projections do not take into account future trends in technology, improved crop varieties or agricultural trade interventions, “although it is clear that all of these adaptation strategies will need to be embraced on a global scale if society is to ensure adequate food supplies for a projected global population of greater than 9 billion people.”

Important solutions might arrive through technological innovation. But there are other key factors to consider.

“There are lots of things that technology can do, but there are also global political and cultural systems coming into play all the time,” said Dr. Karl Dawson, Alltech’s chief scientific officer. “It’s not something a single scientific breakthrough is going to solve.”

Literal food security in the face of terrorism

The term “food security” becomes very literal in the context of the rise of terrorism around the world today.

Since the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept.11, 2001, for example, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has stepped up efforts to protect America's supply of meat, poultry and egg products from intentional or unintentional contamination.

FSIS inspectors have remained on heightened alert to detect unusual or suspicious activity, reinspecting imported meat and poultry products before they are allowed to enter the U.S. food supply.

It’s no small irony that food insecurity can act as a catalyst for conditions that lead to terrorism, according to a report by the World Food Programme.

China’s rising middle class and diminishing arable land

In addition to changes in climate and social and political instability, one factor looms large: China.

Shoppers fill Nanjing Road in Shanghai. Credit: TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com

Although China's agricultural output is the largest in the world, only about 15 percent of its total land area can be cultivated.

“In a quest for rapid economic growth, and the global economy’s insatiable desire for the supply of cheap Chinese goods, China has displayed agricultural negligence — with ramifications yet to be determined, but likely to serve as a catalyst in food security negotiations,” writes the World Policy Journal’s Keshar Patel.

The Chinese ministries of Environmental Protection and Land and Resources issued a national bulletin on soil pollution in 2014 stating that one-fifth of Chinese soil is fallow, “a consequence of exposure to heavy metal contaminants.” The statement described the soil and environmental problems as serious.

This reality collides with another: China’s overall food supply, while growing, is not rising fast enough to keep up with demand.

“The key long-term food security challenge in China remains the steady growth in protein consumption (fueled by urbanization and an expanding middle class),” said Michael Woolsey, senior strategic manager for Alltech China.

“This situation explains much of the sharp rise in beef, pork and dairy imports in the past decade,” he continued. “China can close this gap by improving productivity, as Chinese agricultural productivity remains well below global leaders in key industries.”

Woolsey noted that China’s corn yields per hectare are half the levels in the U.S. and Brazil. Dairy output per cow is 40 percent the dairy output in Wisconsin. Average piglets per sow per year are reportedly around 15, roughly half the level in the European Union.

Chinese imports of wheat have doubled in recent years, as Chinese grain self-sufficiency has drastically decreased.

And after years of negotiations, notes USA Today, “China has agreed to open its domestic market for U.S. rice exports for the first time ever, acknowledging its need for foreign shipments to meet the growing demands of its vast middle class.”

Rice terraces were built into the hillsides of Gullin, China, during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368).

Servicing that demand has prompted the Chinese government to start leasing farms in North and South America, Australia and Africa. And in some cases, it has bought the land outright, according to Patel.

Water is also at a premium in China.

“Rice is an aquatic crop, a water and labor hog, demanding twice as much labor and water as any other row crop in Asia,” reports Forbes. “In China alone, rice consumes about 70 percent of the nation’s irrigated water.”

Spread the tech to places where it’s needed

“So much of our focus is on high-input agriculture in the U.S. and South America and other parts of the world, but the U.N. estimates that about 60 percent of our food comes from peasant agriculture in low-income countries,” said University of Kentucky agricultural economist Lee Meyer. “That area has seen substantial growth in food output, but there is so much more potential there.”

Key to enabling those countries to meet their food output potentials, asserts Dawson, is finding ways to democratize technologies.

“Getting technology uniformly distributed around the world so we can have an efficient food production system is very important,” he said. “We have the technologies, and we do a lot to develop new technologies, but I’m concerned about educating the world about what those technologies can do and then implementing those technologies.”

Improved feed, feed efficiency, seed genetics, animal genetics and on-farm technical capacity are all key to improving Chinese agricultural productivity, according to Woolsey. Alltech’s range of animal nutrition solutions and technical assistance are helping Chinese producers close the productivity gap, he said.

Alltech partnered with Nestlé in opening a Dairy Farming Insititute in Shuangcheng, Heilongjiang province, China, to help train Chinese dairy farmers.

