Admin

Total Post: 365

“SMART” On Tray Orderly Egg Refilling System

“SMART” On Tray Orderly Egg Refilling System

NECTRA, France has developed an innovative system for Hatcheries where eggs arriving directly from farms get the processing done directly on the eggs trays.

NECTRA, the leading French manufacturer and supplier of Hatchery and Laboratory automation equipment (for Hatchery) has developed an award-winning innovation (at Eurotier 2021) called ‘’SMART’’ for hatching egg REFILLING made directly on tray. The innovation provides an ON TRAY ORDERLY EGG REFILLING SYSTEM // NO ROCK & ROLL ORDERLY REFILLING.

Current Practice:

Currently hatching eggs collected from Farms can only be collected by being rolled over on belt conveying System. The eggs from different source are all rolling on the same conveyor until they get processed, separated by weight, and packed small end down (air chamber up) into setter trays to be incubated.

In very large companies, with large number of farms (often in Asia but not only) it is preferred to process all the eggs in a same processing center within the hatchery where hatching eggs from various farms are brought on egg trays or directly on incubation stackable setter trays to save cost, unloaded onto a conveyor and start rolling to be processed.

Disadvantages of old collection system :

  • Eggs get micro crack by hitting each other’s which reduces hatchability and increase contamination
  • Since thousands of eggs pass on these conveyors and each of them would roll hundreds time on the belt with extensive rubbing from eggs shell to egg shell and from eggs shell to conveyors, they can and do become extremely contaminated with a high risk of shared contamination.
  • If breeders flocks get older or if the shell quality get fragile eggs break more easily and any leak from a broken egg will quickly dirty the belt which in turn will stain the shell of many good eggs.
  • Also modern genetic have made the egg so round that it is difficult even with current automated machine that roll eggs to identify the small end from the large end with the egg chamber; Therefore for broiler hatching eggs, the amount of eggs collected upside-down have become quite important with manual collection and even automatic packers for hatching eggs commonly show errors of 2 to 4 % of eggs packed upside-down ….. that goes undetected through the incubation process and affect the hatchability rate.

The Innovation: In Tray “NO ROCK & ROLL ORDERLY REFILLING TECHNOLOGY”

The new SMART refilling technology by NECTRA is part of an innovative system where the eggs arrive directly on incubation trays from the farm and get all the processing stage directly on the eggs tray, weighing the eggs, checking and removing or repositioning upside-down eggs but most important of all being able to refill random empty spot in tray whether the trays are mostly empty or mostly full in a single movement and in a very fast manner and without egg rolling.

This technology allows empty egg position randomly shared within a tray to be filled up automatically at high speed and in one single deposit regardless of how many eggs need to be refilled and regardless of their random repartition. Therefore, egg can be transferred from any type of farm egg trays into any other type of incubation trays in a fast manners regardless of whether the two trays match of not (no common divider factor between egg number of each tray) . it is done fast and in one shot.

It allows completion of incubation trays automatically without manual intervention regardless of the shape variation between farm trays and incubation trays and regardless of the number of eggs to move. It uses several NECTRA Contactless technology to detect the air chamber and remove or reposition the upside-down eggs. Until today handing hatching egg is quite time consuming so the industry was forced to transfer r hatching eggs on belt and let them roll hundreds of times …. therefore, increasing significantly the cracks and cross contamination of breeder hatching eggs and still displaying 2 to 4% upside-down.

With the SMART system, hatching eggs are no longer rolled; They are initially either collected or transferred directly on farm or hatchery setter trays. The SMART refilling technology process them directly on the trays without removing them for quality & crack checking and for individual egg weighing. Upside-down eggs are identified without contact and returned in the right position automatically ( Or manually); During the process eggs may be separated into various weight category directly on setter trays Any empty position in any tray is refilled automatically by the SMART refilling system. The system is composed of 3 parallel conveyors; the first one carries the trays to be refilled either in part of wholly, the second one carries the freely moving cups being filled up with one egg each and the third one carries freely moving empty cups.

The eggs are first transferred on moving cups able to move freely on a belt. At the start and at the end of the belt the cups filled with eggs pile one behind another to generate the exact shape of the tray to be refilled. Eggs on cup cannot hit or touch each other. Empty cups are removed by the ‘’SMART’’ innovative system able to refill eggs into trays or onto cups while at the same time removing cups without eggs on a side conveyor where they will return to get filled up.

The SMART refilling system for the first time provides a safe and sane solution to process hatching eggs at the hatchery and minimizes cracks, bioburden and shell contamination….. and even allows you to identify and save 2 to 4% of your eggs set upside-down in a contactless manner.

