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Day: May 9, 2023

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Modern technologies in the poultry sector

The future is here: modern technologies in the European poultry sector

How the latest technologies contribute to a more sustainable sector

When thinking about the European poultry sector, an old-fashioned image might come to your mind. However, the European poultry sector employs some of the latest technologies in the world, contributing to a more sustainable production chain in terms of environment , society and economy.

Keep reading to find out more about the modern technologies in the poultry sector!

Nowadays, there is an imperative across different sectors to become even more cost-efficient. Achieving that goes hand in hand with following the latest technological developments

While the poultry sector is part of this modernisation tendency, cost-efficiency is just one of the aspects sought by the sector. This means involving new technologies in the production chain with the purpose of offering a product high in quality and respectful with the environment, the society and the economy.

But what exactly do these modern technologies imply?

Data analysis and exchange[1]

Collecting data on the state of the birds is achieved through AI methodologies and monitorization systems.

However, this data collection is not only limited to the state of the birds, but also to help manage the farms and assist farmers with optimizing production methods.

Modern services provide farmers and producers with remote and real time systems to control and look after the birds and everything around them, while also optimizing production through self-learning algorithms. These technologies also help farmers across Europe connect with each other to share data and results for the seek of this optimization.

Water and feed management[2]

One of the most important and modernized aspects in poultry farms is the management of water and feed for the birds.

This means monitoring and taking care of essential aspects such as feed and water quality and quantity, management, rationalization and other sustainable aspects such as implementation of zero energy bumps, rainwater and stormwater harvesting and treatment and general storage of water and feed in the farms.

These technologies of management help farmers with meeting objectives for weight of feed and conversion ratio in order to provide the birds with the best health and welfare conditions.

Feed improvement[3]

Ensuring the quality of the ingredients in feed composition in order to maintain and improve gut health for the birds, avoiding any medical conditions and, therefore, the use of antibiotics.

Through feed improvement, the microbiota of the animals is controlled and a better absorption of nutrients included in the feed.

Barn monitoring[4]

Services aimed at improving the performance and results of the barns in order to create a more sustainable environment for the birds. Such services include ventilation systems that can be fully and remote controlled by the farms.

Features and advantages like indoor climate monitoring helps in reducing mortality amongst the birds, adapting the indoors environment to the weather conditions, all with an optimisation of the energy.

Aside from these already employed systems, some other new technologies are being developed as a very interesting choices to help advancing poultry production, such as employment of 3d cameras to help controlling the birds’ weight, robots programmed to motorise poultry floor state and distribution and other robotic elements designed to interact with the birds without causing them any disturbance.[5]

All these advanced technologies are in continuous improvement and under innovation revision to provide the poultry with the best health and welfare conditions while helping the whole sector become more efficient and sustainable.

Promotion programme to inform about the Sustainable European Poultry Sector

SUST EU POULTRY is a two-year promotion campaign supported by the European Commission and launched by three national poultry associations and their European umbrella association (from Germany, France and Spain) with the main goal of raising awareness among European consumers and professionals about the sustainability of the European poultry sector and a product of great quality.

 

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Additional information

PRESS CONTACT

Ana María Martín

ATLAS MARKETING STUDIO

 

internacional@atlasmarketingstudio.com

CONTACT AVEC

Federica Chiarella

AVEC SECRETARIAT

 

sust@eu-poultry.eu

 The content of the present advertising solely represents the opinion of the author and is the exclusive responsibility of the same.

The European Commission assumes no responsibility for the use that may be made of the information contained therein.

 

[1] OptiFarm

[2] AgriSmart

[3] Evonik

[4] Vencomatic Group

[5] WattPoultry- 3 technologies ready to advance poultry production

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What do our animals eat

What do our animals eat?

Feed in the European sustainable poultry sector

Ever wondered what the composition of modern feed formula for poultry is in the EU? Although the majority of feed is composed of wheat, the ingredients included in feed are various and necessary to keep a healthy diet for our animals.

Keep reading to learn more about this topic![1]

As part of social sustainability, feed and its composition in the European poultry sector are essential factors to take care of. Wheat, soybean, rapeseed and fishmeal, a formula ensured without the use of antibiotics, this is the general composition of the common broiler feed in Europe.

Regarding feed composition and its use in Europe, there is a greater level of variability in aspects like operation size, ingredient availability or nutritional knowledge, all among the different member states and European nutritionists.

However, in general terms, wheat is the main cereal found in feed composition in Europe. It is not the only cereal that is included in feed, as corn is also added either from local origin or imported. Wheat has more protein and phosphorus.

The use of fishmeal as ingredient provides excellent nutritional results when the origin is a product of the best quality. It is the case of herring meal as a source of 70% crude protein. However, due to higher costs, this ingredient can be replaced by vegetable proteins.

In terms of protein, soybean meal remains the major ingredient providing the protein source. However, as the EU is seeking to reduce dependency on this ingredient, alternatives  like the fast development of rapeseed cultivation (about 35% crude protein) are becoming a relatively more affordable and available ingredient.

Finally, other ingredients would include agents like coccidiostats. And what are these? According to Science Direct: coccidiostats are antiprotozoal agents that act on coccidia parasites by inhibiting reproduction and retarding the development of the parasite in a host cell. They are most commonly used in poultry populations by addition in the feed at the authorized levels and observing the prescribed hygiene requirements.