Dawson, as Alltech’s chief scientist, has for years concentrated on the study of such solutions, with a focus on nutrigenomics, the science of understanding nutrition’s impact at the genetic level. This work has resulted in the development of new tools for understanding precisely how nutrients function, why different forms of nutrients have different effects and how such nutrients can be optimized for health.

“It’s providing us with a very basic toolset that allows us to look at production efficiencies, animal health and the overall effectiveness of food production systems,” he said. “It’s not going to solve all of the problems, but it provides us with a way of evaluating new management strategies and techniques and feeding strategies that we never had before.”

Raising fish on land

Fish farming holds tremendous promise in responding to surging demand for food that is taking place due to global population growth, according to a report by the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

This has led to a rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry in recent years, and with it, increased water pollution. The search for ways to prevent contamination has resulted in the development of land-based farms known as recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).

RAS systems consist of tanks, water filtration units and, usually, degassing and oxygenation. For warm water species, the water is heated as well. This reconditioned water can be recirculated and reused.

“These systems were developed to become less dependent on water sources and climates. Now you can farm almost anywhere with these advantages,” said Gijs Rutjes, technical sales support manager at Coppens International, the Dutch fish feed producer that joined the Alltech family of companies in 2016.

“Closed systems score much better. They have no escapees, the feces are collected and removed, and the nitrogen and phosphorus output is reduced due to filtration units in closed RAS systems,” Rutjes said.

Closed, recirculating aquaculture systems, such as the Marine Harvest one shown here, improve efficiency of production and reduce environmental impact.

Salmon farms have started to move more of their production on land for this purpose.

“There’s a lot of investment in these systems in the Scandinavian countries,” said Dawson. “They’re becoming important, particularly in the area of environmental impact. There is a complete re-use of water; capturing carbon dioxide and recirculating heat to generate power. It gives a whole new meaning to what it takes to build a biological protein.”

Food waste: A paradox of plenty

Perhaps most confounding for a world in search of ways to feed an expanding human population is waste. Countries that have more food also waste more food, according to YieldWise, a seven-year, $130 million Rockefeller Foundation initiative to demonstrate how food loss and waste can be cut in half globally.

“About a third of total food is wasted or at least doesn’t make it from the farm to final consumption,” noted Meyer.

That’s enough to feed everyone in the world for two months, according to the YieldWise initiative. The effort’s initial focus is on fruits, vegetables and staple crops in Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, where up to half of all food grown is lost.

Begging for brains: New talent needed for agricultural innovation

The status of global food security is subject to many influences, including the unpredictable. One thing is certain: The planet needs very smart people to carry on the evolution of present technologies and to envision entirely new and innovative solutions to these vexing issues. While perhaps not for everyone, the broad field of agriculture is begging for talent.

“Oh, absolutely,” acknowledged Meyer. “In the College of Agriculture, we are the applied nature to so many of the sciences. There are programs in biotechnology, agricultural engineering, agricultural economics, international development, food policy. There are really rewarding ways to apply a good education in this whole area of food production and food security.”

The following is an edited transcript of Luther Andal's interview with Dr. Aman Sayed, managing director of Alltech India and regional director of Alltech South Asia.

Click below to hear the full interview:

Luther: Dr. Aman Sayed is managing director of Alltech India and the company’s regional director for South Asia. Welcome.

Aman: Thank you.

Luther: Give us an overview of India as a country, as a culture and as a people.

Aman: Well, let me start with saying that India is going through a big transformation at this point in time. What is there in India, and why should the world look at India today? The biggest strategic asset that India has is the population today. After independence, for a few decades, people were considered a liability or burden. However, now, people are considered an asset and human capital. There are about 1.33 billion people in India. Over the next five to six years, we will be the most populated country in the world.

Looking at the demographics of the population, we are a young India today. The median age is 28, which is much lower compared to the rest of the world. This poses a great opportunity, I believe, to the rest of the world and is why they need to look at India. In a very short period, I would say that India will become a sought-after country for business because there is a readily available workforce of talented, educated people.

Luther: India is very diverse as a culture and in terms of language, and religion, and states — union territories. Can you just give us a little overview of that diversity?

Aman: We have about 29 states in India and seven union territories. There are 22 official languages, but there are more than 1,000 dialects and more than seven religions. But we live together in great harmony. It’s important to understand that every state, in a way, acts like a different country. So, understanding the Indian culture for an outsider is quite important.