Source: NECTRA , France / EUROTIER 2021

Novus International and Agrivida form R&D alliance for New Feed additive technology

Novus International and Agrivida form R&D alliance for New Feed additive technology

Novus International, Inc., the global leader in nutrition and health solutions for the animal agriculture industry, announced plans to redefine its business through an enhanced focus on gut health and innovation. Agrivada – the Missouri-based company is making good on its strategy with a new partnership.

Agrivida, a privately held biotechnology company based in Massachusetts, was founded in 2003 by scientists from MIT who discovered a way to incorporate feed additives directly into corn grown for production animals. By having the additive inside of the grain, the molecules are more efficiently absorbed, and producers can improve both animal performance and their bottom line.

The partnership combines Novus’s nearly 30 years of research, sales and marketing experience with Agrivida’s unique technology, allowing both companies to grow the customer base as well as explore new innovative products and solutions through R&D collaboration.

Novus is making Agrivida products available to its customers in the U.S. immediately while registration is underway to expand to other countries.

For more information on Novus visit www.novusint.com. For more information on Agrivida visit www.agrivida.com.

Source: Novus International

How Smart are you hiring?

How Smart are you hiring?

This article talks about how you could strengthen recruitment and selection process by making strategic decisions. Importance of internal talents and employee retention is focused upon. Also, this article provides few steps in making your hiring process effective and reduce hiring errors. The importance of coordinated efforts from all functions too is highlighted.

One of the things this pandemic has highlighted is the need for a well trained and engaged employees. Several CEO surveys have concluded that getting right talent happens to be one of the top challenges for the CEOs. Our animal nutrition industry is no different as we are witnessing instances where teams have delivered while some others have not been so successful. What makes hiring difficult? Why some organizations are successful in attracting/retaining talents while several others struggle. We will examine these issues in this article.

To me there are two fundamental issues in how we hire today. They are:

  1. More focus on external hiring for any open positions
  2. Inability to retain talents

Let us study them in detail here. On the first issue of dependence on external hiring, studies suggest that the percentage of positions filled with internal candidates has gradually declined over the past decades to below 15% now. Advantage with an internal candidate is that they need very little time to settle down and perform in the new role compared to an external candidate for the same roll where it takes about 1-2 years for them to deliver. When the organization predominantly looks to fill open positions with external hires, there is very little incentive for existing employees to stay back and grow. They start spending significant amount of time searching for opportunities outside the organization. Moreover, filling a position with internal candidate is very quick when compared to an external hire. I am not suggesting that all positions need to be closed with internal candidates. Please have a systems in place to provide opportunity to our existing employees before we start looking at the market. Internal movement also causes a cascading effect as we will need to fill the position vacated by the internal candidate. This creates lot of opportunities and helps an organization in managing employee aspirations.

On the second issue of inability to retain talent, let me state that studies suggest that about 95% of the positions that are closed today are replacement positions. This is a clear evidence of our inability to retain talents and key employees. Also, studies find out that more than two thirds of these employees who leave say that they left because of better career prospects. Question is why the current organization can’t provide that opportunity to these employees instead of making them leave. Problem with refilling an open position is that it takes lot of time and resources. On an average every position takes about 45-90 days for a closure. If this was a sales position, it causes direct revenue loss. Worst, that business is bagged by a competitor and we need to spend three times the resources to get back that business. Apart from time and resources, frequent re filling also causes a bad reputation in the market as more people come to know that same or similar positions are always open with the organization. Not to mention the fact that in several cases organizations end up paying more for the recruit compared to the person whom he/she replaced.

We come the question of what we could do to address these issues so that we could be very successful in the market. Based on my experience, I am suggesting the below measures.

  • Internal Hires – For any open position (replacement or new) you may consider internal candidates first. You need to make them aware of these opportunities by way of internal job postings. Smaller organizations might have challenges in providing faster growth in the same function where growth across function comes handy. One way to make employees think about this is encouraging eligible candidates to apply for open positions within the organization. If you don’t provide an opportunity to grow, someone else is going to do that. While you post these jobs internally, train managers to allow their employees apply to them without any fear of retribution. Be open to evaluate the internal applications in a very transparent and objective manner. Key here is to communicate your decision of either offering or not to the candidates in a timely, open and constructive manner. Failure to do so could be counterproductive and might result in these employees leaving the organization with bitterness. Believe me, I have seen employees move from core R&D role to a sales role and excel.
  • Write realistic Job descriptions – It is always good to have an ideal candidate, but I only wish if there were any. For instance, we were looking for Product managers who had a Veterinary degree with an MBA and domain experience. No wonder we always struggled to find candidates. Slowly we had spoken to almost all of them who were working with our competition. Then we started to look for candidates with core Product management experience in a similar industry who were not vets. The basic technical training was imparted. It worked wonders and I can safely say that there is no evidence to say that Vet degree offers an advantage for this product manager position. I am in no way dis crediting vet graduates here. Problem is with very limited veterinary universities; the talent is limited, and we had to compete with governments who are their biggest employer. Be clear on what you consider as essential and what is good to have.