These agents are not considered as antibiotics, as they are allowed for use, unlike other components like bacterial antibiotics that have been banned completely for growth promoting usage in the EU.

In general terms, the ingredient proportions in 1000 pounds of modern feed formula for poultry would be as follows:

Source: Ioannis Mavromichalis, Ph.D.

European Poultry sector takes good care of the quality and composition of the feed given to our animals, providing with all necessary nutrients and complying with the highest standards set by the European Union. That approach is just a part of the social sustainability pillar, to which the sector is committed.

Promotion programme to inform about the Sustainable European Poultry Sector

SUST EU POULTRY is a two-year promotion campaign supported by the European Commission and launched by three national poultry associations and their European umbrella association (from Germany, France and Spain) with the main goal of raising awareness among European consumers and professionals about the sustainability of the European poultry sector and a product of great quality.

————————————————————————————————-

Additional information

PRESS CONTACT

Ana María Martín

ATLAS MARKETING STUDIO

 

internacional@atlasmarketingstudio.com

CONTACT AVEC

Federica Chiarella

AVEC SECRETARIAT

 

sust@eu-poultry.eu

 The content of the present advertising solely represents the opinion of the author and is the exclusive responsibility of the same.

The European Commission assumes no responsibility for the use that may be made of the information contained therein.

 

[1] Source: Modern European broiler feed formulations – FeedStrategy

Categories
Articles

Waste management – More that just avoiding food waste

It is not all about poultry meat consumption!

Waste management and the usage of poultry by-products

Have you ever heard about animal by-products before? According to the European Food Safety Authority, these are “materials obtained from animals which are not intended for human consumption”.[1]

And did you know that these products are reutilized in other sectors and industries in a cycle of no-waste policy? That’s right, no-waste does not only refer to food waste, and the European Poultry sector knows a thing or two about this. Keep reading to find out!

Poultry by-products in other sectors

Around 68% of a chicken is detained for human consumption[2], which means that million tons of meat not destined for direct human consumption are produced in the EU every year. This material, known as by-products, is then transformed into a variety of alternatives used in several other sectors.

These by-products include, among other things: slaughterhouse waste (such as skin, bones, blood or fat) and materials produced by the animals such as manure, eggshells or feathers.

Several applications are given to these alternative products in the poultry sector, as part of a sustainable, reduced waste production system.

And what is exactly the alternative use given to these materials? The options are several and in many sectors: human food, animal feed, beauty products, fertilization, pharmaceutical and other technical use.

More specifically:

  • Bones, skin and tendons are used to produce gelatine for use in human food such as desserts or candy; pet food including vitamin supplements and treats; capsules for pharmaceutical use and other technical use such as paper coating.
  • Other body parts such as offals are employed in producing fats and animal protein for human food use, animal feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and technical products.
  • Feathers are reutilized for fuel and pet food production and other uses related to the keratin composition.[3]

By-products from other industries used in the poultry sector

But the poultry sector does not only provide by-products to other industries, but also benefits from it.

In fact, the EU recently lifted the ban on using animal by-products for poultry feed, as a policy to avoid waste of animal parts that are not adequate for human consumption.

In July 2021, the European Council voted to lift the ban originated in 1994 by the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) crisis, to avoid cross-contamination in feed.

This decision stands on two main reasons:

  • The European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy both encourage the use of these products to avoid waste in a sustainable cycle of usage.
  • On the other hand, the minimal danger for cross-contamination, taking into consideration the last case in the EU was registered in 2016.

Both methodologies are useful to help improve the quality of feed, helping digestibility and higher sources of protein.[4]

Now you can say you know a little more about by-products use in the poultry sector and how it is not only and all about meat consumption!

Promotion programme to inform about the Sustainable European Poultry Sector

SUST EU POULTRY is a two-year promotion campaign supported by the European Commission and launched by three national poultry associations and their European umbrella association (from Germany, France and Spain) with the main goal of raising awareness among European consumers and professionals about the sustainability of the European poultry sector and a product of great quality.

————————————————————————————————-

Additional information

PRESS CONTACT

Ana María Martín

ATLAS MARKETING STUDIO

internacional@atlasmarketingstudio.com

CONTACT AVEC

Federica Chiarella

AVEC SECRETARIAT

sust@eu-poultry.eu

The content of the present advertising solely represents the opinion of the author and is the exclusive responsibility of the same.

The European Commission assumes no responsibility for the use that may be made of the information contained therein.

 

[1]Questions and Answers on animal by-products

 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_04_107

[2] Questions and Answers on animal by-products

 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_04_107

[3] Non-food industrial applications of poultry feathers. https://europepmc.org/article/med/26092473

[4] European Fat Processors and Renderers Association

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. For guidance on balanced and healthy diets, please refer to the National Food Dietary Guidelines: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/health-promotion-knowledge-gateway/food-based-dietary-guidelines-europe-source-documents-food_en

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. For guidance on balanced and healthy diets, please refer to the National Food Dietary Guidelines: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/health-promotion-knowledge-gateway/food-based-dietary-guidelines-europe-source-documents-food_en

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No matter which European country the poultry meat comes from, consumers can always rely on food safety, environmental protection, and animal welfare. Being a major trading partner in the global poultry meat market, the EU has proved to be a role model by having some of the highest standards in the world.