We live together all in harmony, despite being of different religions and different languages. But, again, the country brings everybody together. Though the national language is Hindu, most of the people speak English, which is another great asset for us. I have no doubt in a decade, India will be the number one English-speaking country in the world.

Luther: Right now, they’re number two.

Aman: They are. Yeah.

Luther: Tell us a little bit about the Indian economy. How fast is it growing? Maybe give us the breakdown of gross domestic product (GDP) at a high level.

Aman: Since gaining independence, we have grown at a rate of about 3 and 3.5 percent for about 40 to 50 years. But since a transformation in 2002, we have started growing at 78 percent, and we are now the fastest-growing country in the world in terms of economy. As far as the GDP, we are about $8.7 trillion today — third in the world. So, we have a significant contribution from the services sector, followed by the agriculture and the industrial sectors. We have surpassed China in GDP growth. And that’s one of the reasons why the world is looking at us today.

Luther: One of the fascinating things that you brought up was the new way that India looks at its people as a resource and as capital. That’s a big transformation, and it’s been part of the growth of the economy. Correct?

Aman: That’s right. And people are educated now. People are talented and they are readily available for the rest of the world. I believe that with the changes to immigration laws across the world, it will be time for the other countries to operate within India and export products, rather than the Indian workforce.

The number of talented people keeps growing, and the rest of the world will have to confront the fact that, in the future, their top management team is likely to come from India. The growth is coming from India — a generation in India — and they are really talented.

Luther: So, in terms of that resource capital, since around 2002, as you said, a lot of that has been some outsourcing IT, but you’re talking also about the development inside of India — of companies, startups and other areas. Correct?

Aman: That’s right. India is the number three country in the world in terms of startups. There are more than 4,200 startup companies in India. And they are all looking for help. And that’s something that the rest of the world needs to look at and consider investing in and trying to help. We know that more than 90 percent of startup companies fail — but why not look at those remaining 10 percent in terms of how we could assist in bringing their innovation and disruption to the world?

Luther: When we talk about the Indian economy — we’ve talked about trends toward education, toward technology — and diversity is obviously a part of it. What about the trends toward urbanization in India?

Aman: Today in India, there are about 630,000 villages. Seventy percent of India is rural, and there is constant migration from the rural villages to larger cities in India. Two out of every five Indians are migrants. So, that brings a significant opportunity for those companies that are a part of the rural economy, as well as those who consider the cities. This migration will continue until 2050. Why is this migration there? There’s migration because of education; to get better work. This is going to continue for a few decades, and it’s something one should consider in terms of the opportunities and where the human capital is.

Luther: We’ve seen a lot of changes in India. What about food? Have there been changes in preferences or taste palate in India as these changes have occurred?

Aman: Well, as you know, they say that Indian food is probably the best-tasting food in the world. During the last fiscal year, we produced record food gains. But it would still be fair to say that we are a hungry India, even today. There are a lot of reforms required, whether they’re for the prevention of wastage, better processing technologies and so on. We have a big population that is anemic. We have a very big population that is underweight and undernourished. So, there is an opportunity for companies in the food sector to come to India and explore which part of the supply chain they could help and assist and at the same time do business.

Luther: Well, following up on that point of agriculture, what’s going on with agriculture in India today?

Aman: Well, let me start by saying that, for an agriculture farmer today, the land holding is quite low compared to other countries. Each farmer holds a plot size of about 1.2 hectares. So, that poses challenges. But having said that, the Indian farmer is going digital. That digitization has transformed — and continues to transform — the agriculture industry.

Today, we have a situation in which, because of smartphones — even though the farmer’s literacy rate is very low — they are able to use the smartphones effectively. They are able to buy seeds through WhatsApp, for example. They are able to see the market price for their produce, whereas previously they would have taken produce to market to be sold for the going rate that day. Now they know the market price beforehand.

So, the digitalization in agriculture is increasing and improving. There are primary banks that have now gone into rural India. Financial literacy is also improving for the farmers, which is great. Indian farmers were previously prey to money lenders, who charged 40 to 50 percent interest rates. Now that has changed. So, it’s a great opportunity, I think, for agri-finance companies that are into improving the yield or into processing. There are significant foreign direct investment benefits provided to foreign companies by the Indian government, particularly in the food retail side of things.

Luther: How important is the dairy industry to India?