While writing a JD for a position, managers need to take stock of the skills that are available in their function and decide which skill is needed. For instance, the head of R&D (during my last corporate stint) was smart enough to build a team of scientists with varied specializations like biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, organic chemistry etc. Over a period of 2 years, he was successful in building a strong team that had the expertise to take on projects on wide variety of subjects and species. Today, this R&D function tops in terms of innovation, paper publications and is a source for talents for other business units.

Managers/Functional heads need to have such a long-term thinking while hiring.

  • Invest in your employees and Fresh talent – Your existing employees need to be nurtured so that they grow and occupy key positions. One of the myths in people development is to send them for training programs and count the man-days. Reality is it takes more than just man-days to help them grow. They need right working environment where they enjoy freedom and empowerment, they should be encouraged to take calculated risks (Please refer my earlier article on this subject). Those with high potential need to be exposed to more than one function, be part of cross functional teams and in select cases coaches assigned to them.

Investing on freshers pays dividends in long run as they could be trained in your way of functioning. Even before you decide to hire freshers, you may need to identify projects for them and have a structured training. They should be assigned to a mentor who shapes them. In my experience I have hired freshers in my HR function who have grown to occupy managerial positions in a span of 4-5 years.

  • Recruit all through the year and select when you have a position – Make the distinction between recruitment and selection. Recruitment refers to the process of identifying potential candidates for current and future positions while selection happens when there is an open position. All Managers need to constantly look for potential candidates (internal and external) regardless of whether they have an open position or not. For instance, a sales manager could easily identify potential frontline sales personnel by looking at who is giving a tough competition or who is grabbing our share? Visits to distributors could be used to identifying potential candidates. You need not approach them for any position but need to keep a tab
  • Do a thorough reference check – This step is largely under-utilized and could help you in avoiding hiring errors. Ideally reference check is done by the hiring manager with a person who had managed the candidate. Quality of information you gather largely depends on the quality of questions you ask. It is better to explain the job in detail to the person providing reference and seek information on how the candidate has performed in similar role earlier, how has he/she responded to deadlines, what has been the accomplishments, what could he/she have done better, why did he/she leave the organization and what need to be ensured to make the candidate successful. Please reach out to them to fix up a 15–20-minute time slot and be prepared for the discussion. Use this information to write a solid induction program for the recruit
  • Measure – It is said that what you don’t measure, you can’t control. Often, we complain about delay in hiring or lament on the need to go for frequent replacements. Seldom do we measure, track and draw insights into the root causes. Things like time to fill, time to source, number of resumes per closure could provide valuable insights. When I was managing HR function, we found that consultants had given more than 600 resumes for less than 15 closures while 65 odd employee referrals resulted in about 30 hires. Tracking employee retention by source of hiring will help you fix issues in recruitment. For example, we found internal candidates had highest retention while the candidates hired through consultants had highest attrition within 6 months of joining.

Conclusion– As we have seen, recruitment requires a well-coordinated effort and must be data driven. Like any process, it too needs constant monitoring and correction. Recruitment needs to have a strategic approach by all functions and not just the HR function. Jack Welch says, “If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings and put compensation as a carrier behind it, you almost don’t need to manage them”. So True

 

About the Author: Mr. Pattabiraman Nagarajan is a HR professional, Consultant, trainer and an ICF certified coach. Has managed organization change and aligned HR practices to ensure business growth. He holds master degree in Social work and a PG diploma in Business management from IIM Trichy. He could be reached at npattabiraman@relyonus.in

2021 Global Feed Survey Released

2021 Global Feed Survey Released

The 2021 Global Feed Survey representing 142 Countries, was conducted by Alltech – both quantitatively and qualitatively and the analysis evaluates country, regional and global trends.

2021 Global Feed Survey Excerpts :

GLOBAL FEED PRODUCTION: 1% growth globally, 1,187.7 million metric tons produced.

