December Business Update: What’s new in the world of poultry?

Poultry vaccine site in Georgia reduces carbon emissions

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Gainesville, Georgia, manufacturing plant, has earned carbon neutral certification for the second year in a row. The site was Boehringer Ingelheim’s first major manufacturing site in the US to go carbon neutral. To reduce the site’s carbon footprint originally, various energy-saving initiatives were implemented. To maintain carbon neutrality for 2022, the company took various steps to continue improving energy use. More effective use of the building management system helped identify key areas for energy savings, especially with the automation of HVAC systems. From 2021 to 2022, the site reduced its CO2 emissions by 23%, so nearly 700 fewer tons of CO2 emissions are released into the atmosphere.

Noble Foods redesigns Freshlay brand

Noble Foods has unveiled a new creative direction for its speciality free-range brand, Freshlay. Freshlay Farms launched into Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA and Co-op with newly-packaged Golden Yolker eggs. The packs of 6 and 10 free-range eggs replace the former ‘Freshlay Golden Yolks’ brand, which saw retail sales increase 123% in the past year for Noble Foods egg producer. As part of the brand’s new look, the tagline ‘Exclusively sourced from our trusted family of farms’ has also been incorporated into designs and packaging.

Largest insect farm in northern Europe opens

The Enorm Biofactory in Hvirring, Denmark, has been inaugurated. On the new 22,000 sqm farm, black soldier fly larvae will be bred and processed into insect protein and insect oil. Overall, an amount of around €70 million was invested in the project. Much of the technology was supplied, including the climate systems, air cleaning and heat recovery equipment, the liquid feeding system, and the crates, was supplied by Better Insect Solutions, a subsidiary of the Big Dutchman group.

Alltech 2023 European Harvest Analysis reveals high levels of mycotoxins

Through its 2023 European Harvest Analysis, Alltech collected and assessed over 1,100 grain and forage samples from more than 20 countries. The results show an overall higher-risk mycotoxin year in Europe in 2023. Persistent rains close to harvesting led to significant Fusarium-related challenges in wheat and barley crops across northern and western Europe. Barley shows the highest risk of the small grains, with an average of 6 mycotoxins per sample. In general, the mycotoxin challenge in corn is lower in 2023 than in recent years, but there are pockets of higher risk in central and southern Europe. Furthermore, Penicillium risk continues to dominate in forages.

Sustell receives ‘Golden Key Champion’ Award

dsm-firmenich’s Sustell has been honoured with 2 awards at the ‘Golden Key’ ceremony hosted by the China Sustainability Tribune. Sustell emerged as the overall winner from 259 entries from over 100 companies, receiving both the ‘Golden Key – Champion’ and ‘Golden Key – Outstanding’ awards in the Tech4SDG category. The accolades recognise entities making remarkable contributions towards achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Aviagen opens 9th US hatchery in Texas

Aviagen has inaugurated a poultry hatchery in Longview, Texas, and has completed a successful first Parent Stock shipment. This marks Aviagen’s 9th hatchery in the US and first in the state of Texas. The new facility has the capacity to set 1.1 million eggs per week.

Novus to share innovations at the IPPE

Novus poultry experts will share the latest research in trace minerals, footpad health, and carcass quality at the International Production and Processing Expo beginning at the end of January in Atlanta, Georgia, in the US. Four abstracts as part of the International Poultry Scientific Forum will be presented.

Research programme aims to commercialise UK insect farming

The University of Leeds and Entocycle unveiled a £430,000 research programme dedicated to developing the protocols, codes of practice and Food Safety and Quality standards of the UK insect farming industry. The project, named InSAFE, is funded by Innovate UK and BBSRC as part of the Novel Low Emission Food Production Systems competition and will evaluate the use of non-permissive feedstocks, including pig slurry, chicken manure and sewage sludge, to raise black soldier fly. An insect-rearing demonstrator facility will house the research and is situated at The National Pig Centre on the University of Leeds’ research farm in Yorkshire.

Alltech awarded 3 EcoVadis sustainability medals

Alltech has been awarded a silver medal from EcoVadis, putting it in the top 25% of sustainable companies globally. The animal health and nutrition company also earned the EcoVadis platinum medal for its production site in Springfield, Kentucky, US, and Alltech Coppens, which produces industrial feeds for the aquaculture sector, earned gold-medal status, putting it in the top 7% of sustainable companies globally. EcoVadis assesses companies on environmental, social and ethical performance in over 200 purchasing categories and 175 countries.