Aman: India is the number one milk producer in the world. We have lots of cows — about 300 million. You may say the yield is low, but we are getting better. We are improving our genetics. We are improving our nutrition. It’s a great opportunity, even for countries outside India.

In another decade, we will need about 200 million metric tons of milk. Is that milk going to come from India? Probably not. We may have to import milk in India from other parts of the world. The only question is: Are the countries outside India willing to export milk to India in that situation? We are going to need a lot of milk. Coming back to your question on the dairy sector, there is about 4 percent total growth every year. The milk products are growing at a rate of 20 to 25 percent, whether it’s cheese, butter, ghee — all of those. So, it’s a big transformation happening in the dairy sector as well.

Luther: We’ve covered the fact that India has an educated workforce, that they have a lot of experience with technology, certifications that are necessary for outsourcing, but also the fact that they are growing startup-wise and have a lot to offer. What other advantages do they offer the world?

Aman: Well, I think the biggest advantage is the talent and the IT sector, which is growing at a rate of 14 percent. You see, there is a lot of high-information technology and the business process outsourcing (BPO) side of things, which is growing and significantly contributing to the Indian GDP. Indians have a 67 percent market share of IT revenue. So, in the “Silicon Valley of India” — which is Bangalore — you have a lot of IT. And, as I said earlier, with the changes in immigration laws, I think it is important for countries to go to India and hire those talented people, and work with them, and get the best out of it. So, I see that as a significant impact.

Luther: Can you give us a little history on Alltech in India?

Aman: You know, Dr. Pearse Lyons had the dream to go to India. It was in the late 1990s. And in 2001, when we set up Alltech India, we disrupted the technology and the traditional method of feeding trace minerals in India, whether it was within the poultry, dairy or aquaculture industries. Today, Alltech has 30 percent of the market share in terms of the minerals. On the dairy front, we have disrupted the traditional method of testing the feedstuff by introducing the Alltech® In Vitro Fermentation Model (IFM).

Now, the dairy producers look to Alltech India to help redefine the nutrition and provide better nutrition and improve the efficiency for the cows. Overall, it’s a profitable situation for the farmer. And now, after having registered Alltech Crop Science, we are looking at disrupting the fertilizer market as India moves toward organic farming. So, I think that’s what we contribute to the industry — what Alltech contributes to the industry — that’s quite significant.

Luther: The term “rising billions” has been widely discussed. It is the emergence of markets in India and people in India, China, Africa and other areas of Asia that are moving up and coming into a middle class, coming into a workforce, becoming urbanized. Can you just discuss with us, as Alltech does their work in India, how important it is for the future of India in terms of feeding the country themselves and in general meeting the demands of the future?

Aman: You pointed out, very rightly, the rising billions. In the first 50 years of independence, our economy grew at just about 3 percent. We had the spike of 5 percent once or twice, but it wasn’t stable. So, it took almost 45 years or so for India to double its per capita income. Now there is a 7 percent growth in the economy — which is likely to reach double digits, growth in population of about 1.5 percent, and every Indian will double their per capita income in about eight to nine years — in even less time — four to five years — in urban areas So, you are right. A billion people are growing through prosperity. The only question is for the rest of the world: Would you like to be a part of this prosperity?

India today is at a stage of fast forward. The question to the rest of the world is: Would you like to be a part of this journey? And Alltech India is strategically placed to work with those farmers. When you said, “the middle class,” more than 50 percent of Indians belong to this segment today. And many of them have the desire and the dream to prosper in their life through dairy farming, through fish farming, through aquaculture —fish farming and shrimp farming. So, we are rightly placed at Alltech India to work with those farmers and be a part of their prosperity.

Luther: So, what does the future hold for India? Can you summarize that? What do you see? Where are we going?

Aman: I have no doubt that in 2040, India will be a superpower. The only question for the rest of the world is: Would you like to be a part of this successful ship named India?

Luther: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Aman: I love to meet people. I love traveling. The most enjoyable part for me is interaction with my team, which is great. Let me also tell you, that is quite unusual in the marketplace. The attrition rate in India today is about 20 percent in most workforce segments, including IT. However, in Alltech India, you will be surprised to know that for the sales team, our attrition rate has been zero for the last 18 months — quite unusual.

Luther: Dr. Aman Sayed is managing director of Alltech India and the company’s regional director for South Asia. Thank you for joining me.

Aman: Thank you very much.

Aman Sayed spoke at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE17). To hear more talks from the conference, sign up for the Alltech Idea Lab.