The year 2020 was challenging for many industries and the feed, agriculture and food industries were no exception. The survey showed that, regionally, COVID-19 had varying effects. Some regions, such as Africa, cited more challenges than others, and in many cases, this was a country-by-country determination. The rise of e-commerce was seen around the world and is expected to be ongoing for food purchasing in the future.

Feed prices greatly affected producers. Additional challenges to these prices included government regulations of more sustainable practices, such as lowered nitrogen use and the reduction or elimination of antibiotics.

FEED MILLS: 3% reduction in Feed Mills growth.

It is estimated that nearly 1,000 feed mills closed in the last year. Many other countries fluctuated between an increasing and decreasing number of mills open.

TOP TEN COUNTRIES

The top 10 countries are responsible for 63% of global feed production. They have average feed costs around 9% less than the global average and have an average growth of 2%.

 

LAYERS:

Poultry meat and eggs are generally considered universal foods. Some industry challenges arose from the widespread shutting down of restaurants. Disease, such as avian influenza, was also a concern and remained a challenge for many in the business. However, offsetting any declines in feed production due to these challenges was an increased interest in eggs as an inexpensive protein, particularly for those in economically suppressed areas.

Globally, layer feed production remained flat. Disease, such as avian influenza, has affected Europe, especially in the end of latter part of the year.

There is a greater movement toward antibiotic-free (ABF) feed production especially in parts of Europe and Latin America. In some countries, such as Italy, the regulation of ABF is done through the government. Other countries, such as the U.K. and Brazil, are seeing producers adopt practices to comply with consumer demands.

BROILERS:

The changes in broiler feed production were, in some cases, a direct result of COVID-19 and its effect on the restaurant and food-service businesses. Although this was generally considered a short-term effect, there were instances of permanent change. Disease, such as avian influenza, also affected the industry. Overall, however, the industry fared well due to the short growth cycle and the easy adaptability of production methods.

Globally, broiler feed increased by 1%. Feed production growth was led by Asia-Pacific —
especially China, but also Bangladesh and Vietnam — as well as Latin America, including Brazil, Venezuela and Chile.

Some declines in broiler feed were seen initially as the result of the closing of restaurants and hotels, although this was later offset by increased at-home cooking, particularly as this meat is considered low-cost and easy to cook.

On antibiotic free broiler meat, there were increased investments in some countries, such as Brazil. Others are adopting the practice of ABF to meet consumer demand.

PIGS: Pig feed increased globally by 1% (286.36 MMT in 2020 as compared to 282.58 MMT in 2019).

DAIRY: Globally, dairy feed production remained relatively flat (128.81 MMT in 2020, 128.77 MMT in 2019).

AQUACULTURE: The overall global growth of 3% was the strongest among all of the primary
protein species (49.39 MMT in 2020 as compared to 48.04 MMT in 2019).

PETS: The pet industry was one of the few industries that reaped benefits from COVID-19 and the related lockdowns, with pet adoption rates soaring. (29.33 MMT in 2020 as compared to 27.09 MMT in 2019).

Source : 

Profit Optimization for Broiler Producers

Profit Optimization for Broiler Producers

Broiler performance is graded in India by comparing Average body weight, Average day gain, FCR, CFCRs, Livability and EEF/PPI (European Efficiency Factor or Poultry Performance Index). 9 out of 10 Poultry Production companies in India work on performance optimization. They formulate very high-density feed so that they can grow birds to be marketed early say at 32 to 35 days with very low FCRs (some getting even below 1.4). They celebrate these achievements and proudly share this performance in forum and medias.
There are also some poultry producers who work on Profit optimization. Their performance is average to low, but they make good profits silently. They don’t pat their backs for good performance and achievement but are growing month on month in their business.

Impact of 1-point FCR difference:

Let’s start by calculating what is the impact of 1-point FCR. The cost of 1-point FCR depends upon the cost at which feed has been made and reference FCR. For e.g., the same 1-point FCR cost will be higher for feed calculated at ₹30/kg than at ₹29/kg. Similarly cost of 1-point FCR will be higher when reference FCR is 1.5 than it is 1.6 or above.

Equations used to calculate are:

Current FCR * Feed cost per kg = Feed cost per live kg
Feed cost per live kg/Projected FCR = Future feed Value
Future feed value – Original feed cost = Cost of 1-Point FCR in ₹

(Figure 1 – Cost of 1-Point FCR in different field perspectives)

In the above table, cost impact of 1-Point FCR at different feed cost and standard reference FCR is mentioned in ₹. From the table is can be made out that if feed cost is ₹30/kg and someone getting 1.60 FCR for his farm cost of 1-Point FCR is ₹0.19 or 19 paisa in terms of Feed costing.(Figure 1 – Cost of 1-Point FCR in different field perspectives)

Production cost and margin impact:

Similar mathematical modeling can be applied for calculation of production cost as well as profit optimization also. Assuming current chicks’ price ₹45/unit (its high but this is the prevailing rate), management cost ₹4/bird and standard liquidation/selling weight 2.2kg/bird production cost has been calculated at various feed rates.