There is no doubt that corn silage, barley silage and alfalfa haylage are the major fermented forages supporting the dairy industry in Canada and the US. Any variation in the nutrient composition and digestibility of these forages will therefore directly affect a producer’s ability to meet their dairy cows' nutrient requirements throughout the year.

In other words, a good understanding of the nutritive value of your fermented forages will allow you to develop a nutrition program that helps your cows reach their true genetic potential for milk production and health.

More nutrients for the cow, more dollars in your pocket

Over the last few years, nutritionists and dairy producers have been paying special attention to the nutritive value of fermented forages. It is now widely acknowledged that this nutritional concept can positively impact animal productivity and producer profitability. The performance of the modern dairy cow is highly dependent upon the adequate levels and favorable balances of nutrients in the fermented forages they consume.

It is an oversimplification to define the nutritive value of fermented forages purely as the ability to supply the nutrients present in the dry matter to the cow. Before nutrients can reach their target tissue in the cow, the feed must be consumed (feed intake) and the nutrients in the forage must be released and absorbed by the cow (digestion).

When it comes to digestion, fermentable forages are a step ahead

Many factors influence the nutritive value of fermentable forages, including forage cultivar, stage of maturity at harvest and storage methods. In contrast to non-fermentable forages, the digestion of fermentable forage begins long before it is added to the feed bunk.

During normal ensiling processes, some nutrients ferment, releasing molecules that make the crop more palatable and easier to digest. Under these conditions, the nutrients have a better chance of being ingested and absorbed.

Practically speaking, this fermentable forage has an optimum nutritive value. In commercial dairy herds, this forage will result in high milk yield and milk components, leading to excellent reproductive performance and good health.

Test your forage to see how it measures up

Usually, producers and nutritionists send forage samples to a lab in order to obtain information on the nutritional composition of the fermented forages. However, this information can come up short in terms of allowing producers to understand how available these nutrients are to the cow.

Fortunately, methods such as Alltech’s In vitro Fermentation Model have been developed to efficiently and quickly determine the nutrient availability in these forages, including the neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), or the organic matter digestibility. Results from these tests are positively correlated with potential intake. When this information is analyzed as a whole, producers can get a good idea of the nutritive value of their fermented forage.

In Ontario and Quebec, a recent survey carried out on 47 fermented forages indicated that over 84 percent of the forage samples collected showed NDFD (at 30 hours in vitro) values below 52 percent, suggesting poor nutritive value. Therefore, it is important not to assume that your forages have a good nutritive value. To assure herd performance, testing is a must.

Reviewing the nutritive value of the fermented forages used in any feeding program is essential to help your dairy herd reach its maximum genetic potential and is an integral part of dairy farming profitability.

Mineral needs in modern dairy diets

Most dairy research tends to focus on protein and energy needs, and minerals are often overlooked. Yet, when we fail to consider the role of minerals, problems can arise, including interferences or interactions with minerals in feed and water.

Mineral types

• Zinc:
  • Essential to more than 200 enzyme systems at work in the animal, such as carbohydrate and energy metabolism, protein synthesis, nucleic acid metabolism, epithelial integrity, cell repair and division and utilization of vitamins A and E
  • Needed for development/function of the immune system and critical to the cellular function of cells, including heterophils, basophils, macrophages and T-lymphocytes
  • Essential in wound healing
  • Critical to reproduction because of its involvement in sexual maturity, reproductive capacity and semen quality
• Copper
  • Component of immune system enzymes
  • Necessary to increase structural health and elasticity of connective tissue and blood vessels as well as increase strength of bone
  • Needed for metabolism of iron and maturation of red blood cells
• Manganese
  • Cofactor for enzymes in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and nucleic acids
  • Essential for normal brain function
  • Involved in the formation of collagen, bone growth, urea formation, fatty acid synthesis, cholesterol synthesis and protein digestion
  • Important for proper immune function and wound healing
• Selenium
  • Critical to proper enzyme function and cellular antioxidant systems
  • Involved in muscle contraction and immune functions
  • Important for reproduction

Form defines function

Understanding the difference between organic and inorganic minerals is important. When we look closely at organic minerals, or minerals with a carbon structure such as Bioplex®, they are in the same form that we would find in corn, grain or forages. In other words, they are similar to the minerals stored in plants.

Bioplex minerals are produced by replicating plant material in a patented manufacturing process, which chelates the minerals onto amino acids and peptides. Bioplex and Sel-Plex® trace minerals provide mineral nutrition in the forms most similar to those present naturally in food and feed ingredients.