(Figure 2 – Broiler Production cost/kg in different field perspectives)

One thing which can be clearly made out from the table is, for profit optimization only better (lower) FCR is not important but also formulation cost. For someone formulating very high-density feed at ₹32/kg and getting 1.50 FCR will have production cost of ₹70.27 whereas moderate density feed formulated at ₹28/kg and getting FCR 1.70 will have production cost of ₹69.87 and will run with more profits.

Some field veterinarians may disagree to this calculation as they have observed more mortality and field challenges with birds growing slowly. They complain of issues related to gut health, respiratory tract after 20 days and feel good when birds are liquidated at 33-35 days. But with good gut health and respiratory infection prevention plan in place, disease challenges can be easily managed. Also, production is a big stress in birds, slow growing birds are less prone to immunosuppression and metabolic disorders. Lower Average Day Gain doesn’t always mean higher mortality which can also be corelated to broiler grown on welfare norms and free range in western world.

Interpretation and commercial use:

  1. Better performance may not always be better profits, the correct approach must be followed for profit optimization.
  2. Integrators with limited farming and very stringent farm selection can go with performance optimization approach.
  3. Integrators with operations across multiple states and looking for expansions should always work on the profit optimization model. The density of feed should be medium to low so that the impact of 1-Point FCR is also less.
  4. In pockets with very high density of poultry population, the performance of same feed across farms depending upon management is 20-30 Points FCR. For these areas profit optimization concept works the best.(Figure 3 –Line graph demonstrating FCR, PC and Feed Cost)
  5. Additives pertaining to gut health, disease needs not to be compromised while formulating feeds at a lower cost. Good health monitoring and management practices are always helpful in keeping diseases at bay.
  6. Lower to medium density feed can be formulated at a lower cost but the things to keep in mind is the percentage inclusion of alternate ingredients. Minimizing the variation in raw ingredients through good quality control process and use of suitable enzymes are giving edge to the poultry producers following this approach in India.
  7. Top 2 out of 3 Indian Integrators are successfully following profit optimization approach and they are satisfied with average performance.

For references, questions and feedback write to Novel Life Consultants, Bangalore. Email id is novellife.bangalore@gmail.com and contact no Landline 080-41326221 Mob- 9611337444)

 

(This article is a work of Novel Life Consultant and is for public information purpose only. This has been written to share knowledge on poultry nutrition and is not a legal information or statement. Reference to any specific product or entity doesn’t constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the company. The views expressed by the writer are their own and their appearance does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.)

EW Nutrition Acquires Feed Quality and Pigment Business from Novus International Inc.

EW Nutrition Acquires Feed Quality and Pigment Business from Novus International Inc.

On 1 Feb 2021, EW Nutrition completed the acquisition of the Feed Quality and Pigments business from Novus International, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, EW Nutrition becomes the owner of world-renowned brands such as Santoquin® feed preservative, SURF●ACE®, a feed mill processing aid, and feed ingredient Agrado®. The acquisition also gives EW Nutrition ownership of a state-of-the-art production facility in Constantí, Spain.

“This transaction will bring additional value to our customers, further reinforcing EW Nutrition’s global market position, and increasing its product portfolio and geographical reach,” says Michael Gerrits, Managing Director of EW Nutrition. “The products acquired will further support EW Nutrition’s mission to mitigate the impact of antimicrobial resistance by providing comprehensive animal nutrition solutions.”

Dan Meagher, President and CEO of Novus International, Inc., explained that the sale is part of Novus’s Project Destiny, a multi-year plan to focus the company’s resources on core platforms and emerging technologies, with a focus on gut health.

“We are pleased to have found a committed owner for these platforms so that they may continue bringing value to the industry,” said Meagher. “This event is a significant milestone in our Project Destiny journey. Now that our Feed Quality and Pigments platforms are in good hands with EW Nutrition, we are excited to focus our energies on developing new, innovative technologies into meaningful nutrition solutions for our customers.”

A robust services agreement between the companies is governing critical activities to ensure customers are supported through the transition. The range of products is immediately available to customers.