Why not just supplement with more inorganics?

There are various issues that can arise when using inorganic minerals due to their lower biological activity, including associated environmental concerns. Various research studies have demonstrated that over-fortification of trace minerals can elevate antibiotic resistance in swine operations as bacteria like Salmonella develop tolerance to high levels of copper and zinc.

Inorganic minerals can have various mineral interactions, and they can serve as antagonists that can interfere with normal biological processes. Examples include:

• High levels of calcium and phosphorus can reduce manganese utilization by up to 65 percent (Wedekind and Baker, 1990; Baker and Oduho, 1994).
• Excess manganese itself impairs utilization of iron (Baker and Halpin, 1991).
• Excess zinc has an antagonistic effect on copper and manganese (Vohra and Heil, 1969).

Total replacement in dairy heifers: The research support behind Bioplex

When comparing supplementing Bioplex minerals to sulfate forms of minerals in a study done by Pino and Heinrichs, published in the 2016 Journal of Dairy Science, Bioplex diets included fewer trace minerals yet showed an increase in total volatile fatty acid and butyrate concentrations, due to an acceleration of rumen organism replication. The dairy heifers also spent less time eating, indicating that Bioplex minerals had improved palatability.

There are other examples of Bioplex’s effect:

• In 1993, a study done in Missouri determined that Bioplex Zn® supplemented at 800 milligrams per day led to a reduction in the number of new mastitis infections.

• In 2007, a study done by Kinal showed that Bioplex trace minerals reduced somatic cell counts, and the same study showed that there was more milk produced in the first 60 days of lactation when using Bioplex.
• A study done by Scaletti and Harmon in 2012 showed a reduction in E. coli levels in milk as well as an increase in milk production.

The research support behind Sel-Plex

In a study done by Silvestre and Thatcher in 2006, cows supplemented with Sel-Plex showed improvements in immune function, adaptive immunity, cervical discharge scores and pregnancy rates.

The adage that “form defines function,” especially when it comes to minerals, is both important and true. Alltech continues to carry out research across the world to prove the impact of organic minerals on herd health and performance.

For more information on Bioplex and Sel-Plex, click here.

To listen to the full webinar with Roger Scaletti, Ph.D. click on the button below.

Click here to watch the webinar

Documenting trends is the closest thing in business to peering into a crystal ball. When it comes to consumer food trends, a dizzying variety of surveys from around the world readily fill pages upon pages of a Google search.

But which trends are long-term and which are just passing fads? What are shoppers really thinking? What’s influencing or impacting their behaviors? And what’s driving their purchases?

A particular pair of studies stands out for depth of insight for those along the food chain whose job it is to tweak strategic consumer marketing plans.

PERIscope 2017 is a biennial, large-scale quantitative study launched in 2001 by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. Based on interviews with 1,000 consumers in each of eight countries, the study identifies major shifts in consumer attitudes over time. The eight markets include Ireland and Great Britain, four continental European Union markets, as well as the U.S. and China. The study explores consumer attitudes about eating at home, cooking, local food, the environment, and health and well-being.

A second survey taps into the consumer food trend perceptions of more than 1,700 registered dietitians (RDs). What’s Trending in Nutrition, an annual survey produced in partnership between Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian magazine, covers bases ranging from shifting attitudes to favored resources and much in between.

Here are some of the highlights featured in each.

A source of tension

Among the standout trends of 2017 illuminated in the eight-nation PERIscope survey is a tension between the desire for “new” versus the comfort of tradition.

“We know that across all markets, consumers are placing more importance on spending time as a family over meals, enjoying cooking more and increasingly hosting dinner parties, all indicating people’s desire to balance modern life with tradition,” said David Deeley, a member of Bord Bia’s consumer and market insight team.

Among the countries surveyed for PERIscope, China, followed by Spain, leads in striving to balance modernization and tradition. The U.K. is ranked 7th and the Netherlands dead last in this category.

This finding is supported by the Today’s Dietitian survey, which attributes the latest shift in consumer food perceptions to a slower and more thoughtful approach to eating.

Keep it real

When it comes to authenticity, noted PERIscope’s Deeley, “consumers are tired of uniform, impersonal, throw-away products and the invisible nature of global supply chains. They crave stronger connections with the brands they buy, increasingly seeking out authentic and storied products that tell their brand story in an interesting and resonating way.”