EW Nutrition is a global animal nutrition company that offers integrators, feed producers, and self-mixing farmers comprehensive, customer-focused solutions for gut health management, antibiotic reduction, young animal nutrition, toxin risk management and more. For details, visit https://ew-nutrition.com

Webinar Invitation by Proteon Pharmaceuticals India

Webinar Invitation by Proteon Pharmaceuticals India

Proteon Pharmaceuticals India invites you to join the FREE webinar on – Natural guard against E. coli – Ensure a better future of your farm.

Panelist – Dr. Sudheer Rukadikar and Ms. Justyna Andrysiak
Date: 9th February 2021
Time: 15:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs
Place: Zoom Meeting

Click here to register Free.

The webinar will cover:

  • Introduction to E. coli
  • How E. coli affects health of flocks
  • Farmers concern on E. coli
  • Prevention and control of E. coli
  • How bacteriophages act as natural guard against E. coli

Proteon Pharmaceuticals S.A., headquartered in Poland, is a leader in bacteriophage (phage) technology for livestock farming. It is the first company to develop precision bacteriophage based feed additives to combat bacterial infections in poultry.

Another Milestone for ABIS Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Another Milestone for ABIS Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd.

IB ABIS Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd. launches its hi-tech Poultry Feed Plant in Muzaffarpur, Bihar

ABIS Exports (India) Pvt. Ltd., in its endeavor to support Bihar State achieve self-reliance, inaugurated its new State-of-the-art 1200 MT poultry feed plant at Bela Phase 2 Industrial Area, BIADA, Muzaffarpur on 9th Jan 2021. The Chief Guest of the inaugural function was Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Hon’ble Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, GOI and special invitee was Smt. Renu Devi Ji, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar State.

Mr. Bahadur Ali, Founder & Managing Director, IB Group, Sh. Sultan Ali, Founder & Chairman and Mr. Gulrej Alam, Director have emerged as a role model for the Industrialists of Bihar.

The new feed plant is spread over an area of about 5 acres and the first phase of manufacturing poultry feed has already begun. Manufacturing livestock feed and fish feed is also proposed in future.

While Interacting with the press, Mr. Bahadur Ali, Founder & Managing Director, IB Group shared that the idea to setup feed plant in Bihar came up during his interaction with Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Central Minister. In 2018, while the Hon’ble Minister was touring India and had visited Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh, it was Shree Giriraj Singh Ji who had pointed out that while IB Group was buying maize from Bihar, the poultry production was being done in Chattisgarh and later, the poultry was again being sold in Bihar. Instead, it was better to setup the feed plant in Bihar itself. Inspired by Hon’ble Minister suggestion, it was decided to setup a feed plant here.

Mr. Bahadur Ali added that “High quality protein is now a basic need for all and IB Group will do its very best to cater for the same” . Requesting Smt. Renu Devi Ji, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar State to support and promote its poultry farmers just like Orissa State Govt. which provides electricity subsidy and 50 lac capital subsidies. Also, the maize, which is now being sold in other Indian States could be restricted to consumption within Bihar. Mr. Bahadur Ali added that if the State Govt. policies were supportive and beneficial to the farmers (just like Andhra Pradesh and Telengana), in next 5 years, Bihar State too could become a leading State for poultry business in India.

After the inaugural function, Dr. S. Dey, Senior Vice President and Head-IB Integration announced the names of IB Managers and IB Integration Farmers who were give appreciation certificates and mementoes by Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India and by Smt. Renu Devi Ji, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar,

California Pellet Mills (CPM), USA who supplied the feed plant was also given special appreciation mementoes by Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India.

The Vote of Thanks was given by Mr. Mohan Singh Dhalla, Sr. Administrator of IB Group and the Closing ceremony was conducted by Mr. Juned Qazi, COO IB Group, Dr. Subhradip Dey, Head Integration, IB Group and honorable guest Mr. O.P. Singh MD ABTL Pune.

Glimpses:

Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India and Smt. Renu Devi Ji, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar State inaugurates IB ABIS Feed Plant in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Bahadur Ali, Founder & Managing Director, IB Group, with the Chief Guest Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India, at the inauguration function.

 

 

Mr. Bahadur Ali, Founder & Managing Director, IB Group welcoming the dignitaries and delivering keynote address.

 

 

 

Mr. Gulrez Alam, Director, IB Group welcoming Smt. Renu Devi, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar State by presenting flower bouquets.

 

 

 

Smt. Renu Devi Ji, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar State addressing the gathering.

In her speech, she appreciated the efforts of IB Group by opening this mega feed plant which will generate lot of job opportunities for local persons from Bihar.

 

 

Mr. Bahadur Ali, Founder & Managing Director, IB Group welcoming Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India by presenting flower bouquets.

 

Honorable Chief Guest Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, giving his keynote address.

In his speech Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, told that in coming next few years, Bihar will become one of the main hub for poultry production. As poultry, dairy and fisheries generates employment in youth so more and more youth should join for farming as local consumption of chicken and eggs is very good and at present Bihar is dependent on other states for supplies to meet their present demand.

 

 

 

Mr. Shahid, Mr. Razeeuddin, Vice President-Feed, Mr. Ajit Mani, Vice President-HR, Mr. Rizwanuddin, Vice President-Technical (Poultry & Industry), Mr. Ricky Thaper, Vice President & Head North Zone and Mr. Juned Qazi, Chief Operating Officer (COO), IB Group.

 

 

IB Group Team with Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India and Smt. Renu Devi Ji, Honorable Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar

 

 

 

Mr. Gulrez Alam, Director, IB Group and Mr. Ricky Thaper, Vice President, IB Group with Shree Giriraj Singh Ji, Honorable Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Dairying, Government of India.

Webinar: From feed to food: one goal, different challenges

Webinar: From feed to food: one goal, different challenges

GMP+ International and All About Feed’s second webinar in the run up towards the Global Feed Safety Summit 2022 in which one of the highlights will be how consumer and retail power influence the feed chain. “From feed to food: one goal, different challenges – actionable insights from retail, food and feed leaders” Traditionally the industries understanding of making feed into food boiled down to one issue; how to improve feed & food safety and sustainability. That said, the conscious consumers of today, demand more. They want sourceability, traceability and transparency. For some in the industry, this needs a novel way of thinking, but on the other hand it offers a great showcase to present how good the feed industry is actually organised when it comes to sustainable and sound production.

Programme Outline

Feed Safety, Food Safety & The Consumer by John Kirkpatrick, Agricultural Manager for Poultry and Eggs at TESCO

Sustainability in an interconnected value chain by Mia Lafontaine, Sustainability Manager Trouw Nutrition

For Webinar registration , click here

Properly prepared & cooked chicken and eggs are safe to eat: FSSAI

Properly prepared & cooked chicken and eggs are safe to eat: FSSAI

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in a Guidance Note on safe handling, processing & consumption of poultry meat and eggs during bird flu outbreak stated that properly prepared and cooked chicken and eggs were safe for human consumption.

Explaining Avian Influenza commonly known as Bird flu or avian flu, its causes and types, FSSAI issued several precautionary guidelines for retail meat shop, handling and cooking of poultry meat and table eggs and consumers while at the same time maintaining that, to date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even if these foods were contaminated with the avian influenza virus.

The complete FSSAI guidelines can be accessed hereunder:

Safe handling, processing & consumption of poultry meat and eggs during bird flu outbreak

Avian influenza, or “bird flu” or “avian flu” is an infection caused by avian influenza (flu) viruses. These flu viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, bird flu is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chicken and ducks, very sick and kill them. Avian influenza (AI), as per World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), is defined as an infection of poultry caused by any influenza A virus of the H5 or H7 subtypes or by any influenza A virus with an intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) greater than 1.2. These viruses are divided into high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses and low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses.

Most strains of avian influenza virus are mainly found in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of infected birds, and not in meat. However, highly pathogenic viruses, such as the H5N1 strain, spread to virtually all parts of an infected bird, including meat. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus can be found inside and on the surface of eggs laid by infected birds. Although sick birds will normally stop producing eggs, eggs laid in the early phase of the disease could contain viruses in the egg-white and yolk as well as on the surface of the shell. Proper cooking inactivates the virus present inside the meat and eggs. Poultry meat and eggs from areas with outbreaks in poultry should not be consumed raw or partially cooked. However, to date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even if these foods were contaminated with the avian influenza virus.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN AT RETAIL MEAT SHOPS

  • Do not bring any live or slaughtered/dead poultry birds at retail shop from the avian influenza outbreak areas and do not allow it to enter in the food chain.
  • During avian influenza outbreak, people who handle live poultry should take special precautions. They should wear PPE, gloves and masks while handling birds.
  • People handling raw meat should wear gloves, masks and wash their hands properly with water and soap, especially before and after handling the raw poultry and eggs. Also avoid contact with bird droppings.
  • Wash and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw meat.
  • Clean and sanitize the knives and cutting boards between cutting/slaughtering the two birds.
  • All the waste generated from the retail poultry shop must be properly disposed.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY CONSUMERS

  • Do not purchase eggs/ poultry meat sourced from the avian influenza infected areas.
  • One should avoid going to open markets that sell poultry in the affected area as they are the focal point of the spread.
  • People who work closely with live infected poultry are at high risk of getting the infection.
  • The cases of virus spread in humans have also been linked to slaughter of infected birds as well as handling of dead birds, before cooking.
  • Human to human transmission of the avian influenza virus is very rare unless one works in proximity with the infected birds.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation recommends that one of the best ways to minimize the risk of infection is by keeping infected birds away from the food chain at all levels – that is to ensure procurement of products from genuine, trusted sources.
  • The World Health Organization, in its past advisory also suggested people to practice safe hygienic practices before procuring or cooking any produce, and make sure to source ingredients from trusted places.