What’s the story behind the story?

The demand for transparency is as strong as ever. The PERIscope survey finds consumers continuing to challenge producers to provide the full details about their food products. Labeling and quality symbols are a major point of interest for many countries, especially in China, where many people have lost faith in the safety of produce.

Provenance and quality matter. In Ireland, 78 percent of food shoppers check for country of origin, while checking for quality symbols stands at 75 percent, up by 20 percent since 2001. In the U.S., almost 7 in 10 people claim to check for country of origin, while 67 percent of consumers check for a symbol or certificate that guarantees the quality of the produce, according to the survey.

Registered dietitians responding to the Today’s Dietitian poll indicate that GMO-free and sustainable foods have experienced on average a 20 percent decrease in terms of what concerns consumers.

“Dietitians attribute this decline to food label transparency and more food companies changing their ingredient deck,” the report said.

And 59 percent of dietitians said consumers are choosing to "eat clean,” selecting foods that are less processed as well as more whole foods, such as veggies, fruits, ancient grains and green tea. Plant-based proteins like nuts and seeds also figure more prominently in diets.

Make it lasting and environmentally friendly

Smart devices deliver a mind-boggling amount of information about brand practices, processes and procedures. The result?

“Consumers are calling out inappropriate, bland or opaque brand behavior and are sharing it with their peers,” observed Deeley.

The PERIscope study finds that consumers prefer to buy from companies that are aware of environmental issues and the value of sustainability.

“We also know that they’re increasingly more aware of terms like ‘food waste’ and ‘sustainably produced' in countries like Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, where awareness of both tops 90 percent,” he said.

Across all eight markets, the survey shows that consumers are adopting a greener mindset and are increasingly drawn to eco-friendly businesses and practices.

Deeley’s suggestion to food producers and processors: “Recycling, upcycling, downcycling, zero waste — it doesn’t matter what you call it. Just be sure that you adopt a green mindset and eliminate any negative environmental impact your products and services may directly or indirectly cause before, during and after production — this includes the entire consumption cycle, too.”

Localism lives on

With a growing number of adults turning toward the local and the familiar, the emergence of the “locavore” is becoming ever more pervasive, according to the PERIscope 2017 survey.

“Local food for consumers means food that is better quality and is transparent in its production processes,” said Deeley. “A growing number are looking closer to home for groceries, and more and more are seeing the importance of purchasing from their local communities. This trend holds true across most countries, with the French placing the most importance on buying local foods (79 percent).”

China (76 percent) and Spain (75 percent), Ireland (67 percent), Germany (64 percent) and the U.S. (60 percent) are warming to the concept. Consumers in Great Britain (55 percent) and the Netherlands (35 percent) are the least interested in seeking out specifically local food sources.

Make it quick — but good

Demand for foods that are quick to prepare has been on the rise. Pre-portioned meal delivery services such as Blue Apron, HelloFresh and FreshDirect have skyrocketed, with 45 percent of consumers now turning to these and similar healthy meal or weight loss menu delivery programs in order to eat healthier, according to the Today’s Dietitian survey.

“In Ireland, this figure rose from 56 percent in 2001 to almost 7 in 10 (69 percent) in 2017,” according to PERIscope’s Deeley. “The majority of Americans have a tendency to pick foods that are easy to prepare (91 percent) and quick to cook (85 percent). More than 7 in 10 people claim to eat convenience or ready-prepared meals regularly.”

In an observation worthy of the attention of food labelers, Deeley noted some uncertainty about which foods are healthy, “with close to half of those polled claiming to be confused about the health benefits of particular foods and 60 percent saying nutritional claims and food labels are hard to understand.”

Keep it interesting

More than 7 in 10 consumers in all eight countries of the PERIscope survey claim they like to try new foods. An increasingly wider variety of foods is available in today’s markets, making it is easier for consumers to explore foods from around the world.

And there’s China again, leading this time in adventurous eating, with 96 percent saying they like to try new foods. And once again, the Chinese are trailed closely by Spanish consumers in an open-mindedness about new foods (94 percent), while the French (81 percent) and Irish (74 percent) are more likely to stick with what they know.

There are apps for that

When it comes to technology, Chinese consumers are far ahead of their counterparts in the seven other countries surveyed by PERIscope in 2017.

Asked if they have ever downloaded a food app, 76 percent of Chinese consumers responded that they have. The next closest are Americans at 34 percent, with only 19 percent of Irish and 18 percent of consumers in the U.K. poking at food icons on their smart devices.