PRECAUTIONS DURING HANDLING AND COOKING OF POULTRY MEAT

  • The WHO states that it is safe to consume poultry meat and eggs. According to the WHO official site, there is no epidemiological data which suggests that the disease can be transmitted to humans through cooked food (even if the bird was contaminated with the virus before cooking).
  • Poultry and poultry products can be prepared and consumed as usual, with no fear of acquiring infection with the avian flu virus if following precautions are taken.
  • Do not wash the chicken in the running water as it may cause water splashing and spread of droplets contaminating the surroundings.
  • Follow good hygienic practices while handling and preparation of poultry meat products
  • Use gloves and masks during the handling and preparation of raw poultry/poultry products
  • After handling raw poultry meat, wash hands and other exposed parts with soap and water.
  • Do not use the same chopping board or the same knife that is used for cutting raw poultry meat for any other food item before sanitizing it or thoroughly washing it with soap/detergent.
  • The virus is destroyed at a higher temperature (D values ranging from 0.28 to 0.5 s at 70 °C or 0.041 to 0.073 s at 73.9 °C). Proper cooking at temperatures at 74 °C or above in all parts of the product will inactivate the virus (USDA).
  • Do not place cooked meat back on the same plate or surface, as prior to cooking. Use different utensils for raw and cooked products. Raw poultry and poultry products should never be allowed to come in contact with cooked food items or the food items that are eaten raw.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces in contact with the raw poultry meat/products.
  • Wash and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw meat.
  • Do not handle both raw and cooked foods without washing your hands in between.
  • Wash hands with good quality soap and water for 20-30 seconds before and after cooking

PRECAUTIONS DURING HANDLING AND COOKING OF TABLE EGGS

  • The avian flu virus is destroyed by drying and exposure to sunlight within few hours. As it is likely that the eggs that reach the consumer were laid several hours ago, even if the droppings on eggs are carrying the avian flu virus, the likelihood of infection is low.
  • However, in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza, droppings on eggs are to be considered infective and all the hygienic handling and safety precautions should be taken.
  • Wear gloves and mask while handling the raw eggs.
  • Do not wash the eggs in the running water as it may cause water splashing and spread of droplets contaminating the surroundings. To do away with the dirt on the surface of eggs, clean them by dipping in clean portable water or wipe with clean wet tissue or cloth.
  • While opening the raw eggs, precaution is to be taken that the raw egg contents do not spill in the surrounding areas and do not contaminate the cooked food or food items that are to be eaten raw. Raw eggs and egg products should never be allowed to come in contact with cooked food items or the food items that are eaten raw.
  • Proper cooking at temperatures at or above 74°C in all parts of the product will inactivate the virus (USDA).
  • While cooking an egg, ensure that the yellow yolk becomes firm and avoid eating runny eggs during the course of the outbreak.
  • Consumers need to be sure that all parts of the poultry are fully cooked and that eggs, too, are properly cooked (no “runny” yolks).
  • Do not use raw or soft-boiled eggs in food preparations that will not be heat treated or cooked.
  • Use different utensils for raw and cooked products.
  • Wash and disinfect all surfaces and utensils that have been in contact with the raw egg/raw egg products.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces coming in contact with the raw egg/raw egg products
  • Wash hands with good quality soap and water for 20-30 seconds before and after cooking.

LIST OF DO’s AND DON’Ts

  1. Do not eat half-boiled eggs
  2. Do not eat undercooked chicken
  3. Avoid direct contact with birds in the infected areas
  4. Avoid touching dead birds with bare hands
  5. Do not keep raw meat in open
  6. No direct contact with raw meat
  7. Use a mask and gloves at the time of handling raw chicken
  8. Wash hands frequently
  9. Maintain the cleanliness of surroundings.
  10. Eat chicken, eggs and their products after cooking

Properly prepared and cooked poultry meat and eggs are safe to eat!!

Source: FSSAI