What is influencing consumer perception?

The survey of dietitians looked at the sources of consumer nutrition information. Most (73 percent) said consumers rely on blogs and websites, followed by social media (70 percent). Fifty-eight percent turn to television and radio for most of their information.

The survey also reveals a paradox by asking where consumers get the most nutrition misinformation. Seventy-seven percent cited social media, 67 percent pointed to blogs and websites, and 63 percent said celebrities often get it wrong (a change from 2016, when celebrities were believed to be more misleading than social media).

Consumers gauge their health and weight, according to the dietitians, by comparing themselves to people in magazines or on television (72 percent), friends/family members (64 percent) or people on social media (57 percent).

Food consumers in China are far more likely than those in the other seven countries of the PERIscope survey to share recipes via social media — 77 percent of Chinese respondents versus the next highest social media users, Americans at 41 percent.

Where are registered dietitians sourcing their own information? According to the Today’s Dietitian survey, most (80 percent) of RDs have bookmarked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate website for nutrition education. Sixty-five percent include the published resources of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics among their tools.

What leaps off the page

“For me, the most interesting story is revealed when we look back at the 2001 report and track the changes over time,” said Deeley. “The world was certainly a very different place, and that is reflected in those reports. Today, we know that health and well-being have changed dramatically over time, with people now making more conscious decisions to enjoy a holistic approach to physical health and emotional well-being.”

Although dietitians say consumer awareness of healthy food has increased and mindful eating is on the rise in 2017, they note that issues of access and cost continue to prevent certain populations from being able to eat and purchase healthy food.

“For low-income consumers, RDs say that cost, above all other factors including physical health, is the largest barrier when making food purchasing decisions,” suggests the Today’s Dietitian study. “This often makes healthy eating options out of reach for low-income families. RDs recommend increasing affordability and availability of nutritious food in low-income areas to help reduce barriers to healthy eating.”

The polling for what’s hot and what’s not in 2018 is underway. It will be interesting to see how these trends persist, shift or change altogether in the coming year.

Everything in moderation is healthy. Although this is often used in the context of human nutrition, I think it may be relevant for pets as we see novel ingredients and new superfoods coming into the food chain.

There is so much information out there about the next best food for you and/or for your pet — what you should add — or not — to your pet’s food and even how to make your own pet food. With Google at hand, you can become an instant nutrition expert.

For those adventurous enough to make their own pet food, you must consider that the food needs to be in complete balance, or sola dosis facit venenum — the dose makes the poison. The complete balance of nutrients is important, as is the total amount. An excessive nutrient can cause toxicity, or its deficiency can cause serious health issues.

Take zinc, for example. Zinc deficiency results in what is known as zinc responsive dermatosis, which causes symptoms such as hair loss and scaling and crusting of the skin around the face, head and legs. On the other hand, over-supplementation of zinc can result in interference of absorption of other nutrients and minerals like calcium, copper and iron.

What are superfoods, and what makes them so special?

They are typically of plant origin but can include some fish and dairy. They are called “superfoods” because they are thought to be packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, etc.

Some of these superfoods have found their way into pet foods, like blueberries, turmeric and coconut oil, to mention a few. Their inclusion rate is low and in moderation, and they are listed by the The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO, the pet food regulatory body). Other superfoods, like acai berry or garcinia cambogia, will not be seen in pet foods yet, because we do not know how they would affect your pet and, therefore, are not approved ingredients to be used in pet food.

As I work with pet food companies from all over the world, one thing I notice is the use of food to support well-being. It is a trend that just keeps growing and growing. Pet food companies know that the best way to keep our best friends happy and healthy is through using quality ingredients, the proper balance of nutrients, adequate amounts of vitamins, the proper ratio of fatty acids, the use of proteinated minerals, and sources of probiotics and prebiotics for digestive health.

Proteinated minerals have proven to provide shinier hair coats, and prebiotics and probiotics help to keep the bad bacteria out of the body. The result is a healthy digestive tract that is able to absorb all the nutrients that come flying past the intestinal villi, and take them right up into the body where they are needed.

Trends come and go, but choosing a pet food based on pet health rather than cost is something that will never go out of style. If only there was a magic ingredient, like the spring water in “Tuck Everlasting,” then I could dream about walking my dog down to his favorite spot by the river for the next 150 years…